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
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