Ilan Van Wilder finished the World Tour race as Soudal Quick-Step’s best placed rider in the overall ranking.
The final stage of the UAE Tour was a pretty straightforward one. The parcours, completely flat and just 149 kilometers in length, took the peloton from Zayed National Museum to Abu Dhabi Breakwater, where the fast men moved into the spotlight.
After several early attacks, including one of Ethan Hayter, a breakaway was established, but the five men in that group stood no chance and were caught by the chasers with just a few kilometers to go. Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) claimed the spoils, while Alberto Dainese was again the team’s top finisher.
In the general classification, Ilan Van Wilder came incredibly close to what would have been a well-deserved top ten, only two seconds separating him after seven days and almost 1000 kilometers of racing from tenth place at the season’s third World Tour appointment.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
