The Belgian sits sixth overall after the first summit finish of the week.
Jebel Mobrah was a game-changer at the UAE Tour, which visited this beast of a climb for the first time in its history. Almost 15 kilometers in length and averaging almost 9%, but including sections where the road tilted up to 12%, this draining ascent ended up shaking up the general classification of the season’s third World Tour race.
Junior Lecerf was the first rider from the Soudal Quick-Step camp to show his intentions there, with six kilometers to go, when he bolted away and ended up forming a strong leading group together with three other riders. However, their time at the front was short-lived, as the group of favourites came from behind and overhauled them, before another selection was made. This time, Ilan Van Wilder was there for our team, and the 26-year-old joined a group that began chasing the three men now in the lead.
Ilan had to dig deep on the brutal gradients of Jebel Mobrah, where also the heat was a factor, but he kept pushing and riding his own tempo, including in the never-ending final kilometer. This strong effort and smart pacing strategy saw Van Wilder finish ninth on the line, a result that catapulted him to sixth overall after three days of racing.
“It was a hard and steep climb, and the temperatures didn’t help either. I tried to pace myself so that I wouldn’t overheat and go in the red, because I knew that would have put an end to any hopes for this stage. I did a steady effort the whole time and finished in the top ten, and thanks to this and my ride in Tuesday’s individual time trial, I now find myself in a good position on the general classification”, Ilan said at the finish.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
