After a royal sprint on the opening day of the UAE Tour (2.UWT, 20-26/02), the honor was again for the sprinters at the end of the second stage in Abu Dhabi Breakawater this Monday.
The bunch sprint was preceded by 176 stressful kilometers, during which several teams made use of the strong winds of the Persian Gulf to try to split the group. The peloton played cat and mouse with the advantage of the early breakaway of three riders and when they were finally caught with 36 kilometer to go, a truce followed.
A change of direction 23 kilometer before the finish caused a sudden increase of speed. Tom Devriendt again squeezed through the sprint trains and offered himself an eighth place behind winner Cavendish or second top ten in a row.
This Tuesday, the riders have to complete a flat individual time trial of 9 kilometer in Ajman with a U-turn and four roundabouts.
« We aim high in GC with our strong climbers group, especially with Jan Hirt, so that’s why my mission is to protect them and to make sure that they reach the final 3 kilometer safe. This was no mean feat today because of the constant danger of crosswinds, so I’m happy that I accomplished my task. Jan trusts me, this motivates me to create the best circumstances for him during the stage. In the final I can rely on my experience to achieve a good personal sprint result. It is nice to receive some sprint chances for myself in addition to the work I do for the team all year around, so I want to seize these opportunities. »
