Nibali, Aru, Cavendish and Kittel for inaugural Abu Dhabi Tour
Provisional list of starters released for the first running of the Abu Dhabi Tour, October 8-11


Vincenzo Nibali, Fabio Aru, Mark Cavendish, Tom Dumoulin, Peter Sagan, Alejandro Valverde and Marcel Kittel will be among the riders taking part in the inaugural Abu Dhabi Tour over October 8-11 in the United Arab Emirates.
The newly-formed UCI 2.1-ranked stage race will field 10 WorldTour teams against five professional continental squads and selected others, including the British-based Team Wiggins. In total, 18 squads will take part.
Vuelta a España winner Aru lines up with 2014 Tour de France victor Nibali for a strong Astana team. They will be reacquainted with Vuelta rivals Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin), Valverde (Movistar) and Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha).
Making one of his last appearances for Team Sky is Richie Porte - the Australian is changing teams to BMC for 2016.
Three of the race's four stages are designated for sprinters, and bunch gallops will be likely contested by Cavendish (Etixx-QuickStep), Kittel (Giant-Alpecin), Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo), Michael Matthews (Orica-GreenEdge) and Philippe Gilbert (BMC Racing).
Stage three of the race is likely to be the most decisive for the general classification, with the 11km climb of Jebel Hafeet featuring in the finale of the 140km stage.
For many riders this will be their last competitive outing of the season given its position in the calendar after the 2015 World Championships and the final WorldTour race, Il Lombardia (October 4).
The event will also host the first running of the UCI WorldTour Gala Dinner, which will honour the top-ranked riders, teams and nations in the season-long competition. Valverde topped the overall rider classification for the second consecutive year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wjVcoTBBbA
Abu Dhabi Tour 2015: Teams and key riders
Astana Pro Team (Kaz) - Nibali, Aru
BMC Racing Team (USA) - Gilbert
Bora-Argon 18 (Ger) - Buchmann
Colombia (Col) - Quintero
Drapac Professional Cycling (Aus) - Brown
Etixx-QuickStep (Bel) - Cavendish
Lampre-Merida (Ita) - Ulissi, Xu Gang
Movistar Team (Spa) - Valverde
MTN-Qhubeka (Rsa) - Teklehaimanot
Orica GreenEdge (Aus) - Matthews, Chaves
Skydive Dubai Pro Cycling Team - Al Ahli Club (UAE) - Al Murawwi
Team Giant-Alpecin (Ger) - Kittel, Dumoulin, Ji Cheng
Team Katusha (Rus) - Rodriguez
Team Sky (GBr) - Porte
Team Wiggins (GBr) - Patten
Tinkoff-Saxo (Rus) - Sagan
UAE National Team - Yousif Mirza
Unitedhealthcare Professional Cycling Team (USA) - Brajkovic
Abu Dhabi Tour 2015: Stages
Stage one - Thursday, October 8 - The ADNOC stage, 175km (flat)
Stage two - Friday, October 9 - The Capital stage, 130km (flat)
Stage three - Saturday, October 10 - The Al Ain stage, 140km (medium mountains)
Stage four - Sunday, October 11 - The Yas Stage, 110km (flat)
Thank you for reading 5 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, n exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.
-
-
Inside the first Global Bike Festival: Road, gravel and mountain biking come together in the Austrian Alps
Cycling Weekly was there to find out why hundreds of people travelled to Austria with their bikes for a weekend
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Should cyclists be worried about skin damage? All you need to know about protecting yourself from harmful rays
As high summer approaches, promising long hours of sun-drenched cycling, here’s what you need to know about the dangers posed by the sun and how to reduce the risk
By Chris Marshall-Bell • Published
-
Mark Cavendish confident of strong Giro d'Italia but attempts to manage expectations: 'People seem to forget I had a punctured lung at the end of November'
The Manxman seemed motivated in the press conference as he returns to the Italian Grand Tour after a nine-year hiatus
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
Mark Cavendish frustrated on final Tour of Oman stage as Jan Hirt wins overall
Sprinter boxed out on stage six finish, as Fernando Gaviria triumphs
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
Mark Cavendish loses green jersey and fined at Tour of Oman ahead of stage six
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl penalised by race jury for being pushed back to peloton by car
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Mark Cavendish crashes 'quite heavily' on stage five of Tour of Oman
Jan Hirt takes stage win and race lead atop Green Mountain on the penultimate day
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Mark Cavendish raring to get 2022 campaign underway at Tour of Oman: 'It doesn't matter how you're going until you compare yourself with the other people'
Cavendish starts his 2022 campaign at the the Tour of Oman on Thursday
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
Mark Cavendish set to return from Ghent Six crash with season debut at Tour of Oman
Cavendish has recovered from the two broken ribs and punctured lung he suffered at the end of November to lead Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl in Oman
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
Police search for two men in connection to Mark Cavendish aggravated burglary case
Police have asked people to come forward if they know their whereabouts
By Jonny Long • Published
-
Man charged with robbery at Mark Cavendish's house
A 30-year-old will appear in court today after armed men broke into the cyclist's home last month
By Ryan Dabbs • Published