Dubai Tour 2018: Colbrelli wins at Hatta Dam, 19-year old McNulty just misses out on solo-victory

Stage 4 at the Dubai Tour amounts to 172 kilometres. The race ends at the Hatta Dam after a 1 kilometre climb with ramps of up to 17% in the last metres. That's where a solo by 19-year old Brandon McNulty dramatically ends before Sonny Colbrelli sprints to victory ahead of Magnus Cort Nielsen and Timo Roosen. Elia Viviani holds on to the leader's jersey, 2 seconds ahead of Cort Nielsen en 4 seconds ahead of Colbrelli. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 4th stage 2018 Dubai Tour

1. Sonny Colbrelli (ita)
2. Magnus Cort Nielsen (den) s.t.
3. Timo Roosen (nld) s.t.
4. Alexander Kristoff (nor) s.t.
5. Giacomo Nizzolo (ita) s.t.
6. Elia Viviani (ita) s.t.
7. Tom Bohli (swi) s.t.
8. Loïc Vliegen (bel) s.t.
9. Nacer Bouhanni (fra) s.t.
10. Nathan Van Hooydonck (bel) s.t.

GC after the 4th stage
1. Elia Viviani (ita)
2. Magnus Cort Nielsen (den) + 0.02
3. Sonny Colbrelli (ita) + 0.04
4. Nathan Van Hooydonck (bel) + 0.07
5. Nacer Bouhanni (fra) + 0.08
6. Loïc Vliegen (bel) s.t.
7. Timo Roosen (nld) + 0.10
8. Alexander Kristoff (nor) + 0.14
9. Jean-Pierre Drücker (lux) s.t.
10. Dylan Teuns (bel) s.t.

Race report
Shortly after the start Dunne, Sun, Carpenter, McNulty, Williams and Bevilacqua get clear to race to a lead of almost 7 minutes. Then the peloton takes control to bring the gap down to 4 minutes. There the lead stabilizes.

On a climb with 12 kms out, 19-year old Brandon McNulty is the last man standing in the breakaway, 1’30” ahead of the peloton. On GC, he is just 13 seconds down on race leader Elia Viviani. Are we up for a surprise?

McNulty is still 33 seconds ahead of the peloton when he enters the final km. He grinds his way up, but when the gradients go up to 17% in the last metres he wanes. The sprinting peloton gobbles him up and Sonny Colbrelli is fastest, winning the race ahead of Magnus Cort Nielsen and Timo Roosen.

Elia Viviani finishes with the main field and retains his lead, yet Mark Cavendish loses time and drops out of contention. Cort Nielsen now sits in second, 2 seconds behind Viviani with Colbrelli 2 seconds further down.