The margins on the overall classification were tight heading into the final stage of the UAE Tour, however Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) didn't show any sign of weakness as Adam Yates (Ineos Grenadiers) tried to dislodge him from the top spot on the final climb of the race. The Slovenian claimed the stage finish atop Jebel Hafeet, as well as the overall for a second year running.
Hot conditions faced the riders as they set out to race the 148 kilometres of stage 7, with the break of the day consisting of seven riders – Gianni Vermeersch (Alpecin-Fenix), Clément Davy (Groupama – FDJ), Daryl Impey (Israel - Premier Tech), Michael Schwarzmann (Lotto Soudal), Michael Mørkøv (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team), Kaden Groves (Team BikeExchange – Jayco) and Joris Nieuwenhuis (Team DSM).
The riders were all quickly swept up, though, as the battle for the overall took over on the slopes of Jebel Hafeet. The group too was whittled down just as rapidly, with Pogačar's nearest overall rival, four seconds back, Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) dropped with nine kilometres to go, leaving the team's chances – as expected – resting on Yates who had a 17 second deficit to Pogačar at the start of the stage.
By the final kilometres, it was down to a group of eight out the front when Yates launched a stinging attack but Pogačar held his wheel and despite the continued efforts Yates again had to settle for second on the stage and second in the race. Pogačar launched his formidable sprint on the final rise to take the stage and overall victory at the 2022 UAE Tour.
It was expected to be another day for the sprinters on stage 6 of the UAE Tour, but they missed a chance to sweep up one final victory by 15 seconds, with 19-year-old Mathias Vacek instead taking the win, his first in the senior ranks.
The urban route of the 180 kilometre stage, heading out and back from the Expo site in Dubai, avoided the exposed desert roads of some of the previous days and the unpredictability of the crosswinds but the persistence of the break instead delivered the surprise.
There were three Gazprom-RusVelo riders in a six-man group out the front, holding the upper hand as the line approached and it become increasingly clear that the bunch had left the chase too late. It was the youngest of them, Vacek, that had the speed required to beat Paul Lapeira (Ag2r Citroen) to the line, while the nineteen-year-old's teammate Dmitry Strakhov came through to take third, punching the air in delight at the improbable team victory.
The bunch was left to compete for sixth place with Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix) nevertheless providing another reminder of his impressive form by beating Dylan Groenewegen (BikeExchange-Jayco) in the sprint. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) came through in the group, safely retaining his overall lead ahead of the decisive summit finale to the week of racing.
Back to a flat day of racing on stage 5 of the UAE Tour, Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix emerged from the front of the peloton on Al Marjan Island to win for a second time this week. Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma) took second by the slimmest of margins over Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe).
It was a frantic high-speed finish that saw Bennett with an edge at the front with one kilometre to go, but Philipsen saved a burst at the end when he saw a little daylight.
Race leader Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) suffered a puncture with seven kilometres to go but he chased back to the peloton and extended his lead over second-placed Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) to four seconds via an intermediate sprint. Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) remained in third place overall.
The Slovenian was also part of an echelon attack with Alpecin-Fenix and several teammates just 40km into the 170km stage and make it to the bunch sprint at the end. Ineos Grenadiers and GC favourite Adam Yates, fourth on GC, missed the split and were forced to chase down Pogačar and the front group, who managed to collect the time bonuses.
Defending champion Tadej Pogačar stamped his authority atop Jebel Jais and won stage 4 of the UAE Tour, and in doing so took the overall race lead. He charged to the front in the final 200 metres to outsprint Adam Yates (Ineos Grenadiers) and Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe).
A group of 13 riders followed the trio of GC favourites at the summit by three seconds, which included Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers), who had to relent the red leader's jersey but his effort kept him in second overall by two seconds. Vlasov moved to third on GC, 13 seconds down, while Yates was another two seconds back in fourth.
Several attempts for breakaways were brought back across the 181km stage, with UAE Team Emirates working to launch Pogačar on the final ascent. The next two stages will be back on flat roads for the sprinters to take centre stage.
Stefan Bissegger (EF Education-EasyPost) won the 9-kilometre time trial on stage 3 at the UAE Tour on Tuesday, beating time trial World Champion Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) by seven seconds. Bissegger completed his ride on the out-and-back course in Ajman in 9:43. Tom Dumoulin (Jumbo-Visma), making his first appearance of the season, was 14 seconds back for third place.
Defending race winner Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) placed fourth at 18 seconds, while his teammate João Almeida placed fifth in the time trial, 22 seconds down.
The short, flat course in the Ajman Emirate headed east on wide and largely non-technical roads, before turning back the same way at the half-way mark. A stiff wind was blowing in from the coast for a headwind on the journey back.
The stage 3 time trial results saw Bissegger in the red leader's jersey, with Ganna now in second overall and Jasper Philipsen, who was 10th in the ITT, in third. However, this trio will most likely not be part of the fight for the overall title that will develop in the upcoming mountain stages, as the favourites Dumoulin, Pogačar, and Almeida are all within 14 to 22 seconds of the lead.
Mark Cavendish (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) blasted his way to the win on stage 2 of the UAE Tour, holding off stage 1 winner Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix) in the sprint finish. Pascal Ackermann (UAE Team Emirates) took the final spot for the podium at Abu Dhabi breakwater.
The 176km stage started on the Hudayriat Island off Abu Dhabi, and headed into the desert and suburb of Abu Dhabi before returning for the fast finish, with the wind only playing a minor role.
Philipsen will continue in the red leader’s jersey, with Cavendish moving to third overall six seconds back. Dmitrii Strakhov (Gazprom-Rusvelo) moved one spot into second overall.
Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix) emerged at the front of a hectic bunch sprint to win stage 1 of the UAE Tour at Madinat Zayed, with Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe) in second and Elia Viviani (Ineos Grenadiers) in third.
The temperatures, exceeding 30 degrees Celsius, were as hot as the final sprint, which saw Philipsen gently nudge Mark Cavendish (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) off the wheel of UAE Team Emirates' Pascal Ackermann, and was able to follow and then go past the German once he kicked off the sprint on the wide road.
Philipsen earns the leader's jersey headed to the second day of the seven-day stage race, with Bennett second overall, four seconds back tied with Dmitrii Strakhov (Gazprom-Rusvelo). Viviani is fourth, six second back.
Now in its fourth edition, the UAE Tour provides the launching pad for the 2022 UCI WorldTour calendar with 1,081 kilometres of racing across seven stages, February 20-26.
The majority of the WorldTour teams will take part in this year’s UAE Tour, only Cofidis declining an invitation, and Ineos Grenadiers, Jumbo-Visma and UAE Team Emirates leading the 17 confirmed top-level squads. Three ProTeams round out the field of 20 with Alpecin-Fenix, Bardiani CSF Faizanè and Gazprom-Rusvelo.
2021 UAE Tour champion and two-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar will lead his UAE Team Emirates squad for another go at the title, having finished second overall in his first appearance. The 23-year-old has won twice at Jebel Hafeet, which is the grand finale of the seven-day stage race this time around, and will be supported by 2021 third-place finisher João Almeida, climbers George Bennett and Rafał Majka, and sprinter Pascal Ackermann.
Ineos Grenadiers will bring 2020 champion Adam Yates, who finished as the runner-up last year, as well as time trial World Champion Filippo Ganna. Other GC contenders include Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe), Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious), Romain Bardet (Team DSM), David de la Cruz (Astana Qazaqstan), Tom Dumoulin (Jumbo-Visma), Fausto Masnada (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl), and Tour of Oman winner Jan Hirt (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux).
In the sprints, which should see plenty of action on for of the seven stages, the contenders include Mark Cavendish (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl), Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ), Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix), and Dylan Groenewegen (BikeExchange-Jayco), Elia Viviani (Ineos Grenadiers) and Ackermann.
The first two stages will showcase the sprinters, as well as flat days on stages 5 and 6. Stage 3 is a 9km time trial in Ajman, while stages 4 and 7 host the major climbing days on the summit finishes at Jebel Jais and Jebel Hafeet.
UAE Tour 2022 stages
Stage 1 - February 20, Madinat Zayed to Madinat Zayed, 185km
Stage 2 - February 21, Hudayriyat Island to Abu Dhabi Breakwater, 173km
Stage 3 - February 22, Ajman to Ajman, 9km
Stage 4 - February 23, Fujairah Fort to Jebel Jais, 181km
Stage 5 - February 24, Ras al Khaimah Corniche to Al Marjan Island, 182km
Stage 6 - February 25, Expo 202 Dubai to Expo 202 Dubai, 180km
Stage 7 - February 26, Al Ain to Jebel Hafeet, 148km
