Tadej Pogačar extended his lead in the general classification on stage three of the UAE Tour after holding on to multiple attacks from Adam Yates, before flying around the British rider with about 400 metres to go to take it in the sprint.
Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) was set up by his team until Yates's Ineos Grenadiers squad came up with 6km to go and smashed the race to pieces.
Yates now moves into second place ahead of João Almeida (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) who tried to stay with the two climbing specialists, but lost a good chunk of time.
Pogačar extends his overall lead as the race heads back towards the flat lands tomorrow.
How it happened
The race started rather slowly with a heavy headwind facing the riders as they left the grounds of Strata Manufacturing before heading 166km to the climb of Jebel Hafeet.
It was just a two-man breakaway that went away, getting a maximum gap of around five minutes - those riders were Tony Gallopin (Ag2r-Citroën) who went away first before being joined by Thomas De Gendt (Lotto-Soudal).
The day was largely controlled by UAE Team Emirates for Tadej Pogačar and Deceuninck - Quick-Step, for João Almeida and Mattia Cattaneo, who are both involved in the overall fight for the Belgian team.
With 40km to go the race started getting pacy with several teams battling for the lead of the peloton, including Bora-Hansgrohe, BikeExchange, Lotto-Soudal and Movistar, seeing the time gap drop down to 3-22 very quickly.
>>> Mathieu van der Poel returns to the Netherlands after team pulls out of UAE Tour
With 18km to go it was the team of Chris Froome, Israel Start-Up Nation as well as Bahrain Victorious at the front, chipping yet another minute off the breakaway.
The final intermediate sprint came with the break making it through, taking three and two bonus seconds. The peloton came through as Almeida tried to take the final bonus second after missing out earlier, when he was pipped by Pogačar's team-mate Fernando Gaviria in the first.
But Portuguese rider Almeida wasn't able to break through and it was Michael Mørkøv who took the final second as they started to climb up the Jebel Hafeet.
Gallopin attacked De Gendt with 11km to go as they went through the gates onto the climb, but he just had a gap of 58 seconds over a charging peloton.
Pogačar's squad sat on the front working hard for the 2020 Tour de France champion after his team had used the climb as their main location for a training camp. Gallopin was caught with 8km to go.
Chris Froome held on to the lead group until 6.6km as he still looks to be on the road to recovery and his target of a fifth Tour de France.
Ineos Grenadiers then moved up with 6km to go and completely ripped the race to bits, isolating Pogačar as Daniel Martínez worked for the British rider and defending champion, Adam Yates.
Martínez pulled over and it was Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) who attacked, seeing Almeida drop backwards. Only Pogačar and Yates could follow the first kick as Neilson Powless (EF Education-Nippo) bridged back.
Emanuel Buchmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) pulled Almeida and a handful of others back to the leaders until Kuss kicked again. Pogačar and Yates followed with Almeida leading the chase group with 4km, before the British rider attacked and dropped Kuss with Pogačar clinging to his wheel.
In was between Yates and Pogačar with 3.8km to go as Yates tried to kick again to drop the young Slovenian.
Yates kept on hammering the attacks but he just could not shift Pogačar with 2km to go on the first climbing day of the UAE Tour.
Meanwhile, Almeida continued to chase with Powless and Harm Van Houcke (Lotto-Soudal), who were holding the gap at 40 seconds.
Pogačar then hit over the top with 400 metres to go, taking Yates by surprise and managing to hold on with the tight bend at the end meaning Yates was not able to get by with 80 metres left.
Results
UAE Tour stage three, Strata Manufacturing - Jebel Hafeet (166km)
1. Tadej Pogačar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 3-58-35
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at same time
3. Sergio Higuita (COL) EF Education-Nippo, 48 seconds
4. Emanuel Buchmann (GER) Bora-Hansgrohe
5. Harm Vanhoucke (BEL) Lotto-Soudal
6. João Almeida (POR) Deceuninck - Quick-Step, all at same time
7. Florian Stork (GER) Team DSM, at 54
8. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo, at same time
9. Chris Harper (AUS) Team Jumbo-Visma, at 1-00
10. Geoffrey Bouchard (FRA) Ag2r La Mondiale-Citroën, at 1-09.
General classification after stage three
1. Tadej Pogačar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 7-58-30
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 43 seconds
3. João Almeida (POR) Deceuninck - Quick-Step, at 1-03
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Team Jumbo-Visma, at 1-43
5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo, at 1-45
6. Mattias Skjelmose Jensen (DEN) Trek-Segafredo, at 2-36
7. Damiano Caruso (ITA) Bahrain Victorious, at 2-38
8. Mattia Cattaneo (ITA) Deceuninck - Quick-Step, at 2-39
9. Rubén Fernández (ESP) Cofidis, at 3-32
10. Fausto Masnada (ITA) Deceuninck - Quick-Step, 4-47.
Thank you for reading 10 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
-
-
Specialized reveals new heritage-inspired custom colorway for Unbound Gravel 2023
Ian Boswell, Sofia Villafane and other Specialized athletes will again be racing aboard custom -painted bikes at Unbound Gravel. Here's the story behind this year's paint.
-
Tweets of the week: Trek's new Lidl kit, Alaphilippe's unusual training and the Cavendish/Thomas show
Your favourite social media roundup from the world of professional cycling
-
‘A perfect week for us’ – Adam Yates wraps up overall title in Romandie
Briton will now turn his focus to preparing for the Tour de France
-
Who can stop Tadej Pogačar? Victory at La Flèche Wallonne one more step on the road to Ardennes triple
The UAE Team Emirates rider has won the Amstel Gold Race and La Flèche Wallonne. Only Liège-Bastogne-Liège waits
-
Tom Boonen invited to test Colnago V4Rs after criticism of Tadej Pogačar's bike
Boonen and fellow ex-pro Dirk de Wolf invited to Italy for a "public conversation" on the data they used to make claim that bike hindered two-time Tour de France champion
-
Tim Merlier doubles up in UAE Tour’s final sprint showdown on stage six
Soudal Quick-Step have now won three stages, with Remco Evenepoel leading the GC into the final day
-
Molano sprints to stage four victory at UAE Tour to save UAE Team Emirates' race
Colombian rider wins stage for home team at fourth opportunity, as Remco Evenepoel continues in race lead
-
Remco Evenepoel edges closer to UAE Tour lead as Soudal Quick-Step win stage two team time trial
The Belgian team won by a single second, leaving Evenepoel tied on time at the top of the GC
-
‘That’s not bad’ - Mark Cavendish pleased with first podium finish for Astana at UAE Tour
The British road champion recorded his best race result since joining Astana Qazaqstan
-
Tim Merlier declared winner of UAE Tour stage one in tight photo finish
The Soudal Quick-Step rider's team-mate Remco Evenepoel stretched out an early lead in the battle for GC
