Dubai Tour 2018: Cavendish sprints to win in 3rd stage, Viviani new leader

The 3rd stage of the Dubai Tour takes the riders across the Arabian Peninsula to finish in Fujairah, the only emirate on the Gulf of Oman. The race boils down to a bunch sprint with Mark Cavendish outgunning Nacer Bouhanni and Marcel Kittel. Race leader Dylan Groenewegen is docked 20 seconds for drafting and the blue jersey goes to Elia Viviani. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 3rd stage 2018 Dubai Tour

1. Mark Cavendish (gbr)
2. Nacer Bouhanni (fra) s.t.
3. Marcel Kittel (ger) s.t.
4. Adam Blythe (gbr) s.t.
5. Sonny Colbrelli (ita) z.t
6. Elia Viviani (ita) s.t.
7. Alexander Kristoff (nor) s.t.
8. Magnus Cort Nielsen (den) s.t.
9. Riccardo Minali (ita) s.t.
10. Dylan Groenewegen (nld) s.t.

GC after the 3rd stage
1. Elia Viviani (ita)
2. Mark Cavendish (gbr) + 0.04
3. Nathan Van Hooydonck (bel) + 0.07
4. Magnus Cort Nielsen (den) + 0.08
5. Nacer Bouhanni (fra) s.t.
6. Loïc Vliegen (bel) s.t.
7. Marcel Kittel (ger) + 0.10
8. Riccardo Minali (ita) s.t.
9. Alexander Kristoff (nor) + 0.14
10. Sonny Colbrelli (ita) s.t.

Race report
Mark Cristian, Loïc Vliegen and Quentin Valognes are the first to forge a proper gap after 11 kms. Simone Bevilacqua chases them down and the four race to a lead 7 minutes before the peloton takes control.

With 75 kms out it’s crosswinds time and the gap goes down so quick that the leaders are caught. Groenewegen and Cavendish are forced to chase after a mechanical. The race leader returns to the main group the wrong way – drafting – and is docked 20 seconds, although at first Bouhanni seems to be the loser of the day. The Frenchman gets stuck in the wrong group for a while, but returns to the main group with 60 kilometres to go.

Tom Bohli attacks with 30 kms to go – a suicide mission, and on the last descent he is caught.

The race comes down to a bunch sprint with Mark Cavendish outgunning Nacer Bouhanni and Marcel Kittel. Elia Viviani finishes in sixth and is the new leader thanks to Groenewegen’s decision to use the slipstream of his team car to make it back to the bunch.

Tomorrow’s stage runs to the steep Hatta Dam!