UAE Tour

A short and flat individual time trial reshuffled the general classification, where the gaps where almost inexistent following Monday’s bunch sprint. The 12.2km course wasn’t a challenging one, and in the absence of the wind, it was all about raw power at this second stage of the UAE Tour.

Pascal Eenkhoorn, who came here after a solid block of racing in Australia, was among the first Soudal Quick-Step riders to get underway, and thanks to a solid effort which saw him average close to 53km/h, he concluded the day as the best placed member of our team, with a time of 13:50. The stage was won by Joshua Tarling (Ineos-Grenadiers), who is the new leader of the standings.

The UAE Tour continues with the first summit finish of this edition, Jebel Jais. This 19km climb, taking the peloton to an altitude of around 1500 meters, promises fireworks, some substantial gaps between the red jersey favourites, but also a chance for those who lost important seconds in the time trial to return in the fight for a good general classification.

Photo credit: ©Dario Belingheri / Getty Images