Abu Dhabi Tour 2018: Valverde takes mountain stage and GC victory

The 5th and last stage of the 2018 Abu Dhabi Tour ends at Jebel Hafeet. The race ignites at the 10.8 kilometres closing climb at 6.6%. Alejandro Valverde climbs to the stage win and the overall victory. Wilco Kelderman finishes second on GC, Miguel Ángel López rounds out the podium. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 5th stage 2018 Abu Dhabi Tour

1. Alejandro Valverde (spa)
2. Miguel Ángel López (col) s.t.
3. Julian Alaphilippe (fra) + 0.15
4. Rafal Majka (pol) s.t.
5. Wilco Kelderman (nld) s.t.
6. Davide Formolo (ita) + 0.37
7. Niklas Eg (den) + 0.47
8. Diego Ulissi (ita) + 0.55
9. Rui Costa (por) s.t.
10. Antwan Tolhoek (nld) s.t.

Final GC 2018 Abu Dhabi Tour
1. Alejandro Valverde (spa)
2. Wilco Kelderman (nld) + 0.17
3. Miguel Ángel López (col) + 0.29
4. Julian Alaphilippe (fra) + 0.31
5. Rafal Majka (pol) + 0.45
6. Davide Formolo (ita) + 1.13
7. Diego Ulissi (ita) + 1.18
8. Rui Costa (por) + 1.28
9. Rohan Dennis (aus) + 1.29
10. Emanuel Buchmann (ger) + 1.37

Race report
Shortly after the start a five-rider group goes clear and four riders bridge across. Greipel, Craddock, Trusov, Bonifazio, Bresciani, Barbier, Frison, Henttala and Brändle race to a maximum lead of more than 10 minutes.

At the last climb Craddock is the last remaining attacker upfront, while last year’s runner-up Ilnur Zakarin is dropped at the lower slopes. Leader Dennis is struggling with 6 kms remaining, a little after Formolo strikes out.

Valverde joins Formolo before with López and Alaphilippe hook on, too. Formolo can’t follow the pace at first, but Kelderman bridges across with Majka and Formolo. López heads out on his own with 4 kms to go and is rejoined by Valverde. Kelderman desperately tries to get back with Alaphilippe and Majka on his wheel, but he doesn’t make it.

Valverde edges out López atop Jabel Hafeet, thus taking the overall race from Kelderman with López rounding out the podium in third.