With many of the cycling world’s best sprinters in the pack at the UAE Tour Dutch rider Dylan Groenewegen threw down an early-season marker Friday winning stage five of the UAE Tour. Winds have scuppered some of the expected sprint finishing this week, but Friday’s flat stage ended in a real mass bunch sprint, with the sprinters’ teams enjoying the broad roads here. In the sprint, Groenewegen overtook Irishman Sam Bennett and held off a late charge from Colombian Fernando Gaviria. British veteran Mark Cavendish could only manage eighth in a field packed with pretenders while Monday’s winner Tim Merlier was fifth.

Overall leader and world champion Remco Evenepoel stayed first and holds a narrow nine- second lead over Luke Plapp. Saturday’s stage should result in a similar scenario with a flat finish and a bunch sprint expected before Sunday’s finale on the Jebel Hafeet mountain.

 

2023 UAE TOUR STAGE 5 RESULTS

1	GROENEWEGEN Dylan	Team Jayco AlUla	3:57:07
2	GAVIRIA Fernando	Movistar Team	0:00
3	BENNETT Sam	BORA – hansgrohe	0:00
4	LIEPIŅŠ Emīls	Trek – Segafredo	0:00
5	MERLIER Tim	Soudal – Quick Step	0:00
6	WELSFORD Sam	Team DSM	0:00
7	MOLANO Juan Sebastián	UAE Team Emirates	0:00
8	CAVENDISH Mark	Astana Qazaqstan Team	0:00
9	KOOIJ Olav	Jumbo-Visma	0:00
10	DÉMARE Arnaud	Groupama – FDJ	0:00

UAE TOUR OVERALL STANDINGS

1	EVENEPOEL Remco	Soudal – Quick Step	16:14:28
2	PLAPP Luke	INEOS Grenadiers	0:09
3	BILBAO Pello	Bahrain – Victorious	0:13
4	DE BOD Stefan	EF Education-EasyPost	1:03
5	POELS Wout	Bahrain – Victorious	1:06
6	VANHOUCKE Harm	Team DSM	1:12
7	LEKNESSUND Andreas	Team DSM	1:12
8	RUBIO Einer Augusto	Movistar Team	1:13
9	STEINHAUSER Georg	EF Education-EasyPost	1:13
10	YATES Adam	UAE Team Emirates	1:14

 

RBA/AFP Photos: Sprint Cycling