The Briton attacks in the uphill finish to Jabel Hafeet, the world champion defends his advantage and triumphs over Plapp with 59″
February 26th
– Jebel Hafeet (United Arab Emirates)
Remco Evenepoel won the UAE Tour. In the last stage, 153 kilometers starting from the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium and finishing uphill at Jabel Hafeet (1,025 meters altitude, 10.8 km at 6.6%), he prevailed by posting Adam Yates. As expected, what could be considered the hardest climb of this edition was decisive and, once the breakaway was absorbed, it was Adam Yates (over a minute behind in the general classification) who attacked first with 6 km to go. The British of the UAE-Emirates, who had already won on this climb in the past, then also detached the leader Evenepoel at minus three km, to arrive with arms raised in what is the home race for his team. So at the finish line: Yates won with 10″ on Evenepoel and 42″ on Bouchard. Thus the final classification: Evenepoel, at his first success in the rainbow jersey but arrived at the finish line rather tried, won with 59” over the Australian Plapp, 1′ over Adam Yates and 1’03” over Bilbao. Of note is the beautiful Uae Tour by Antonio Tiberi, the 21-year-old from Lazio on Trek-Segafredo: today he placed 8th at 1’16” at the finish line and 7th at 2’33” in the general classification. For him it is the second consecutive top 10 in the World Tour after the eighth place finish at Down Under.
Previous
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It was the fifth edition of the UAE Tour, a race organized by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council with the technical collaboration of RCS Sport: the only one of the World Tour in this geographical area. Thus the precedents: in 2019 Primoz Roglic (Slovenia) had won; in 2020 Adam Yates (Great Britain); in 2021 and 2022 Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia).
February 26 – 1.36pm
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