Daniel Teklehaimanot is the first leader of the intermediate sprints competition after his day in the breakaway.
Groenewegen wins Dubai Tour stage 1

The Dutchman hit the front inside the final 150 meters, and while the likes of Marcel Kittel (Katusha-Alpecin), Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) and Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates) failed to be in the mix, Groenewegen timed his sprint perfectly. He held off the challenge of Viviani – who enjoyed a strong lead-out from his new team – and the fast finishing Cort to take the first leader’s jersey of this year’s race.

The front three finished well clear of the rest of the sprinters, with Marcel Kittel, who was making his debut in Katusha colours, banging his handlebars in frustration as he drifted over the line after a late mechanical. Until the final 300 metres, it looked as though both Kittel and Viviani would be in the mix, and the German was well marshalled into the sprint along with Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis).

When Groenewegen hit the front, however, he instantly put distance into his rivals. Viviani, pinned to the barriers on the Dutchman’s right, was unable to squeeze through the small gap but Cort almost snatched the win. The Dane had to contest most of the sprint with a vastly reduced lead-out after several of his teammates were wiped out in a crash inside the final 10 kilometres. The former GreenEdge rider opened his sprint on the opposite side of the road to Groenewegen and was possibly stronger. He had to come from further back, however, and after spending so much time exposed to the wind, he was unable to draw level before the line.

“It’s great to win here because there are a lot of good sprinters,” Groenewegen said. “I came close every day last year but I didn’t win. I came second twice and I’m glad to start this new season on the right foot, thanks to the good job by my team. Quick-Step made it a very hard sprint by setting a high speed from far out but I launched my sprint with 200m to go. It was very tight at the end but went in my favour. It feels good to win my first stage this year, especially with the high level of sprinters who are here.”

The flat stage had been marked by a five-man break that included Andy Fenn (Aqua Blue), Daniel Teklehaimanot (Cofidis), Mohammed Almansoori (United Arab Emirates), Nathan Van Hooydonck (BMC Racing) and Charles Planet (Novo Nordisk).

The group held a minute’s lead with just over 40km of the stage remaining as Katusha and Quick-Step shared duties on the front of the peloton. Inside the final 20km only Fenn and Planet were willing and able to keep the break’s momentum going but even that alliance was short-lived. Sensing that his companion was beginning to flag, Fenn skipped clear and even drew out a few more seconds, leading the race by a minute as the final 15km approached.

The strain began to tell on Fenn’s face as Katusha and Quick-Step upped their game, sending fresh reinforcements to the front of the peloton, and with Dimension Data and LottoNL-Jumbo adding their weight to the chase, the gap soon disappeared.

Willer and Rally both made appearances at the head of the race but the pace was disrupted when two Bahrain-Merida riders appeared to touch wheels. Around ten riders hit the floor, with Cort’s lead-out operation clearly caught up in the melee of bodies.

Viviani’s lead-out train emerged through the carnage and had four men at the Italian’s disposal as the line approached. Adam Blythe, meanwhile, was pinned to Kittel’s wheel, as Cavendish’s lead-out fought to get on terms. Bouhanni and Kristoff had numbers too but as the pace increased it was LottoNL who emerged front and centre with Groenewegen taking the spoils.

If his win in Paris during last year’s Tour de France was a breakthrough then this triumph was a timely reminder of his class. Groenewegen has well and truly arrived among the elite sprinters and, at 24, is here to stay.

 

 

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