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UAE-Team Emirates sweeps podium of short UAE Tour time trial

Summit finish on tap for Wednesday at WorldTour race

February 20, 2024
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UAE-Emirates ran wild in Tuesday’s time trial at the UAE Tour, sweeping the podium via American chrono champion Brandon McNulty, Jay Vine and Mikkel Bjerg. Bahrain-Victorious also had three fellows in the top-10. McNulty takes a slim lead into Wednesday’s first summit finish. His teammate Adam Yates, the pre-race favourite, finished 28 seconds back and is 15th in GC. Sole Canadian entrant Michael Leonard came in 135th.

The Course

The riders had a flat, 12.1-km chrono starting and finishing on Al Hudayriyat Island, with a time check at the 5.6 km mark. They would have a tailwind going home.

McNulty, who has already bagged a 2024 stage race at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, had a long stint on the hot seat, as he started early. His 6:36 mark at the time check and 13:27 at the finish was the standard that held up all day. Australian teammate Jay Vine, the fastest rider in the second half of the course, finished two seconds slower and Bjerg came in +0:05.

Yates, the 2020 UAE Tour champion with three other podium spots, has work to do Wednesday on Jebel Jais and Sunday on Jebel Hafeet.

Adam Yates gave himself some work to do in the mountains.

Between Thursday to Sunday are three sprint stages. Let us hope the peloton stays free of the crashes that marred Stage 1.