The stage starts in Al Ain, a city of about 760.000 people close to the Oman border. From there we take a sweep north up to Nahil and then west, before heading back southeast to Green Mubazzarah a tourist attraction at the foot of Jebel Hafeet, finally taking the Jebel Hafeet Mountain Road up to the summit finish.
The first 167 km rather easy but the final climb up to Jebel Hafeet is although on very fine roads quite hard, with an avg. of 7.7%.
At the foothills of Jebel Hafeet lie 500 tombs from the early Bronze Age Hafit period between 3200 and 2600 BC. Some of the tombs contain skeletons adorned with bronze objects and pearls. Other objects found in the tombs include ceramics from Mesopotamia, a witness of ancient trading relationships.
Top 5 media favorites:
Jakob Fuglsang - Miguel Angel Lopez - Ion Izagirre
Robert Gesink - Jack Haig
The scenic Jebel Hafeet Mountain Road built in 1980, extends for 11.7 km, rising 1,200 m, with 60 turns
Race
Clément Russo (Arkéa) and Matthias Brändle (Israël) opens the stage, they are later joined by Frederik Backaert (Wanty) Nicola Bagioli (Nippo) Antonio Pedrero (Movistar) and Kevin Rivera (Androni), they get about 2 minutes but the peloton with hard work from several teams, never let them get the substantial lead they need on the final climb.
It is especially Sky and FDJ delivering the final pressure to pull them back. The break over with some 25 km left.
24 years old French Clément Russo best result was 2nd in Tour de Beauce 2017
After the breakaway was done Jumbo-Visma takes over the lead, setting 5 riders in front and increase the pace, attempting to control the positioning of Robert Gesink.
With 8.5 km left Astana’s Pello Bilbao attack.
Spanish Pello Bilbao also attacked on stage 1 in Vuelta a Andalucia, he got caught and finish 13th that day, still looking for a top 10 this season
The attack from Bilbao put a lot of stress on the favourites forcing a major selection, but Bilbao was caught and falls right through the leader group, now led by Robert Gesink keeping up a brutal pace.
From first position Robert Gesink attacks leaving 14 riders in the pursuit.
Robert Gesink has 13 professional wins, but the latest back in 2016, winning a stage in Vuelta a España
Astana is leading the pursuit having three riders in the 2nd group, but never the less Gesink is increasing the gap, passing under the red kite with 38”.
Lilian Calmejane (Direct Energie) and Alexis Vuillermoz (Ag2r La Mondiale) the only two riders able to cling on to the Astana group.
Alexis Vuillermoz is 1’08” better placed in CG than Gesink, so even if the stage is gone, he may still take the race lead, doing everything to hold on to the Astana group
Gesink wins at Jebel Hafeet, as mentioned his first win since 2016.
Miguel Angel Lopez 2nd losing 47” and Ion Izagirre 3rd at 1’00”
Alexis Vuillermoz comes in with Jakob Fuglsang and Lilian Calmejane at 1’25”, with that result Robert Gesink will take the race lead with 37” to Vuillermoz
After a mixed season, 8th in Great Ocean, 13th in Oman and 6th in Harald Sun. Robert Gesink not only takes the first win but also position himself well for a GC result
Astana Pro Team
Besides the fact that Gesink seemed unbeatable today a fine stage for us, three riders 2nd to 4th and Miguel Angel Lopez moving from nowhere into top 5 in GC and also Ion Izagirre breaking top 10
Stage 4: Dubai International Marine Club – Hatta Dam 203.6 km
The stage starts in Dubai, from there east to Al Qudra Cycling Track in the desert, before turning northeast up to Maleha and finaly southeast up to Hatta Dam in Hajar Mountains.
The first 150 km very flat in the desert, but the last 50 km a bit harder entering the Hajar Mountains with a few steep sections, never the less it is the final km up to the dam that could potentially create some decisive gaps
Hatta became part of Dubai sometime before 1888, previously belonging to Oman, at the time known as Hajarain. The Dam was built in the 1990's to supply the area with electricity and water.
Top 5 media favorites:
Ion Izagirre - Jakob Fuglsang - Petr Vakoč
Jack Haig - Miguel Ángel López
Hatta Heritage Village is a reconstruction of a traditional mountain village, with traditional houses, covering all facets of rural life in the region, before the modern oil adventure took off in the 1960’s, the site also includes an old fort.
Race
Nicola Bagioli (Nippo) opens what is to become the breakaway of the day with Pawel Bernas (CCC), Benoît Jarrier (Arkéa) and Ludwig De Winter (Wanty).
Some 25 km later Tom Van Asbroeck (Israël) gives it a go, but fails. Soon after Antonio Pedrero (Movistar) and Olivier Le Gac (FDJ) attacks, they join the breakaway just before the point sprint, which was won by Jarrier without fight. Distance 3’30
24 years old Italian Nicola Bagioli’s best result was 4th in Trofeo Laigueglia last season, his best result so far this season 13th in the same race
We are about mid stage, Olivier Le Gac takes the 2nd point sprint again without any fight, the distance was almost 4 minutes but now it is about 3 minutes.
De distance continues to drop and with 30 km left it is just 1’10”, Pedrero decides to attack from the breakaway.
27 years old Spanish Antonio Pedrero have been with Movistar since 2016, with some good results on mountain stages, most notably 16th on Sierra Nevada in 2017 Vuelta. His best result this season has been 6th in Trofeo Andratx – Lloseta one of the best results in his career.
Antonio Pedrero does not get away and neither does Nicola Bagioli who countered when Pedrero was reeled in. All this fighting each other just brings the peloton closer.
The break was over on the small hill right before the final stretch up to the Dam.
A large peloton of 160 riders reach the final KM together, with a rather broad front, led by Timo Roosen in front of teammate Robert Gesink.
Timo Roosen has two professional wins, Tacx Pro Classic (1.1) 2017 and a stage in Tour des Fjords (2.1) also in 2017
Acceleration from Miguel Angel Lopez does not open a gap.
The stage was won by Petr Vakoc (Quick Step) in front of Bjorg Lambrecht (Lotto Soudal) and Daryl Impey (Mitchelton) in a relative close sprint.
25 riders came over the line in the same time.
2nd in Great Ocean Road Race and now a stage win on world tour level, a great season for Petr Vakoc, the best he every had and we are only in February
Astana Pro Team
Fine result, Miguel Angel Lopez did not lose time and also move up to 4th in GC because Pierre Latour lost 1'15 today, on the downside Jakob Fuglsang and Ion Izagirre lost time so now we have only one shot left in the barrel
The situation is:
In the TTT Miguel Angel Lopez lost 1’54, and started the race on a bad note. On the hard finish in stage 3 Robert Gesink took a domination win to gain the lead, Miguel Angel Lopez 2nd on that stage moved to 5 in GC, also finish in the first group at stage 4 he is now 4th 1’21” behind Robert Gesink.
Stage 5: Sharjah – Kohr Fakkan 173.1 km [/b]
The stage starts in Sharjah, moving in an almost straight line across the peninsula from the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, finishing in Khor Fakkan, 173 hot km in the dessert.
Today will be typical mid-week stage. Where the GC riders can take a breather and the sprinters and opportunists can look for some success, before the brutal mountain climb tomorrow.
Even though Kohr Fakkan is geographically surrounded by the Emirate of Fujairah it is an exclave of the Emirate of Sharjah. Archaeological evidence shows at least 3500 years old human settlements in Kohr Fakkan.
Top 5 media favorites:
Dylan Groenewegen - Elia Viviani - Alexander Kristoff
Fernando Gaviria - Arnaud Démare
The picturesque bay of Khor Fakkan with Oceanic Khorfakkan Beach Resort & Spa located just north of the city
Race
Max Kanter (Team Sunweb) opens and get a fine gap, a few moment later five riders starts to form a pursuit and they catch Kanter before the early sprint.
Brian Van Goethem (Lotto Soudal) wins the sprint.
Wanty - Gobert Cycling Team set the entire team in front to drag in the breakaway, they keep the distance around the one minute mark.
Besides those mentioned the breakaway consists of Benoît Jarrier (Arkéa), Mads Würtz (Katusha) Moreno Moser (Nippo)
Also Jaime Castrillo (Movistar) was in the breakaway but after about 70 km he was dropped.
As some may remember Kanter got some TV time at stage 2, today he aims to do it again, the Sunweb youngster want to show that he is value for money
On the mid-stage uncategorized climb another two riders succeeded in joining the breakaway, Matteo Montaguti (Androni) and Loic Vliegen (Wanty)
In the meantime Edward Theuns (Trek) has a puncture and with no help loses a lot of time.
Over the top of the climb there was several attacks in the breakaway and it is reduced to five riders before we reach the last points sprint. Mads Würtz, Moreno Moser, Max Kanter, Matteo Montaguti and Loic Vliegen, everyone else back in the pack.
Loic Vliegen wins the sprint.
25 years old Belgian Loïc Vliegen seems to be comfortable with the dry dessert heat, with a very stable ride in Dubai Tour last season, he made a GC top 5
A fast pace in the peloton never allowed the breakaway to get a stable lead today and it is over with 10 km to the line.
It comes down to a classic sprint between the fastest finishers, Arnaud Démare, Dylan Groenewegen, John Degenkolb, Rudy Barbier and Sonny Colbrelli
Arnaud Démare takes it in front of Rudy Barbier and Sonny Colbrelli.
This was 27 years old Arnaud Démare first victory of the season, he won 9 times last year most prominent stage 18 in his home GC, Tour de France
Astana Pro Team
Nothing to report for Astana except the fact that we had no difficulties today
The stage starts in the city Ajman, the capital of the emirate of Ajman, from there heading north along the coast up to Marjan Island before turning a bit inland and further north heading directly for summit finish at Jebel Jais.
Today stage will feature first a 130 km long flat section, then the road slowly raises for the last 40 km, a first just a 1 to 2 % but the final 18 kilometres at an average 5.3%, a rather even slope without much variation.
The foundation of the The Emirate of Ajman dates back to the early 1800’s when the Al Nuaimi family settled permanently in the area and established themselves as the ruling family.
Top 5 media favorites:
Jakob Fuglsang - Miguel Angel Lopez - Ion Izagirre
Warren Barguil - Pierre Latour
Jebel Jais highest point is located on the Omani side, but a secondary west peak is considered the highest point of the United Arab Emirates, at 1,892 m above sea level.
Race
Matej Mohoric (Bahrain) opens the race with Stephen Cummings (Dimension Data) and Marco Frapporti (Androni) at wheel.
In this early part of the stage Movistar dominate the pursuit with Daniele Bennati, Carlos Barbero and Jaime Castrillo, but when after 20 km we also get Antonio Pedrero (Movistar) and Pavel Sivakov (Sky) on the attack, Movistar let go of the front.
Pedrero and Sivakov joins the breakaway the distance grows steadily. Best placed rider in the break is Mohoric 30th at 3’55”.
Both sprints were won by Stephen Cummings, who is also the breakaway riders with the best option on a stage like this one, he is 4’27” behind.
37 years old Stephen Philip Cummings from North West England is on his 15 season as a professional, his best results have been two stages in The Tour 2015 & 2016 and winning the Tour of Britain in 2016
The distance grows to about 4’30” but then Alexandre Pichot (Direct Energie), Laurens De Vreese (Astana), Max Walscheid (Sunweb) and Thomas Scully (Education First) up the pace in the peloton and it starts to crumple slowly.
Then with 30 km left both Education First and Sunweb dedicates three riders each to the pursuit and soon the gap is below one minute.
With a little more than 10 km left, Astana moved to the front, Gorka Izagirre in front with Jakob Fuglsang at wheel, Ion Izagirre and Miguel Angel Lopez at this point sitting a bit further down in the first row behind Jakob.
The pace set by Astana will swallow the breakaway within the next km.
The pace set by Gorka Izagirre is so hard that the riders behind can hardly follow, sometimes opening small gaps behind Jakob Fuglsang, forcing the riders to accelerate and close the gap
The pace set by Gorka was also too much for Fuglsang, they both crack simultaneously, that was a blow to Astana plans, closing in on the 5 km banner Ion Izagirre moved to the front with Miguel Angel Lopez at wheel.
Alexis Vuillermoz (Ag2r) with two teammates behind Lopez, and also Lilian Calmejane (Direct Energie), Simon Geschke (CCC) and Daryl Impey (Mitchelton-Scott) well placed.
The cameras spot race leader Robert Gesink sitting in something like 20th position, this is a dangerous moment for Jumbo-Visma with their leader sitting to far back and isolated from his teammates
Robert Gesink is aware of the danger and moved up to the front over the next km.
Ion Izagirre work is over with some 4 km left and Miguel Angel Lopez attacks.
Jack Haig have been invisible all day but he is the only one on his toe when the strike comes, he is not able to get on Miguel’s wheel, but he distance the other favorites.
Miguel Angel Lopez first under the red kite, he got 24” to Haig and 58” to the favourite group with Gesink, Izagirre brothers, Geschke, Impey, Calmejane, Vuillermoz etc.
Miguel Angel Lopez was born in 1994 in Pesca, Colombia. After he won Tour de l'Avenir in 2014, he signed with Astana for the 2015 season
With a very strong finish Miguel Angel Lopez wins at Jebel Jais with 40” down to Jack Haig 2nd
Gregor Mühlberger (BORA) takes the last podium coming in with Jasha Sütterlin (Movistar) and Ivan Ramiro Sosa (Sky) all at 1’02”
Robert Gesink come in 9th at 1'58” and loses the jersey to Lopez
This was Miguel Angel Lopez 2nd win of the season as the also won the 3rd stage in Tour Down Under, he got 13th victories with this one
Astana Pro Team
Fantastic stage for us, we honestly expected that it might end out with a stage victory considering that we had the top three stage favourites, but as the stage was not that hard did not predict to take the jersey.
Very impressed with especially Gorka’s ride, he was an important part of cracking Gesink.
Stage 7: Dubai Safari Park - City Walk 142.8 km [/b]
The stage starts at the Dubai Safari Park about 20 km west of the city centre, from there we visit a series of locations in the Dubai City area Ras al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, Mushrif Park, a points sprint at Al Mamzar Beach Park, another sprint at the Union House Flag and Al Sufouh Beach before heading for the finish at the City Walk.
The stage is completely flat and we must expect a mass sprint finish.
Even before the oil adventures began in Dubai back in 1966, Dubai was an important port and by the use of revenue from trading the city built infrastructure, electricity, telephone services and airport.
Top 5 media favorites:
Dylan Groenewegen - Alexander Kristoff - Elia Viviani
Arnaud Démare - Fernando Gaviria
The old Dubai zoo was replaced to Dubai Safari Park in 2017, The park has 2,500 animals from more than 250 species,
Race
This is the last option for everyone who did not get what they wanted from this race and it shows. We get a lot of action over the initial km of the race.
Alexis Gougeard (Ag2r) opens the race and a group of 6 riders form, soon another group of 6 riders in the pursuit, but these riders are all brought back.
Then it is Miles Scotson (FDJ) soon followed by another two riders, they don’t make it either.
This scenario continues with constant attacks and counterattacks over more than 70 km of racing, Mads Würtz, Josef Cerny, Marco Frapporti, Marcus Burghardt, Pierre-Luc Perichon, Julien Bernard, Victor Campenaerts, Kevin Rivera, Edward Dunbar, Moreno Moser and Lluís Guillermo Mas Bonet all on the move, none getting more that a slim lead.
FDJ’s Miles Scotson one of many riders failing to create the breakaway today, Miles Scotson won the Australia Road Race Championships in 2017
We finally get the breakaway of the day, at first formed by Edward Dunbar (Sky), Moreno Moser (Nippo) Mas Bonet (Movistar) Wesley Kreder (Wanty) and Matteo Montaguti (Androni), later Harry Tanfield (Katusha) joins up.
It is mainly Groupama – FDJ, Team Jumbo-Visma and Deceuninck-Quick Step holding the breakaway within reach but despite not having a sprinter Astana dedicate Laurens De Vreese just to mark the fact that they have the race lead.
The peloton never allow a gap of more than 2’20” seems like an impossible mission for the breakaway.
Démare’s, Groenewegen’s and Viviani’s teammates control the race.
It is over for the breakaway with 10 km left and comes to the expected mass sprint finish. Clearly fastest Arnaud Démare beats Christophe Laporte with a cycle length.
This does off course not change that Miguel Angel Lopez win UAE Tour in front of Robert Gesink and Jack Haig
2nd stage win for Arnaud Démare in the tour, with the field of sprinters here that is quite a remarkable result, in what looks like another good season
Astana Pro Team
Getting our first World Tour GC win in just the 2nd stage race of the season is fantastic.
That said our squad was very strong with a rather weak field, so we should also be very competitive in this one.
Winners
3/3 - Anthony Roux - Faun Environnement - Classic de l'Ardèche
Injurie:
Andrey Zeits crashed in training and will be out for about 14 days, he was scheduled for upcoming Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne & Dwars door West-Vlaanderen and need to be substituted.
24/2 – 3/3 Tour du Rwanda (2.1)
Continued
The situation is that Maxime Monfort (Lotto Soudal) leads the race over Kenny Elissonde (Sky) and José Herrada (Cofidis) all three within just 4 sec. Astanas best Jan Hirt 8th at 1'04, after having some bad days early in the race
Stage 6: Muhanga – Nyamagabe 192.7 km
A breakaway of 5 riders today including KoM holder Nikodemus Holler (Bike Aid), but that does not matter as the breakaway never get to the first KoM.
The last 30 km of the race is mainly uphill towards the summit finish and selection is out the backdoor. 5 tired riders together under the red kite led by Rohan Dennis in front of José Herrada, race leader Maxime Monfort, Fabio Felline and Jan Hirt.
Maxime Monfort cracks, when Dennis opens a long sprint, Jan Hirt counters.
The stage was won by Dennis in front of Hirt getting the same time.
Fabio Felline takes the last podium at 13”, José Herrada 4th at 30” and the race leader loses 49” and the jersey.
Rohan Dennis not only wins the stage but also leads the race.
Astana’s Jan Hirt moves to 4th in GC.
1
Rohan Dennis
Bahrain - Merida
3h07'58
2
Jan Hirt
Astana Pro Team
s.t.
3
Fabio Felline
Trek - Segafredo
+ 13
Stage 7: Muhanga - Bigogwe 123.5 km
The stage is short but the profile is gruesome.
Over the first about 25 km of the race constantly riders attack in groups of 5-10 riders, eventually forming a huge breakaway of 30 riders, entering the mountains with 1’43”
The best placed in GC Adam Hansen (Lotto Soudal) 32th at 12’55”
The breakaway was caught with some 30 km left.
With more than 25 km to the top, we get an attack by race leader Rohan Dennis (Bahrain) and Kenny Elissonde (Sky) completely fractalizing the peloton, Astana’s Jan Hirt ends up in the 3rd group 1’25 behind the race leader.
The groups join up again to form a peloton of 32, but when the next acceleration comes Hirt is again in difficulties, losing some 40” to the leader group.
With 6 km to the top Rohan Dennis and Kenny Elissonde makes the final move and Dennins wins the stage, Elissonde 2nd in the same time. Mathias Frank (Ag2r) takes the last podium at 30”
Astana’s Jan Hirt not an explosive rider can’t follow the many accelerations but grind his way to make it 10th at + 1'38. He is still 4th in GC.
1
Rohan Dennis
Bahrain - Merida
3h39'23
2
Kenny Elissonde
Team Sky
s.t.
3
Mathias Frank
Ag2r La Mondiale
+ 30
Stage 8: Kigali - Kigali 108.0 km
The final stage is completely different from any of the previous stages. Including Le Mur de Kigali a paved sector with a slope between 18% and 20% passed 9 times over just 108 km. The stage will not only call for very different types of riders, but will inevitably change the GC dramatically.
Jesper Asselman (Roompot) first over Le Mur, at this point 6 riders in front of the peloton.
After the 3rd passing of the wall the peloton is slices into pieces of 20-30 riders. Race leader Rohan Dennis with GC 3rd Maxime Monfort at 2’20, GC 4th Jan Hirt at 2’57, GC 5th José Herrada at 4’20”, GC 2nd Kenny Elissonde somewhere even further back.
The leading riders is just about to approach the Le Mur for the 6th time, they are Oscar Riesebeek, Jesper Asselman, Dimitri Peyskens and Lukas Spengler. 44 km left for them.
A few riders in between and then a group of 40 riders at 2’58”, GC 3rd Maxime Monfort, 5th Jan Hirt and 6th Fabio Felline in this group.
Race leader Rohan Dennis cracked at are now in a group at 4’48”
We are now close to the final climb over the Wall, less than 10 km left, Matthieu Ladagnous (FDJ) has attacked from the first group now alone with a lead on about 2 minutes. In the pursuit right behind him we got a group with GC 3rd Maxime Monfort, 6th Fabio Felline and GC 14th Tanel Kangert. GC 2nd Kenny Elissonde and GC 5th José Herrada at 8’48”, GC 4th Jan Hirt at 10’19”, Race leader Rohan Dennis at 13’19”
Matthieu Ladagnous wins in Kigali in front of José Joaquin Rojas and August Jensen both at 2’30”
Also coming in with the 2nd group Maxime Monfort wins this year’s edition of Tour du Rwanda
Previous race leader Rohan Dennis ends with GC 14th, Jan Hirt GC 9th.
1
Matthieu Ladagnous
Groupama - FDJ
2h59'29
2
José Joaquin Rojas
Movistar Team
+ 2'30
3
August Jensen
Israël - Cycling Academy
s.t.
Matthieu Ladagnous passing the line behind a group, distanced with a lap or more
At this point I will like to thank some of the great stage makers I will "steal" from to make the story, can’t include those who came from the DB as they are unknown to me but these additional races :
We have just seem UEA 2019 from illince
Soon we will see :
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2019 also from illince
Strade Bianche (2017) from Elias
Paris – Nice 2019 from Wings
not bad
