Mathieu van der Poel makes history at the UAE Tour The Dutch champion wins in Al Mirfa after a wind-affected spectacular ADNOC Stage.
Al Mirfa, 21 February 2021 –Mathieu van der Poel warned that he’d be racing the UAE Tour in support of his Alpecin-Fenix teammates but he found himself at ease in the echelons on Stage 1, - the ADNOC Stage - a day that was marked by an unexpected scenario. Among the pre-race GC favorites, Adam Yates, Tadej PogaÄar and João Almeida made the decisive 23-man front group, the latter taking six seconds of time bonuses by winning the two intermediate sprints during the stage. Top sprinters Elia Viviani and Fernando Gaviria were also up at the front but Van der Poel was the strongest at the finish despite recently switching (with no respite) from the cyclo-cross world championship to WorldTour road racing, both events being held in a sandy environment with a beach-side finish however.
Tomorrow, Matthieu Ladagnous (Groupama - FDJ), will be the first rider to start at 13.45' Stage 2's time trial. The last one will be the Red Jersey Mathieu van der Poel at 16.13'.
Mathieu van der Poel on the podium with H.E. Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council and Mubarak Al Mansouri, Vice President Al Dhafra Region ADNOC
Data collected by Velon’s devices on the riders’ bikes tell a detailed story of the stage. An infographic about today's stage can be downloaded here.
STAGE RESULT 1 - Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), 176km in 3h45’47”, average speed 46.770km/h 2 - David Dekker (Jumbo-Visma) s.t. 3 - Michael Mørkøv (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) s.t.
JERSEYS
The Red Jersey, sponsored by ADNOC (General individual classification by time) - Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix)
The Green Jersey, sponsored by Etisalat (General individual classification by points) - Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), to be worn by Michael Mørkøv (Deceuninck - Quick-Step)
The White Jersey, sponsored by Nakheel (Best Young Rider born after 1 January 1996) - David Dekker (Jumbo-Visma)
The Black Jersey, sponsored by Abu Dhabi Aviation (Intermediate Sprint Jersey Classification) - João Almeida (Deceuninck - Quick-Step)
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION 1 - Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) 2 - David Dekker (Jumbo-Visma) at 4" 3 - Michael Mørkøv (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) at 6"
4 - João Almeida (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) at 7"
5 - Tadej PogaÄar (UAE Team Emirates) at 8"
PRESS CONFERENCE Stage winner and first Red Jersey wearer of the race Mathieu van der Poel said in the press conference: “It was really unexpected to be honest but it was windy from the beginning onwards. I was immediately in the first echelon and I felt good. But then, with the head wind, we regrouped with the peloton and the bunch split again after the intermediate sprint. I was able to catch the first group and it was very hard racing until the finish line. It was good to have teammates in the front group, especially Gianni [Vermeersch) who helped me a lot at the end because Roy was dropped a little bit before. Gianni did an amazing job again covering moves in the finale.
I still felt really good for the sprint. I knew I just had to start sprinting when I thought it was the right moment to go. The hard racing was good for me for the sprint. Normally there were a few guys faster than me but the heat made it a very hard race as well. That gave me confidence that I could go for the sprint, which wasn’t the plan before. I didn’t expect such a stage and such a result at all. I had a rest after the cyclo-cross world championship and I started training with the team one week before coming to the UAE. So I think it's my cyclo-cross form that's made me a winner today.”
Stage winner Mathieu van der Poel was awarded the new Breitling Endurance Pro watch
The Black Jersey João Almeida said: "No one expected the race to be like that. At the end we had five guys in the right spot. This is a 7-day race, there aren’t many climb and the time trial is quite short too so I tried to go for the time bonus because every second is important. We kept going hard and it worked out. Winning the UAE Tour isn’t that easy but some GC contenders are now four minutes down. Tadej Pogacar and Adam Yates are obviously in good shape because you need good legs to make the front group in a race like this. Which one of us is the best time trialist for the UAE Tour? We’ll find out tomorrow".
The White Jersey David Dekker said:"Normally I’d be disappointed with second place but this is my first race with Jumbo-Visma and my first WorldTour so it’s a good result and it wasn’t really that close with Mathieu van der Poel. I’m satisfied. I was watching Gaviria, Van der Poel and the Deceuninck-Quick Step team. I knew it would be up to me to be in a good position. I helped my teammate Chris Harper in the last two kilometers, and then it was about finding a good position and seeing if I was strong enough for the sprint. I’m definitely a sprinter but maybe today I also showed that I’m capable of doing more than just waiting for the sprint. At this stage of my career, I’m focusing on bunch sprints".
TOMORROW'S STAGE
Stage 2, Hudayriyat Island ITT (13km), the Abu Dhabi Sports Council Stage
An individual time trial that takes place entirely on the island of Hudayriyat along a very fast route characterized by wide, sweeping bends. The road is perfectly flat and wide, with gentle curves that will allow the riders to maintain a fast pace throughout (wind permitting). The final kilometers
Sweeping bends on a wide and smooth road. The finish line is on asphalt.
TV COVERAGE
The UAE Tour Stage 2 International TV Schedule is availablehere.
UAE TOUR PRESS ROOM
The media can download high resolution pictures of the race from the official online pressroom. In order to download the pictures, just go to http://pressroom.rcssport.it/(username: press / password: press), select “Media”, then "Cycling", then "UAE Tour". The photos are free of charge for editorial use, as long as both the UAE Tour and the photographer’s name are credited.
Mathieu van der Poel on the podium with Mubarak Al Mansouri, Vice President Al Dhafra Region ADNOC, and Naser Mohamed Al Mansoori, Acting Undersecretary for the Ruler Representative Court
Van der Poel wins Stage 1, the ADNOC Stage, of the UAE Tour
and wears the first Red Jersey
Al Mirfa, 21 February 2021 –Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) has won Stage 1, the ADNOC Stage, of the third edition of the UAE Tour, ahead of David Dekker (Jumbo-Visma) and Michael Mørkøv (Deceuninck - Quick-Step).
Van der Poel is now the leader of the GC and has been awarded the Red Jersey and the Green Jersey.
The stage was characterized by strong winds that split the peloton into several groups. João Almeida (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) won the stage's two intermediate sprints and gained a 6” time bonus by doing so. Tadej PogaÄar (UAE Team Emirates) sprinted to second place in the second intermediate sprint, gaining a 2” time bonus.
STAGE RESULT
1 - Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), 176km in 3h45’47”, average speed 46.770km/h
2 - David Dekker (Jumbo-Visma) s.t.
3 - Michael Mørkøv (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) s.t.
JERSEYS
The Red Jersey, sponsored by the ADNOC (General individual classification by time) - Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix)
The Green Jersey, sponsored by Etisalat (General individual classification by points) - Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix)
The White Jersey, sponsored by Nakheel (Best Young Rider born after 1 January 1996) - David Dekker (Jumbo-Visma)
The Black Jersey, sponsored by Abu Dhabi Aviation (Intermediate Sprint Jersey Classification) - João Almeida (Deceuninck - Quick-Step)
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1 - Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix)
2 - David Dekker (Jumbo-Visma) at 4"
3 - Michael Mørkøv (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) at 6"
4 - João Almeida (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) at 7"
5 - Tadej PogaÄar (UAE Team Emirates) at 8"
Speaking seconds after the stage finish, the winner and Red Jersey Mathieu van der Poel said: "I said I was coming here as a lead-out man but today I had good legs from the beginning. I was able to catch the group that went away after the first intermediate sprint and the wind made the race very hard, which played in my favor. I finished it off in the sprint but I didn't expect this win at all. It means a lot to me to start my road season the same way I finished my cyclo-cross season.”
Press conference interviews and further details to follow.
Good Morning from Stage 1 of the UAE Tour The ADNOC Stage features 176km of riding between Al Dhafra Castle and Al Mirfa. The post-stage press conference will be live-streamed on the UAE Tour's YouTube channel.
Al Dhafra Castle
Al Dhafra, 21 February 2021 – Good morning from Stage 1, the ADNOC Stage, of the third edition of the UAE Tour (21-27 February 2021), the one and only WorldTour race in the Middle East. The opening stage features 176km of riding on a flat route between Al Dhafra Castle and Al Mirfa and is expected to end with a bunch sprint that will assign the first Red Jersey of the race.
The peloton, 139 riders strong, passed km 0 at 12:33.
H.E. Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council was present at the start of the 1st stage of the 2021 UAE Tour
Thanks to Velon’s rider data system, TV viewers and online users can see the riders’ wattage, speed, and cadence. The complete list of riders carrying Velon devices and onboard cameras on today's stage is available here.
WEATHER
Al Dhafra (12.30): Partly cloudy 26°C. Wind: moderate – 15kmh, N.
Al Mirfa (circa 16.30): Partly cloudy 23°C. Wind: moderate – 16kmh, N.
THE ROUTE A desert stage, Stage 1 leaves from Al Dhafra Castle and crosses desert roads to reach Zayed City. The route then returns to the open sands before entering a final circuit on coastal roads in Al Mirfa. Two intermediate sprints feature; at 64.4km (Habshan Camp) and at 138.4km (Al Mirfa). The final kilometers
A final circuit, to be covered twice, on a wide and perfectly paved road that features a few U-turns around roundabouts and a brief climb at the start of the lap. The finish line is positioned on an 8m wide asphalt road.
PRESS CONFERENCE
The post-stage press conference will be live-streamed on the UAE Tour YouTube channel. POINTS OF INTERESTS
CITY MALL MADINAT ZAYED - 145 KM TO FINISH THE LINE
The Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre is the place to go for international retail shopping, at the heart of the city. The Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre offers a wide array of brands and stores that offer the discerning shopper everything from high-end fashion, perfume, household goods, groceries, electronics and lots more.
MADINAT ZAYED - 145 KM TO FINISH THE LINE
It is the largest town and the administrative centre of Al Gharbia, the westernmost and largest region in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The township was established in 1968 by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Madinat Zayed is home to Al Dhafra FC, a team that competes in the UAE top division football league, the UAE Pro League, and Al Dhafra futsal club.
ADNOC SCHOOL - 145 KM TO FINISH THE LINE
The ADNOC Schools, in line with the UAE government’s pioneering initiatives, aims to become a premier school in the region, graduating highly competent, socially responsible citizens and future national leaders.
The mission of ADNOC Schools are to prepare Emirati and other students, through an academically rigorous curriculum, to achieve their highest potential in a global, technologically advanced society, where Arabic and Islamic values are honoured and cultural differences are respected.
SIR BANIYAS ISLAND - 176 KM TO FINISH THE LINE
A nature-based destination alive with wildlife and adventure activities, a 5-star boutique hotel, luxury villas, purpose-built stables and historical sites, Sir Bani Yas Island is one of the eight which make up the Desert Islands in Al Dhafra.
Recently awarded the ‘World’s Leading Sustainable Tourism Destination’ at the 2014 World Travel Awards in Anguila, more than half the island is made up of the Arabian Wildlife Park, one of region’s largest wildlife reserves, which is home to more than 10,000 free roaming animals including Arabian Oryx, gazelles and giraffes, hyenas and cheetahs. Guests can take a 4x4 Nature & Wildlife Drive of the park in specially made vehicles accompanied by expert guides.
The island is also home to UAE’s only discovered Christian monastery, which can be visited during a Desert Islands Resort & Spa Culture Tour. Believed to have been built around 600 AD, and abandoned in 750 AD, the monastery was initially discovered during excavations in 1992.
RUWAIS MALL
Located some 250km west of Abu Dhabi city, Ruwais Industrial and Housing Complex is developed by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) as a major contributor to the national economy and represents a series of multi-million-dollar investments by the company. From a small fishing headland, Ruwais today is one of the most modern industrial complexes in the Middle East, home to around 30,000 people of which some 20,000 reside within ADNOC’s Ruwais Housing Complex. Located adjacent to the Ruwais Housing Complex, Ruwais Mall will be the only community shopping mall catering to the Western Region. The Mall will house retails stores along with a variety of leisure and entertainment facilities aiming to attract an affluent clientele.
AL MIRFA BEACH - 0 KM TO FINISH THE LINE
This stunning spot is one of Abu Dhabi’s best-kept secrets. Home to the Al Dhafra Watersports Festival, this is the Al Dhafra area’s only developed beach. It’s almost never crowded and there is a small town nearby where you can buy supplies for a night of camping or snacks and games for a day out enjoying the turquoise waters
TV COVERAGE
The UAE Tour Stage 1 International TV Schedule is available here.
UAE TOUR PRESS ROOM
The media can download high resolution pictures of the race from the official online pressroom. In order to download the pictures, just go to http://pressroom.rcssport.it/(username: press / password: press), select “Media”, then "Cycling", then UAE Tour. The photos are free of charge for editorial use, as long as both the UAE Tour and the photographer’s name are credited.
