The opening race of the Continental Tour Division 2 is here.
Twenty Four teams from the four corners of the globe are taking to the start line here in Dubai for the opener, which is expected by many to end in a sprint.
Some have questioned the organisers parcours release thinking that it led them to believe that we had a fairly hilly course in for us this afternoon. However whilst the 17 km circuit is not pancake flat the gradients are hardly perceptible even for some of the relatively inexperienced riders here.
Another factor often pointed out about Dubai and indeed any race on the Arabian Peninsula us the wind, which at worst can rip a field to shreds. As it stands today it is not at its most terrifying, will certainly be a factor towards the finale but not likely to splinter the field into lots of little pieces.
The flag is waved and you can tell the riders having seemingly discussed this one race for so long are relieved to get this underway.
but it is hard really to discount any sprinter if they get in the right position.
With Twenty-Four teams though there are sure to be some that feel a break is their best chance if success, sure enough after half a lap of feeling their way through we get the first attack of the season.
It is Giorgi Nadiradze
one of two Georgians on the squad build from the Caucassas region in Asia. This to them is a fairly local race, for Nadiradze this is a fairly big break and it is great to see the attack from a small nation rider. He builds a 50 second advantage by the half way point in the lap before finally we get a second attack. This time four riders decide to go.
Ruben Bongiorno Simon Holt Maher Hasnaoui Geert Van der Sanden
Petrobrus the Brazilian based squad have gambled with both their big sprinters Bongiorno and Chacon here, throwing Bongiorno forward is an interesting move. British team Vodafone also have a couple of good sprinting shouts with Murray and Barclay and UPC have Horst a decent favourite as well. By sending a rider forward they avoid that chasing duty, which with just five riders could be a tough situation.
Hasnaoui, the AMEX youngster and Tunisian national champion is a decent all round rider for a youngster and has been told by his team boss to get in a break and here he is!
The lead five are soon given more riders to aid the break.
Four more attack and bridge up to the break then. Rifat Dang Tigran Korkotyan Mike Friedman Jaroslaw Zarebski
This really is setting tongues wagging at the finish area and I am sure in team cars on the circuit. Korkatyan and Freidman are certainly riders being talked up as possible challengers for a final sprint, but they feel happier going for a breakaway. This says something about the team tactics, Zarebski too is hardly a slouch when it comes to sprinting but his team do have other solid sprinting claims. Dang riding for the Kazach team is certainly happy just to be there and enjoys attacking!
The question is though just who is going to chase what is beginning to look like a dangerous early move. It is Alstorm and Het Niewsblad near the front of affairs but they are fairly calm to be honest.
With the break easing out to over 90 seconds, this is simply encouraging yet more attacks with three more riders joining the nine up front.
Lucas Euser Magnus Bäckstedt Stijn Girardi
AMEX then now with two riders in the break, certainly this was their suggested tactic here in Dubai. Finnair probably have lowish expectations here, the team will be best known for time trials watch out for that in the upcoming Geelong tour. Backstedt the plucky veteran is ensuring the team get some media attention today as is Girardi of the youngsters in the Belgian squad Delhaize.
You have to say the other Belgian team Het Nieuwsblad have a much stronger look about them and they are joining with Altorm and Samsung Mol here to try and keep the gap to the twelve in front sensible.
It is Dieter Cappelle Damien Robert Christopher De Souza Pavol Kusy
who are the riders sent forward to keep the pace steady.
However the 12 man break are pulling out a bit of an advantage here with the lead between four and five minutes with 65km to go. It is time for the three leading teams in the peleton to bring their big chasers to the front.
Gil Suray Charles Dionne
and Kurt Hovelynck
start to up the tempo. It is now up to our colourful 12 man break to try and respond.
But with 50km to go and three full circuits of this 17km rotation left the gap is starting to come down to under three and a half minutes. Still with the chase down to just three teams others are know starting to show their ambitions as we get some rain in Dubai.
Arthur Garcia Rincon Ignacio Sarabia Sander Cordeel Antonio Bucciero Ivan Stevic Matthew Hayman
are the riders deciding to try and break up the rhythm of the chase here all six pretty nippy and tough riders to pull back.
Clearly team bosses are on the radio to their riders urging more chaos to unleashed as four more riders attack the already fast moving peleton.
Victor Gomes Colinas Aleksandr Arekejev Maxim Rudenko Kevin Barclay
This could get pretty terminal to the prospects of a field sprint with 22 riders ahead of the peloton. However Het Niewsblad are equal to the task, the strong all round team at this level pull all but two of the late attackers back.
Rudenko and Barclay are two that make it across, Barclay joining his teammate Holt forward in the lead 14. But before much discussion can take place the break are attacking each other. Both teams with two riders in AMEX and Vodafone are caught out here.
The six riders making the front here are: Ruben Bongiorno Geert Van der Sanden Rifat Dang Tigran Korkotyan Magnus Bäckstedt Stijn Girardi
With the other eight pulled back by the peloton led now most of the time by Het Niewsblad, you feel any help they are getting from Alstorm and Samsung-Mol is nominal at best. The front six hit the bell indicating one lap and just under 17km to go. Their lead is just 1.07 and feeling the game is up the impetus goes out of the break as they are caught fairly quickly though another rider goes on the attack.
It's Maxim Rudenko
again! He just cannot get away though, however even Het Niewsblad's resolve can only go so far and two other riders are given a little breathing space.
Tigran Korkotyan
and Geert Van der Sanden
have gambled everything on a breakaway win, but as impressive these attacks initially seem to be they are once again pulled back.
It's the late entrant team Het Niewsblad who have done all the damage and as we approach the now inevitable sprint, the camara's look back to see which sprinters are there.
Most prominent here are Alstorm pair Loic Desirac and Said Haddou.
We also have a Samsung Mol train of Pavol Kusy, Aziz Awang and Daniel Thorsen
as well as Het Niewsblad trio Marco Corsini, Stefan Radochla and Gorik Gardeyn.
As we move into the last 5 klicks it is Alstorm, having not spent too many resources on the chase who take control impressively here.
It is Robert who Desirac and Haddou have linked up with and as we go overhead we can see whose closest.
But Robert having helped out with the pacing all day is a bit tired and soon the Alstorm train gets overpowered by a four man Samsung Mol locomotive.
Having pull his train to the front Gil Suray
can pull aside it's now upto Pacheco, Awang and Thorson to deliver. Szaniawski and Murray settle behind their wheels, meanwhile Sebastian Siedler
and Mohammad Umardi Rosdi
join up with the now two man (Deserac, Haddou) Alstorm train.
You can see the Het Niewsblad trio at the bottom of the picture making a bit of a mess of their sprint train indeed as we enter last 3km Marco Corsini
starts sprinting ridiculously early!
You have to say at least the Belgian squad are involved in the sprint, there are many names mentioned as pre race sprinting favourites who are nowhere to be seen (though some wasted themselves in breakaway attempts). We glance further back...
Ignoring the fading pacers we have Yauhen Sobal Martin Elmiger Peter Hatton Brett Lancaster Victor Gomes Colinas Maxime Debusschere
all visable.
Further back still some lazy riders are allowing a split to develop with between forty and fifty riders distanced.
But the sprint is on at the front and as we enter the last two kilometers it looks briefly as if the bitched Het Niewsblad train could come back.
But it runs into a bit of roadblock as Deserac having done all he can for his team leader Haddou pulls away. Haddou moves himself onto Thorsen's wheel, the Australian has done well on crit courses in the past and he has been led out superbly here.
The wind has got noticeably higher in the last lap and it seems to be burning off the lead outs a bit quickly and with 1600m left Awang indicates that he can give no more for his leader.
You'll need to ignore the 1km to go banner as it is actually confusingly placed with 1.6km to go. Perhaps this confused the Samsung Mol riders! You can see here that Haddou is actually on Szaniawski's wheel with Murray following him. Siedler is looking to move across to follow Thorsen with Rosdi on his wheel.
Does Thorsen have his full acceleration here? As they round the final bend you'd have to say no!
Haddou looks keen to pounce down this 1000m straight and it's hard to see him being beaten, though he has still to pass Szaniawski. Back behind a small gap has opened to what I will call the botched Het Niewsblad group.
Haddou then steams into the lead as Szaniawski feels the heat badly, Murray follows Haddou smoothly with Rosdi and Siedler fighting to come around Thorsen.
Haddou is at top speed now, but the Brit Murray has latched onto his wheel. Behind Rosdi is unable to get back on terms though he is moving forward into third with Siedler seemingly blocked by the a rocking and rolling Thorson.
Murray looks to come inside of Haddou.
Haddou stares at the floor mouth wide open, the lactic is clearly in the legs as Murray closes.
Quick helicoptor shot see's Siedler nipping on the inside of Thorson, Awang has stayed on well you'd question though whether he gave it all in his lead out.
Murray can feel he has this, desperately close to the line in the final metres.
However Haddou starts to relax as he feels he has the win.
He takes it by half a wheel and gives the Brit a nod of respect for the close sprint. Clearly the Frenchman is thinking this could be a rival throughout the season.
Rosdi takes third ahead of Siedler who got partially blocked. Thorson and Awang finish 5th and 6th ahead of Szaniawski and it is Gardeyn who finishes with Radachla 9th. Just out of shot is Corsini 10th three places in a row for Het Neiwsblad and Sobal is 11th ahead of Lancaster.
Loic Desirac (Alstorm) who worked so hard to get Haddou in the right place, celebrates rather extravagantly and why not he's French and they have just won the opening Division two race.
