Massive crash mars finish of Stage 1 of UAE Tour

Tim Merlier took the win but dozens of riders hit the deck in final 300 m

Matt Hansen February 19, 2024

Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep) took the win at the first stage of the UAE Tour after a hectic sprint resulted in all sorts of riders crashing just before the finish line.

Leadout trains went awry when some of the poissons-pilotes wiped out just before the end of the stage.

The opening day of the seven day stage race was a 143-km ride from Al Dhafra to Liwa. Arvid de Kleijn of Tudor Pro Cycling Team took second, with Jakub Mareczko (Team corratec – Vini Fantini) slotting in third. The sole Canadian in the race, Michael Leonard, finished 132nd, after doing some work earlier for his Ineos-Grenadiers team.

You can watch the brutal finale below.

🇦🇪 VIDEO: @uae_tour

Medical update and details from @haroldtejada1 after his crash on the finish line of Stage 1 ⬇️#UAETour #AstanaQazaqstanTeam

🎥 Astana Qazaqstan/@eurosport/@discoveryplus pic.twitter.com/tyybcGNQYK

— Astana Qazaqstan Team (@AstanaQazTeam) February 19, 2024