Abu Dhabi Tour 2016 – Stage 1 [FULL STAGE]

October 20, 2016

Abu Dhabi Tour 2016 – Stage 1– Madinat Zayed – Madinat Zayed – 147 km

The Abu Dhabi Tour is a men’s cycling stage race that takes place in the United Arab Emirates, held annually since 2015. It is part of the UCI Asia Tour, ranked as a category 2.HC event, the second tier of professional stage races. The race takes place in October, as one of the last races of the cycling season.

Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek Segafredo) won stage 1 of the Abu Dhabi Tour after a powerful sprint into Madinat Zayed. The Italian held off late challenges from John Degenkolb (Giant Alpecin) and Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) to pull on the first leader’s jersey of the race.

Giant-Alpecin led the sprint out with Nizzolo patiently waiting until the final 150 meters before unleashing his unanswerable move. Cavendish lost his readout man, Mark Renshaw, in the final kilometre and was left with too much to do in the sprint.

“It was a really long sprint and really fast. What can I say? I’m really happy,” Nizzolo said at the finish.

“After the Worlds on Sunday I said I would come to Abu Dhabi Tour and look for one more victory. That’s the best start.”

The flat, out-and-back stage was marked by a four-man break that included Michael Matthews and Jens Keukeleire (Orica-BikeExchange), Gatis Smukulis (Astana), and Dion Smth (ONE Pro).

The foursome built up a lead of over two minutes, making use of the generous tailwind, before the sling back towards Madinat Zayed.

Dimension Data, Team Sky, Lotto-Soudal and Giant Alpecin combined to keep the break in check and with 20 kilometres to go the gap held at 2’17.

With Trek-Segafredo joining the fray the advantage rapidly dropped to 37 seconds with 10 kilometres go, and the final catch was made soon after.

Nizzolo, fresh from his fifth place in the World Championships road race, was dropped off near the front just as Giant began to wind up the sprint.

The final set of curves strung out the peloton with Cavendish and Renshaw losing each other in the melee. It was all Nizzolo needed to stamp his authority on the stage and take the first leader’s red jersey.

Results :
1 Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 3:15:59
2 John Degenkolb (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin
3 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Dimension Data
4 Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Orica-BikeExchange
5 Christopher Latham (GBr) Team WIGGINS
6 Michal Kolár (Svk) Tinkoff Team
7 Roman Maikin (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
8 Marco Coledan (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
9 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team
10 Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
11 Erik Baska (Svk) Tinkoff Team
12 Steele Von Hoff (Aus) ONE Pro Cycling
13 Jonathan Dibben (GBr) Team WIGGINS
14 Andrea Guardini (Ita) Astana Pro Team
15 Yousif Alhammadi (UAE) Nasr Dubai
16 Elia Viviani (Ita) Team Sky
17 Jakub Mareczko (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Southeast
18 Siarhei Papok (Blr) Minsk Cycling Club
19 Alexander Kolobnev (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
20 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Dimension Data
21 André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Soudal 0:00:03
22 Juan Jose Lobato (Spa) Movistar Team
23 Hayden McCormick (NZl) ONE Pro Cycling
24 Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Team Sky
25 Alan Banaszek (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
26 Francisco Ventoso (Spa) Movistar Team
27 Floris Gerts (Ned) BMC Racing Team
28 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team
29 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team
30 Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre – Merida
31 Nicolas Roche (Irl) Team Sky
32 Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team
33 Luka Pibernik (Slo) Lampre – Merida
34 Dayer Quintana (Col) Movistar Team
35 Jan Polanc (Slo) Lampre – Merida
36 Dion Smith (NZl) ONE Pro Cycling
37 Stanislau Bazhkou (Blr) Minsk Cycling Club
38 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Southeast
39 Juraj Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff Team
40 Jaber Almansoori (UAE) Nasr Dubai
41 Eugert Zhupa (Alb) Wilier Triestina-Southeast
42 Ben Hermans (Bel) BMC Racing Team
43 Anton Ivashkin (Blr) Minsk Cycling Club
44 Michael Matthews (Aus) Orica-BikeExchange
45 Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Astana Pro Team
46 Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica-BikeExchange
47 Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team
48 Koen De Kort (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
49 Maciej Paterski (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
50 Davide Rebellin (Ita) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
51 Julien Bernard (Fra) Trek-Segafredo
52 Chun Kai Feng (Tpe) Lampre – Merida
53 Carlos Verona (Spa) Orica-BikeExchange
54 Winner Anacona (Col) Movistar Team
55 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff Team
56 Edward Ravasi (Ita) Lampre – Merida
57 Lukasz Owsian (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
58 Jesper Hansen (Den) Tinkoff Team
59 Evgeny Shalunov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
60 Martijn Tusveld (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
61 Majid Albalushi (UAE) Nasr Dubai
62 Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar Team
63 Michael O’loughlin (Irl) Team WIGGINS
64 Yauheni Sobal (Blr) Minsk Cycling Club
65 Sergey Firsanov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
66 Karol Domagalski (Pol) ONE Pro Cycling
67 Manuel Belletti (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Southeast
68 Daniel Pearson (GBr) Team WIGGINS
69 Jesus Hernandez (Spa) Tinkoff Team
70 Carlos Betancur (Col) Movistar Team
71 Ahmed Almansoori (UAE) Nasr Dubai
72 Oleksandr Golovash (Ukr) Minsk Cycling Club
73 Badr Alhammadi (UAE) Nasr Dubai
74 Kanstantsin Klimiankou (Blr) Minsk Cycling Club
75 Andrew Fenn (GBr) Team Sky
76 Mekseb Debesay (Eri) Dimension Data 0:00:14
77 Youcef Reguigui (Alg) Dimension Data
78 Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre – Merida 0:00:16
79 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Orica-BikeExchange 0:00:20
80 Jelle Wallays (Bel) Lotto Soudal
81 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Soudal
82 Jan Hirt (Cze) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
83 James Knox (GBr) Team WIGGINS
84 Samuel Williams (GBr) ONE Pro Cycling
85 Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) Dimension Data 0:00:24
86 Kristian House (GBr) ONE Pro Cycling
87 Matteo Draperi (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Southeast
88 Zico Waeytens (Bel) Team Giant-Alpecin
89 Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Astana Pro Team
90 Artem Nych (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
91 Tom Bohli (Swi) BMC Racing Team
92 Andrew Tennant (GBr) Team WIGGINS
93 Andrei Solomennikov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo 0:00:31
94 Jacopo Mosca (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:00:50
95 Niccolo Bonifazio (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:01:15
96 Owain Doull (GBr) Team Sky 0:01:26
97 Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:01:34
98 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky
99 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Dimension Data 0:01:51
100 Michal Paluta (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 0:02:03
101 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:04:32
102 Frederik Frison (Bel) Lotto Soudal
103 Kiel Reijnen (USA) Trek-Segafredo
104 Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Astana Pro Team
105 Nasser Almemari (UAE) Nasr Dubai
106 Sander Armee (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNS Matteo Busato (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Southeast

General classification after stage 1 :
1 Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 3:15:49
2 John Degenkolb (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:00:04
3 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Dimension Data 0:00:06
4 Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica-BikeExchange 0:00:07
5 Dion Smith (NZl) ONE Pro Cycling 0:00:09
6 Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Orica-BikeExchange 0:00:10
7 Christopher Latham (GBr) Team WIGGINS
8 Michal Kolár (Svk) Tinkoff Team
9 Roman Maikin (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
10 Marco Coledan (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
11 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team
12 Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
13 Erik Baska (Svk) Tinkoff Team
14 Steele Von Hoff (Aus) ONE Pro Cycling
15 Jonathan Dibben (GBr) Team WIGGINS
16 Andrea Guardini (Ita) Astana Pro Team
17 Yousif Alhammadi (UAE) Nasr Dubai
18 Elia Viviani (Ita) Team Sky
19 Jakub Mareczko (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Southeast
20 Siarhei Papok (Blr) Minsk Cycling Club
21 Alexander Kolobnev (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
22 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Dimension Data
23 Michael Matthews (Aus) Orica-BikeExchange 0:00:12
24 André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Soudal 0:00:13
25 Juan Jose Lobato (Spa) Movistar Team
26 Hayden McCormick (NZl) ONE Pro Cycling
27 Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Team Sky
28 Alan Banaszek (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
29 Francisco Ventoso (Spa) Movistar Team
30 Floris Gerts (Ned) BMC Racing Team
31 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team
32 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team
33 Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre – Merida
34 Nicolas Roche (Irl) Team Sky
35 Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team
36 Luka Pibernik (Slo) Lampre – Merida
37 Dayer Quintana (Col) Movistar Team
38 Jan Polanc (Slo) Lampre – Merida
39 Stanislau Bazhkou (Blr) Minsk Cycling Club
40 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Southeast
41 Juraj Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff Team
42 Jaber Almansoori (UAE) Nasr Dubai
43 Eugert Zhupa (Alb) Wilier Triestina-Southeast
44 Ben Hermans (Bel) BMC Racing Team
45 Anton Ivashkin (Blr) Minsk Cycling Club
46 Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Astana Pro Team
47 Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team
48 Koen De Kort (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
49 Maciej Paterski (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
50 Davide Rebellin (Ita) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
51 Julien Bernard (Fra) Trek-Segafredo
52 Chun Kai Feng (Tpe) Lampre – Merida
53 Carlos Verona (Spa) Orica-BikeExchange
54 Winner Anacona (Col) Movistar Team
55 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff Team
56 Edward Ravasi (Ita) Lampre – Merida
57 Lukasz Owsian (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
58 Jesper Hansen (Den) Tinkoff Team
59 Evgeny Shalunov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
60 Martijn Tusveld (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
61 Majid Albalushi (UAE) Nasr Dubai
62 Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar Team
63 Michael O’loughlin (Irl) Team WIGGINS
64 Yauheni Sobal (Blr) Minsk Cycling Club
65 Sergey Firsanov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
66 Karol Domagalski (Pol) ONE Pro Cycling
67 Manuel Belletti (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Southeast
68 Daniel Pearson (GBr) Team WIGGINS
69 Jesus Hernandez (Spa) Tinkoff Team
70 Carlos Betancur (Col) Movistar Team
71 Ahmed Almansoori (UAE) Nasr Dubai
72 Oleksandr Golovash (Ukr) Minsk Cycling Club
73 Badr Alhammadi (UAE) Nasr Dubai
74 Kanstantsin Klimiankou (Blr) Minsk Cycling Club
75 Andrew Fenn (GBr) Team Sky
76 Mekseb Debesay (Eri) Dimension Data 0:00:24
77 Youcef Reguigui (Alg) Dimension Data
78 Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre – Merida 0:00:26
79 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Orica-BikeExchange 0:00:30
80 Jelle Wallays (Bel) Lotto Soudal
81 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Soudal
82 Jan Hirt (Cze) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
83 James Knox (GBr) Team WIGGINS
84 Samuel Williams (GBr) ONE Pro Cycling
85 Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) Dimension Data 0:00:34
86 Kristian House (GBr) ONE Pro Cycling
87 Matteo Draperi (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Southeast
88 Zico Waeytens (Bel) Team Giant-Alpecin
89 Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Astana Pro Team
90 Artem Nych (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
91 Tom Bohli (Swi) BMC Racing Team
92 Andrew Tennant (GBr) Team WIGGINS
93 Andrei Solomennikov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo 0:00:41
94 Jacopo Mosca (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:01:00
95 Niccolo Bonifazio (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:01:25
96 Owain Doull (GBr) Team Sky 0:01:36
97 Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:01:44
98 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky
99 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Dimension Data 0:02:01
100 Michal Paluta (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 0:02:13
101 Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Astana Pro Team 0:04:41
102 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:04:42
103 Frederik Frison (Bel) Lotto Soudal
104 Kiel Reijnen (USA) Trek-Segafredo
105 Nasser Almemari (UAE) Nasr Dubai
106 Sander Armee (Bel) Lotto Soudal