Mark Cavendish wins Abu Dhabi Tour stage two to take overall lead
Mark Cavendish moves into overall race lead at the 2016 Abu Dhabi Tour after stage two victory
Having missed out on victory on the opening stage of the 2016 Abu Dhabi Tour, Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) timed his sprint perfectly on day two to take the win and put himself into the overall race lead.
Third behind Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek-Segafredo) and John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin) on Thursday, Cavendish put his Dimension Data team to work during the stage to ensure the ideal set-up. The Manxman repaid them with victory, the first for a British rider in the race.
Italian Elia Viviani (Team Sky) placed second with Andrea Guardini (Astana) in third.
Cavendish's bonus seconds for the win saw him take the race lead from Nizzolo.
On another relatively short stage, the day's escape group of Stanislau Bazhkou (Minsk), Jens Keukeleire (Orica-GreenEdge), Jan Polanc (Lampre Merida), Dion Smith (One Pro Cycling), Samuel Williams (One Pro Cycling) and Eugert Zhupa (Willier-Southeast) was given little room to grow a large time gap.
Keukeleire and Smith were both in the previous day's break. Both were in the hunt for bonus seconds in the intermediate sprint to move up the general classification having started the day in fourth and fifth respectively. Keukeleire moved up to third for his effort.
>>> Owain Doull on Team Sky: ‘This pressure is nothing like the Olympic team pursuit’
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Bazhkou dropped out of the break with 20km to go, leaving five out front with a one minute and 45 second gap.
The peloton left it very late as the break went under the flamme rouge with 10 seconds over the chasing bunch, as Team Sky hit the front. As the break were scooped up with around 500m to go, the sprinters started to open up their efforts.
Viviani hit the front first, but Cavendish managed to out-accelerate his Olympic omnium rival to win.
The 2016 Abu Dhabi Tour hits its most decisive stage on Saturday, the only stage that features a significant hill. The 11km climb to Jebel Hafeet will give the climbers a chance to shine and move up the overall classification. The race concludes on Sunday, October 23.
>>> Abu Dhabi Tour: Stage-by-stage
Result
Abu Dhabi Tour 2016, stage two: Abu Dhabi to Abu Dhabi (Al Marina), 115km
1. Mark Cavendish (GBr) Dimension Data in 2-32-21
2. Elia Viviani (Ita) Team Sky
3. Andrea Guardini (Ita) Astana
4. Jakub Mareczko (Ita) Wilier-Southeast
5. Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing
6. Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
7. Chris Latham (GBr) Team Wiggins
8. Michael Kolar (Svk) Tinkoff
9. Steele Von Hoff (Aus) One Pro Cycling
10. Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Orica-BikeExchange all same time
General classification after stage two
1. Mark Cavendish (GBr) Dimension Data in 5-48-06
2. Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Trek-Segafredo at 4 secs
3. Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica-BikeExchange at 5 secs
4. Elia Viviani (Ita) Team Sky at 8 secs
5. John Degenkolb (Ger) Giant-Alpecin at 8 secs
6. Andrea Guardini (Ita) Astana at 10 secs
7. Dion Smith (NZl) One Pro Cycling at 10 secs
8. Chris Latham (GBr) Team Wiggins at 14 secs
9. Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing at 14 secs
10. Michael Kolar (Svk) Tinkoff at 14 secs
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.
-
56% unpaved, 44% paved and plenty of pitchy climbs: the 2024 UCI Gravel World Championships race course revealed
Come October, rainbow jersey hopefuls will tackle a Classics-like course in woodsy Flemish Brabant.
By Anne-Marije Rook Published
-
Tour of Britain uncertainty stalls RideLondon Classique expansion plan
Organiser planned to add extra stage to this year's race, but question marks over the Tour of Britain Women has meant plans have been cancelled
By Jeremy Whittle Published
-
Astana go all in on Cavendish in his final season, but will the confidence pay off?
The Kazakh team have bet big on the 38-year-old sprinter. Both they and Cavendish need 2024 to work
By Adam Becket Published
-
Mark Cavendish wins his first race in final season after perfect leadout in Tour Colombia
The Briton fended off the challenge of home rider Fernando Gaviria on stage four of the Tour Colombia
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
Mark Cavendish forced to settle for third in 2024 season opener in Colombia
Astana Qazaqstan rider says Tour Colombia stage one result ‘best debut race for a few years’
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Mark Cavendish seeking aerobic gains at altitude before focusing on high intensity work ahead of new season
Astana head coach Vasilis Anastopoulos: ‘Cavendish is currently doing lots of hours in the saddle and only short sessions of more intensive work’
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Mark Cavendish: Altitude training is essential in order to stay at the top of modern cycling
British sprinter will start 2024 season at Tour Colombia in February and will also include two altitude camps in plan
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Mark Cavendish reveals details of first race in 2024
Astana Qazaqstan rider will line up at the Tour Colombia after altitude camp in country
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Mark Cavendish 'in shock' at 'toughest' Tour de France route
Astana Qazaqstan rider will have to tackle "hard" race if he wants to break the stage win record
By Adam Becket Published
-
Incoming Astana performance chief to replicate Quick-Step Mark Cavendish lead-out train
‘I’m very optimistic, I think it’s going to work’ Vasilis Anastopoulos on his new plans for Cavendish ahead of next year’s Tour de France record attempt
By Tom Thewlis Published