At 179 kilometres, stage 1 of the Dubai Tour takes the riders to Fujairah, the capital of a neighbouring emirate with the same name, located on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula. Predominantly on flat roads, the riders have to traverse the foothills of the Al Hajar Mountains to get there. But as the highest point is crested with 40 kilometres left, the fast men should not worry about the outcome.
Stage 2 offers 188 kilometres of racing on what may be called, a vintage Dubai Tour course. After an 8-shaped loop through the desert the riders are to finish at Palm Jumeirah, an artificial archipelago extending into the Persian Golf, especially built for the rich and famous.
If there is any chance at glory for the climbers, stage 3 should be the day. Totalling at 172 kilometres, the race’s last 40 kilometres feature three climbs. The finish is at the Hatta Dam after a 1 kilometre climb with a steepest section at 17% metres before the finish line.
At 132 kilometres, the final stage of the 2016 Dubai Tour doesn’t leave Dubai City. The finish is at the foot of the tallest skyscraper in the world, Burj Khalifa, once again a perfect spot for a clash of the fast men.
All stages in Dubai bring time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds, while the intermediate sprints account for 3, 2 and 1 second.
In 2015 it was Mark Cavendish winning two stages and he held on for dear life in the hilly 3rd stage with the 17% ramp-finish at Hatta Dam. The time bonus of 26 seconds he gathered in the flat stages brought him the overall victory, just 2 seconds ahead of John Degenkolb.
Dubai Tour 2016: Route maps and more
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