Dubai Tour 2018: Groenewegen outsprints all fast men to take overall lead

The 1st stage of the Dubai Tour amounts to 167 kilometres on the flat. The sprint finale at the archipelago Palm Jumeirah is as chaotic as it is mind blowing with Dylan Groenewegen outgunning Magnus Cort Nielsen on the line. Elia Viviani finishes in third and the rest of the field is further back. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 1st stage 2018 Dubai Tour

1. Dylan Groenewegen (nld)
2. Magnus Cort Nielsen (den) s.t.
3. Elia Viviani (ita) s.t.
4. Alexander Kristoff (nor) s.t.
5. Nacer Bouhanni (fra) s.t.
6. Jacob Hennessy (gbr) s.t.
7. Eric Young (usa) s.t.
8. Sonny Colbrelli (ita) s.t.
9. Andrea Peron (ita) s.t.
10. Loïc Vliegen (bel) s.t.

GC after the 1st stage
1. Dylan Groenewegen (nld)
2. Magnus Cort Nielsen (den) + 0.04
3. Elia Viviani (ita) + 0.06
4. Nathan Van Hooydonck (bel) + 0.07
5. Alexander Kristoff (nor) + 0.10
6. Nacer Bouhanni (fra) s.t.
7. Jacob Hennessy (gbr) s.t.
8. Eric Young (usa) s.t.
9. Sonny Colbrelli (ita) s.t.
10. Andrea Peron (ita) s.t.

Race report
The battle for the breakaway is raging until km 10, when Mohammed Yousif Al Mansoori, Nathan Van Hooydonck and Andrew Fenn jump clear. Daniel Teklehaimanot and Charles Planet chase them down and the five race to a maximum lead of more than 5 minutes before the peloton takes control.

Planet and Fenn go on the attack when the gap is down to half a minute. They regain a lead of 1 minute, yet it’s going down again, which inspires Fenn to head out on his own. To no avail though. With 9 kms left he is reeled in.

The race boils down to a chaotic sprint with a lot of riders out of position. But not Dylan Groenewegen. The 24-year old Dutchman is glued to Tim Roosen’s – his lead out – wheel and heads out at the right moment. He holds off Magnus Cort Nielsen who comes up the other side of the road, although with the tiniest of margins.

Title defender Marcel Kittel has a mechanical problem and crosses the line thumping his handlebars in frustration.