Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the second stage of the UAE Tour, another pan flat stage and likely to be another sprint showdown.
136km to go
We're already underway on stage 2 with 40 kilometres of racing done.
2:50 between the breakaway and peloton at the moment.
The pace is high – almost 60kph at the back of the peloton – and it looks windy.
The peloton is strung out at the moment due to the high speeds. You can see the sand blowing across the road.
We have three men in the break today – all from Gazprom-Rusvelo. Dmitry Strakhov and Pavel Kochetkov are back out there again and they're joined by Michael Kukrle.
66kph reported at the head of the peloton now. Groupama-FDJ, Ineos Grenadiers, EF-EasyPost, BikeExchange-Jayco among the teams up front.
A split is starting towards the front! Around 30 riders have a small gap on the lined out remainder of the peloton.
The groups are back together now. The front of the peloton is more spread across the road but the majority behind are lined out almost in single file.
Three men in the break for Gazprom-Rusvelo but they're all in different jerseys today.
Kukrle is the Czech national champion, Strakhov is in the black intermediate sprints jersey, and Kochetkov is in the regular team jersey.
125km to go
2:10 between break and peloton now. Ineos Grenadiers are still pulling at the front.
A look at today's stage map, which sees the riders take a circuitous route around Abu Dhabi.
The exposed latter part of the day could be even more dangerous in terms of the wind.
(Image credit: RCS Sport)
119km to go
The peloton are still flying along at the moment but no signs of a split.
1:30 to the break.
The day's first intermediate sprint at the Wathba Camel Track is coming up soon. Strakhov should take it uncontested, though.
A small group is off the front of the peloton now. Riders are off the back as well.
Everything lined out in between as the wind plays a role once again.
Strakhov leads Kukrle and Kochetkov over the intermediate sprint point and extends his lead in that classification.
1:05 back and the group of six attackers is back in the peloton.
EF and Ineos up front in the peloton as things calm down again.
110km to go
1:10 between break and peloton.
Strakhov is way out in front in the intermediate sprint classification now, having won all three in the race so far. He has 24 points to Alessandro Tonelli's 10 points.
Flags are showing how the strong winds are blowing across the road, but the peloton is calm for now. The gap is back up to 1:30.
102km to go
Now the gap is going up steadily again as the peloton knocks the pace off a bit more. 1:55 and rising.
A couple of nice shots of the peloton from early on in today's stage.
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Back up to 2:50 now and there's no one team in charge at the head of the peloton at the moment.
Ineos Grenadiers lead the peloton for now.
91km to go
It's not quiet for long – now Jumbo-Visma have taken to the front and have upped the pace. The gap goes down to 1:50.
No big changes in the peloton so far, aside from bringing the breakaway's advantage down by around 40 seconds.
EF-EasyPost pulling at the front now.
Now it's calm again in the peloton and the gap is back up to 1:55.
It has been a stop-start race so far for the peloton. Just not windy enough to do major damage just yet.
Here's a look at our breakaway riders today – Strakhov at the front with Kukrle and Kochetkov behind him.
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
82km to go
Not a whole lot going on at the moment, a phrase which might be seen a few more times during this week.
Gazprom-Rusvelo's Michael Vacek is out in front of the peloton at the moment after grabbing a bidon and musette for lunch.
It's not really a surprise that Gazprom-Rusvelo have been so active during this race so far with two in the break yesterday and three today.
This is the first RCS Sport-organised race of 2022 and the Giro d'Italia organisers have three wildcard spots available for their May Grand Tour after Arkéa-Samsic gave up their spot.
Alpecin-Fenix are automatically invited, while Italian squads Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè, Drone Hopper-Androni and Eolo-Kometa are favourites to take the three remaining places. Gazprom-Rusvelo – who took part in the 2016 and 2017 races – are keen to go again, though.
79km to go
3:25 between the break and peloton at the moment.
The dark jerseys of Alpecin-Fenix, Movistar, and Ineos Grenadiers lead the peloton.
We've just seen this tweet showing some pushing in the peloton during yesterday's stage.
It looks like Bahrain Victorious' 44 Jonathan Milan shoving an AG2R Citroën rider and almost causing a mass pileup in the middle of the peloton. Not good at all.
If the commissaires had spotted that, then that would surely be an infringement of of the UCI regulations (Section XII, 2.12.007, 8.2) – 'Assault, intimidation, insults, threats, improper conduct (including pulling the jersey or saddle of another rider, blow with the helmet, knee, elbow, shoulder, foot or hand, etc.), or behaviour that is indecent or that endangers others'.
Punishments for doing that include a fine of CHF200-2,000, a 10-100-UCI point deduction, and possible disqualification "in cases of repeated infringement or aggravating circumstances or if an infringement offers an advantage".
#Replay 🎥 / #UAETour 🇦🇪Allez hop, exclusion. Faut être malade pour réagir comme ça dans un peloton. 😡pic.twitter.com/zKet1wlrVFFebruary 20, 2022
71km to go
Back to today's stage and the gap is a stable 1:40 at the moment. The peloton is all together.
It's lined out in the peloton once again now. EF-EasyPost and Alpecin-Fenix at the front.
One detail on the finish of Sunday's opening stage here at the UAE Tour...
Yesterday the last 4km were done in 3'54" with the tailwind. Still, we were 10" slower than the italians at team pursuit on track. With standing start.Just sayingFebruary 21, 2022
62km to go
Under a minute for the breakaway trio now. The second intermediate sprint at the Yas Marina motor racing circuit is under 20 kilometres away.
And now it's just over a minute. Let's just say it's hovering at around the minute mark for now.
I guess it's a decent time to look back at yesterday's opening stage in Madinat Zayed.
Alpecin-Fenix's Jasper Philipsen took the win just ahead of Bora-Hansgrohe's Sam Bennett and Ineos Grenadiers' Elia Viviani after a messy sprint finish which saw various teams struggle for control.
The Belgian sprinted down the barriers past UAE Team Emirates' Pascal Ackermann while QuickStep-AlphaVinyl's Mark Cavendish went the other way and got blocked out by his fellow sprinters. BikeExchange-Jayco's Dylan Groenewegen felt Philipsen had unfairly blocked him out in the closing metres, but there was no deviation case to answer for Philipsen.
Philipsen will once again have a swathe of rivals to beat in today's nailed-on sprint finish.
As well as Cavendish, Groenewegen, Bennett, Ackermann and Viviani, there's Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ), Max Kanter (Movistar), Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma), Rudy Barbier (Israel-Premier Tech), Marijn van den Berg (EF-EasyPost), Marc Sarreau (Groupama-FDJ), Emils Liepinš (Trek-Segafredo), Sacha Modolo (Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè) and more...
54km to go
Two minutes for the breakaway now. Still the three Gazprom-Rusvelo riders out front.
50km to go
We're into the final 50km of the stage and there's no change in the situation.
Still the three men out front as Alpecin-Fenix and Movistar lead the peloton. 1:35 between them.
Alpecin-Fenix are obviously riding for Philipsen here. Movistar will be working on behalf of new signing Kanter, who was seventh yesterday. The 24-year-old former DSM rider is looking for his first career win.
Ineos Grenadier's neo-pro Luke Plapp is enjoying the experience at his WorldTour debut.
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
45km to go
The riders are heading towards the Yas Marina motor racing circuit now. The day's second intermediate sprint awaits.
We've just passed three hours of racing.
The riders are back in the city now after a long spell skirting around it in the desert.
After the intermediate sprint, the riders will take the Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Highway (catchy!) across Al Jubail Island and Saadiyat Island before heading to the main island of Abu Dhabi and finishing on the marina.
To nobody's surprise, Dmitry Strakhov took another eight points at the intermediate sprint. That's 32 for him so far.
Meanwhile, Clément Davy (Groupama-FDJ) takes a spill in the peloton and gets a bike change.
Strakhov's 32 points mean he's 22 points clear in the black jersey race. His teammate Michael Kukrle is second on 10 points, while Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè rider Alessandro Tonelli is also on 10 points.
40km to go
Alpecin-Fenix and Movistar continue at the head of the peloton.
Another shot of the peloton from earlier on today.
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Just 40 seconds for the breakaway now. The Gazprom-Rusvelo trio realistically have nothing left to fight for today.
36km to go
Kukrle has already dropped back to the peloton and now the breakaway is over for Strakhov and Kochetkov, too. All together with 36 kilometres to go.
Strakhov stops to take a nature break at the side of the road as he's caught. Meanwhile the action has slowed right up with the riders battling into a headwind.
The peloton are on the four-lane highway heading to the finish now. We could see the wind have an effect on the run-in to the line on these exposed roads.
Slow going at the moment. Like yesterday, it's looking like another dull period of racing between the break getting caught and the final run to the sprint finish.
33km to go
Groupama-FDJ lead the peloton at the moment.
30km to go
The peloton are heading straight into the wind blowing off the Gulf at the moment, but they will turn left on the way to the finish. From then, they'll be buffeted by the wind from the right-hand side of the road.
Ganna and Viviani jump out front of the peloton, maybe just to liven up this run-in a little.
The average speed for the past half hour has been something like 25kph...
Race leader Jasper Philipsen having fun in the peloton on this deathly slow headwind run. He just hopped off the bike and ran alongside it for a few seconds.
25km to go
Groupama-FDJ continue at the head of the peloton.
Now the riders take a turn off the highway and away from the headwind.
FDJ and Bora share the front as the peloton heads west towards the finish.
22km to go
EF-EasyPost are also up at the front.
The peloton is bunched up rather than strung here. The speed is around 46kph.
20km to go
We're waiting to see how the wind affects the finale. The riders are fairly well sheltered right now, though.
Some road furniture causing problems at the rear of the peloton. Still all together as UAE Team Emirates take the front.
15km to go
Back onto the highway now. Bora-Hansgrohe and Groupama-FDJ on the front.
It doesn't look like the wind is going to have much affect on the final kilometres today.
A rear wheel change for Israel-Premier Tech sprinter Rudy Barbier.
Now QuickStep-AlphaVinyl move to the front.
11km to go
Movistar sprinter Max Kanter has taken a new bike and is chasing back on.
QuickStep, Ineos, FDJ trains up front as EF move up.
10km to go
The peloton splits across the road with various lead out trains leading the way.
Now it's Bahrain at the front.
8km to go
Kanter is close to the back of the peloton but he's used a lot of energy getting through the cars.
Groupama-FDJ's train is up there alongside Bahrain Victorious and Ineos Grenadiers.
6km to go
Movistar and DSM grouped at the rear of the peloton at the moment.
UAE Team Emirates jump up to the front. The teams are battling for position on this run down the final right-hand turn onto the finishing straight at 1.5 kilometres to go.
Movistar represented at the front now as well. Ineos Grenadiers and Groupama-FDJ still up there.
4km to go
Basically, once again it's a mixture of teams trying to get top positioning ahead of the sprint. No one sprint train is in control.
3km to go
55kph speed here. Just over a kilometre to go until the turn.
Now BikeExchange-Jayco mass on the front on the right-hand side of the road. Bora-Hansgrohe are with them, Jumbo-Visma just behind.
Israel-Premier Tech on the left.
2km to go
The peloton is once again split in two competing trains on either side of the road.
1.5km to go
No major issues as the riders take the right-hand turn. BikeExchange on the front.
Bora, QuickStep take over under the flamme rouge.
Now Groupama-FDJ come back to the front. EF too.
FDJ have the lead out here.
Bora and Bennett just behind them.
QuickStep and Philipsen come up!
It's Cavendish vs Philipsen in the closing metres!
Cavendish might just had edged that one after a very long sprint.
He's celebrating with his teammates. It looks like it's a win for Cavendish.
Groupama-FDJ took control with three riders on the lead-in but they were swamped as the sprint started. Philipsen and Cavendish came up the right-hand side of the road, while Démare was trapped behind Bennett and his lead out man.
The Irishman never got his sprint going as he had to adjust when Ackermann went past.
Ackermann grabbed third just ahead of Olav Kooij.
Here's Cavendish celebrating his victory today.
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Today's top 10...
1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) QuickStep-AlphaVinyl 04:20:45
2 Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
3 Pascal Ackermann (Ger) UAE Team Emirates
4 Olav Kooij (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
5 Arnaud Demare (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
6 Matteo Malucelli (Ita) Gazprom-Rusvelo
7 Emils Liepins (Lat) Trek-Segafredo
8 Tom Devreindt (Bel) Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert
9 Michael Schwarzmann (Ger) Lotto Soudal
10 Marijn van den Berg (Ned) EF Education-EasyPost
And the top 10 on GC. Philipsen retains the race lead...
Here's what Cavendish had to say after the finish...
"I'm just happy, you know? I knew we could win here but more so how the team worked today. A third of the team here are first year professionals and this is the first or second race of their career. Seeing how they rode today they were like seasoned professionals, just after one day of talking how we didn't get it right yesterday.
"The job was to get me to the final as fresh as possible and they did that. Fortunately they did it so well that i could go at between 350 to 250 metres into a headwind. That's usually too far to go into a headwind but they delivered it so well that I knew I'd have the energy to keep it to the line.
"I was quite fortunate because I could feel Philipsen coming fast at me. We know he's in good form so I'm happy we could hold him off and take the win."
A look at the dash for the line – Philipsen on the left vs Cavendish on the right.
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Most of the top sprinters here finished in the top 10 on the stage but, as with yesterday, a few missed out on the top positions.
Dylan Groenewegen was 14th at the line, while Sam Bennett was 17th and Elia Viviani finished in 24th.
Celebrations after the finish for Cavendish and his QuickStep-AlphaVinyl team.
That's the Belgian squad's 10th win of 2022. They're top of the season win rankings by three wins now.
Philipsen takes the podium for another red leader's jersey.
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Philipsen retains leadership of three of the four jersey classifications at the UAE Tour – the red jersey of the GC leader, the green points jersey, and the white young rider's jersey. After another day in the breakaway, Dmitry Strakhov stays in the lead of the intermediate sprint competition and stays in the black jersey.
That's all for our live coverage for today. We'll have more news from the race coming today and live coverage of stage 3 coming tomorrow.
