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Abu Dhabi Tour 2016: Stage 4

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Welcome to live coverage of stage 4 of the Abu Dhabi Tour from the Yas Marina circuit

Abu Dhabi Tour hub
Stage 3 report: Kangert solos to victory
Stage 3 highlights
Start list

110km remaining from 143km

The riders in the breakaway are Michal Paluta (CCC Sprandi), Yauhen Sobal (Misnk), Kristian House (One Pro Cycling), Fredrik Frisson (Lotto-Soudal), Sergey Firsanov (Gazprom-Rusvelo). 

Astana have two riders at the head of the peloton and with the pace that they're setting the group has strung out into one long line. They're looking after the interests of Kangert who won yesterday's queen stage. This was how things finished on the Jebel Hafeet. 

The top 10 in the GC looks distinctly similar to that of the stage result, but with a few bonus seconds thrown in for good measure. There's still an opportunity to nick the overall lead from Kangert but it's unlikely. 

The sun has all but set and the riders are now racing under the floodlights of the Yas Marina circuit. In just over a month's time, it will play host to the finale of the F1 season but for now it is the playground of the cyclists. The lights of the Yas Viceroy hotel are also glistening in all their splendor. 

93km remaining from 143km

It's all very relaxed inside the bunch and the riders are taking the opportunity to discuss their off-season plans. It has been a very long season for most of them so they'll surely be looking forward to a little bit of r&r. 

This isn't the only racing in Asia this weekend. Over in the far east, Davide Villella took his first win of the season with victory in the Japan Cup. Find the full results here

84km remaining from 143km

77km remaining from 143km

The leaders are passing through the feed zone and picking up some bidons. The temperature has dropped with the sunshine and the riders are not suffering the same slippery bidon problems as they did at the World Championships in Qatar.

71km remaining from 143km

There are plenty of sprinters who have their eyes on victory today. We mentioned Cavendish, who won stage two, but stage 1 winner Giacomo Nizzolo is also a contender. Others in contention for the win today are Jempy Drucker, Elia Viviani, Jakub Mareczko and John Degenkolb. Andre Greipel won't be in action after abandoning before yesterday's stage. 

If you want to catch up with the action from yesterday's queen stage, check out the on-board highlights right here

This year's Abu Dhabi race has featured some live on-board footage. It comes at a ugly price though with a whacking great big router on the back of the bike. This photo was taken by Colombian journalist Goga Ruiz-Sandoval ahead of yesterday's stage. 

55km remaining from 143km

Frison and House duke it out for the intermediate sprint with House taking the honours. 

That's 16 points for House after he won the first sprint as well. Keukeleire still leads the competition with 32 points to his name.  

The Chrono des Nations has not long come to its conclusion. Ann-Sophie Duyck won the women's race while Vasil Kiryienka defended his title in the men's competition. 

Race leader Tanel Kangert racing under the lights in Abu Dhabi. 

39km remaining from 143km

Down under, the Crocodile Trophy is under way. Annemiek van Vleuten said she wasn't taking the mountain bike race too seriously but she has moved into the race lead after stage 2, while Urs Huber is leading the men's event. You can find the results and some photos from stage 2, here.

A nice shot from earlier in the day as the peloton ride under the setting sun. 

31km remaining from 143km

Giant Alpecin and Team Sky are also moving up the bunch. 

It's single file only as the bunch hugs the inside line of the track. The race is really on now. 

27km remaining from 143km

House drops back to his breakaway companions. They'll need all the firepower they can get with the bunch just a minute behind. 

House has 24 points after winning all three of the intermediate sprints but it's not good enough to topple Jens Keukeleire from the top spot. The Belgian will hold onto that jersey now provided he can finish the race. 

4 laps to go!

21km remaining from 143km

John Degenkolb having a lengthy discussion with one of his teammates. Making plans for the finish?

Just 30 seconds left for the escapees and Frison decides that the time is right for an attack. 

14km remaining from 143km

Gerts catches the escapees with ease and carries on past them. They're struggling to stay in his wheel. 

In fact, Gerts has only caught part of the escape group, Firsanov and Sobal. Frison, house and Paluta have gone up the road.

11km remaining from 143km

The peloton is closing this down quickly and they've caught the chasing group. The three leaders are now just 27 seconds up the road. 

It's Dimension Data leading the peloton with Astana in their wheels. 

The peloton can now see the three escapees up the road. House is doing the bulk of work on the front but it's likely a fruitless task. 

The bell tolls as the leaders cross the line for the final lap and they have only 15 seconds to play with. 

4km remaining from 143km

They realise it's not going to happen and they sit up, allowing the peloton to blast past. 

The peloton has split into two as the sprint trains form. BMC lead one as Dimension Data lead the other. 

They come back together and it's now Orica-BikeExchange pulling on the front. They're flying along at over 60kph. 

It's really strung out and there are some splits happening down the line of riders. 

It was a Sky rider that lost the wheel but they bring it back and just in time as they go under the flamme rouge. 

Dimension Data winds up the sprint

Cavendish wins

Renshaw's lead-out actually proved too quick and he pulled out a gap, leaving Cavendish to find his own way out. 

Cavendish had more than enough pace though, beating Nizzolo by a bike's length. Viviani takes a distant third. 

The top 10 for today's final stage of the Abu Dhabi Tour.

Tanel Kangert secures the overall victory after finishing safely in the bunch. The Estonian has had a very good 2016 season.

Here is how the overall classification looks after the final stage. 

That is it from the Abu Dhabi Tour, thank you for joining us. You can find the results, report and photos right here

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