Of the sprint stars to line out at the 2018 Dubai Tour, Elia Viviani (Quick-Step Floors) wasn't seen as the top fast man in the field. The Italian though came up trumps with the overall win and two stages in his pocket. Viviani's explosive final kick bagging him wins on the second and final day of racing to set up his GC victory.
Viviani emerged from the race with an enhanced reputation for his sprinting while Marcel Kittel and his new Katusha-Alpecin team have work to do. The German had won the last two editions of the race but was unable to get onto the top step of the podium across the week. Mark Cavendish, by comparison, grabbed his first win of the week and the first of the season for Dimension Data. Dutchman Dylan Groenewegen also chimed in for his first victory of 2018 on the opening day.
Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain-Merida) missed a win in the bunch sprints but on the challenging Hatta Dam stage, used his power to perfection for the victory. The result also helped the Italian finish third overall. Although he missed a win, Magnus Cort enjoyed a successful debut with Astana as the Dane finished second overall.
The Persian Gulf racing continues in February with the Tour of Oman and then the Abu Dhabi Tour both providing ample opportunity for the likes of Viviani to continue his winning ways and a shot at redemption for Kittel.
