Spotlight off the sprinters and other talking points after Abu Dhabi Tour Stage 3

Matt Jones - Editor 21:31 23/02/2018
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  • After three stages of the Abu Dhabi Tour, sprint king Elia Viviani leads the way, although that is all set to change with Stage 4’s time trial and Stage 5’s mountainous ascent of Jebel Hafeet to come.

    The sprinters have dominated things so far, but the likes of Fabio Aru, Alejandro Valverde and Tom Dumoulin are primed and ready to attack in order to gain overall victory.

    Here, we pick out a few talking points after three days of racing.

    Say goodbye to the sprinters

    It’s been three fascinating sprint finishes to open the Abu Dhabi Tour, but Saturday is where things get really interesting with the introduction for the first time of a time trial to the race. Team Sunweb were celebrating victory with Phil Bauhaus on Stage 3, and expect them to be in the mix for victory again with time trial specialist Tom Dumoulin set to be one of riders taking centre stage.

    Also keep an eye on Team Dimension Data’s Steve Cummings, BMC’s Rohan Dennis and LottoNL-Jumbo’s Danny van Poppel.

    Luke Rowe is back competing after breaking his leg in August.

    Luke Rowe is back competing after breaking his leg in August.

    Remarkable Rowe

    He’s not going to be challenging for Abu Dhabi Tour honours, but the fact Luke Rowe is even in Abu Dhabi is a remarkable feat. The Team Sky rider broke his leg in 25 places when he jumped into shallow water while white-water rafting on his brother’s stag party in Prague last August.

    He was expected to be out for a year but miraculously lined up on the start line for Wednesday’s Stage 1. And while 96th, 102nd and 135th finishes won’t make the headlines, the Welshman will just be ecstatic to be back in the thick of the action.

    Viva Viviani

    Speaking at the Dubai Tour earlier this month, Elia Viviani claimed he didn’t feel he was quite at the level of Mark Cavendish or Marcel Kittel. And while the Italian is undoubtedly alongside the duo as one of the world’s best sprinters, he hasn’t got the wins to show for it.

    Manx Missile Cavendish has 30 stage wins at the Tour de France, and 48 in total at Grand Tours, while Kittel has 14 at Le Tour and 19 at Grand Tours. Viviani has just one. But while Kittel – who won a joint top 14 times last season – continues to struggle in the early part of 2018, Viviani is thriving, with five wins to his name. Keep this up and he could be in for a big year.

    Time trial adds another dimension to Tour

    The fourth edition of the race could really showcase the city, the UAE and Middle East as a thriving destination for the world’s best cyclists. The Tour this year introduced a fifth stage for the first time – the Dubai Tour has had five stages for the past two editions – but the sheer variety on offer for riders in Abu Dhabi offer up all kinds of possibilities.

    With three sprint stages followed by a time trial and the mountain stage moving to the final day, it really is wide open as to who will be victorious, with the likes of reigning champion Rui Costa – who’s yet to enjoy the spotlight – set to come into his own.

    Tom Dumoulin could have a big say in the remaining two days of the Tour.

    Tom Dumoulin could have a big say in the remaining two days of the Tour.

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