Abu Dhabi Tour 2016 – Stage 3 [FULL STAGE]

October 22, 2016

Abu Dhabi Tour 2016 – Stage 3– Qasr Al Muwaiji – Jebel Hafeet – 150 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.

Tanel Kangert (Astana) soloed to victory on the Jebel Hafeet on stage 3 of the Abu Dhabi Tour. He topped Nicolas Roche (Team Sky) by 17 seconds after the two broke away on the final climb, with Mekseb Debesay (Dimension Data) taking an impressive third place. Kangert now leads Roche in the overall classification by 21 seconds.

“Yesterday, Vincenzo told me that he was going to work for me today and I knew that I had a chance to do something. If I have the chance then I really have to use it and luckily I had the legs today,” said Kangert.

“We knew from the start that we had two good climbers here, Vincenzo and, if I had good legs, I knew that I could also be there. Luckily, I had a good day and that was the tactic, we just had to be there in the final. For a moment, it was quite hectic with the side wind but luckily our team was really good and strong in the beginning, and they protected us from the crosswinds. I arrived on the climb quite fresh.

“I think he [Roche] was more tired than I was, and I was a little bit afraid of a headwind in the final but luckily the wind changed direction.”

With 10-kilometre climb to the finish, stage 3 of the Abu Dhabi Tour was a crucial one for the overall classification. It started calmly enough with Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing), Michael O’Loughlin (WIGGINS), Marco Coledan (Trek-Segafredo) and Evgeny Shalunov (Gazprom-Rusvelo) getting away in the opening kilometres. The quartet was allowed over five minutes of an advantage before crosswinds caused a stirring of action in the bunch behind.

Team Sky led the charge when the gusts hit the peloton with just under 60 kilometres to the line. Their efforts did some damage, forcing the peloton into three groups and bringing the leaders to within two minutes. The shake-up didn’t have any serious victims as all the main contenders made the cut, along with race leader Mark Cavendish.

Sensing the closing pack, Van Avermaet gave a few furtive looks over his shoulder before he and his companions were finally brought back with just over 30 kilometres remaining. The Olympic champion wasn’t quite done yet and he had another punt off the front with Movistar’s Francisco Ventoso. Their effort was doomed though and he would barely make it to the climb before they were caught again.

As Van Avermaet was brought back to heel, Carlos Verona made strong attack and built a lead of over 30 seconds. Behind, Roche continued the pressure put on by his Sky teammates earlier in the stage, joined by Kangert. The increased pace whittled down the group of contenders to a very select group, which included Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) and Alberto Contador (Tinkoff). It also demolished the lead that Verona had worked so hard to build and the Spaniard was caught with six kilometres still to go.

Verona tried to hang on to Roche and Kangert but he soon found himself distanced. Jesper Hansen (Tinkoff) saw an opportunity and attacked into the gap but didn’t have the power to bridge the gap to the two leaders, who were now 30 seconds up on the main chasing group.

With three kilometres to go Roche cracked, slipping back on the steepest part of the climb. The Sky rider managed to hold the gap at first, but it proved the definitive moment and Kangert would go on to take the stage win and the overall lead.

Results :
1 Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team 3:31:31
2 Nicolas Roche (Irl) Team Sky 0:00:17
3 Mekseb Debesay (Eri) Dimension Data 0:00:33
4 Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre – Merida
5 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff Team 0:00:50
6 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team
7 Julien Bernard (Fra) Trek-Segafredo 0:00:52
8 Ben Hermans (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:01:19
9 Martijn Tusveld (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:01:28
10 Jesper Hansen (Den) Tinkoff Team
11 Winner Anacona (Col) Movistar Team
12 Jelle Wallays (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:02:05
13 Daniel Pearson (GBr) Team WIGGINS 0:02:09
14 Karol Domagalski (Pol) ONE Pro Cycling 0:02:18
15 Jacopo Mosca (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:02:31
16 Davide Rebellin (Ita) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
17 Dayer Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 0:02:43
18 Dion Smith (NZl) ONE Pro Cycling 0:02:55
19 Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica-BikeExchange
20 Alexander Kolobnev (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo 0:03:38
21 Hayden McCormick (NZl) ONE Pro Cycling 0:03:40
22 Koen De Kort (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:04:04
23 Carlos Verona (Spa) Orica-BikeExchange 0:04:06
24 Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:04:36
25 Michael Matthews (Aus) Orica-BikeExchange 0:06:40
26 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Dimension Data 0:08:45
27 Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:09:35
28 Siarhei Papok (Blr) Minsk Cycling Club 0:12:18
29 Steele Von Hoff (Aus) ONE Pro Cycling
30 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Southeast
31 Youcef Reguigui (Alg) Dimension Data
32 Christopher Latham (GBr) Team WIGGINS
33 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team
34 Eugert Zhupa (Alb) Wilier Triestina-Southeast
35 Luka Pibernik (Slo) Lampre – Merida
36 Michael O’loughlin (Irl) Team WIGGINS
37 Frederik Frison (Bel) Lotto Soudal
38 Roman Maikin (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
39 Lukasz Owsian (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
40 Floris Gerts (Ned) BMC Racing Team
41 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team
42 Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Orica-BikeExchange
43 Jan Hirt (Cze) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 0:12:23
44 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Orica-BikeExchange 0:13:19
45 Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:13:48
46 Carlos Betancur (Col) Movistar Team 0:14:17
47 Maciej Paterski (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 0:14:28
48 Michal Paluta (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
49 Jaber Almansoori (UAE) Nasr Dubai 0:14:56
50 Sander Armee (Bel) Lotto Soudal
51 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal
52 Sergey Firsanov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
53 Jesus Hernandez (Spa) Tinkoff Team
54 Jan Polanc (Slo) Lampre – Merida
55 Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar Team 0:15:00
56 Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Astana Pro Team 0:15:14
57 Kiel Reijnen (USA) Trek-Segafredo 0:15:29
58 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Dimension Data
59 Yauheni Sobal (Blr) Minsk Cycling Club 0:17:04
60 Kanstantsin Klimiankou (Blr) Minsk Cycling Club
61 Andrei Solomennikov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
62 Zico Waeytens (Bel) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:17:43
63 John Degenkolb (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:17:47
64 Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:17:55
65 Andrea Guardini (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:18:47
66 Elia Viviani (Ita) Team Sky
67 Manuel Belletti (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Southeast
68 Yousif Alhammadi (UAE) Nasr Dubai
69 Marco Coledan (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
70 Samuel Williams (GBr) ONE Pro Cycling
71 Edward Ravasi (Ita) Lampre – Merida
72 Chun Kai Feng (Tpe) Lampre – Merida
73 Ahmed Almansoori (UAE) Nasr Dubai
74 Evgeny Shalunov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
75 Artem Nych (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
76 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Soudal
77 Stanislau Bazhkou (Blr) Minsk Cycling Club 0:19:04
78 Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre – Merida 0:19:14
79 Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) Dimension Data 0:20:26
80 Kristian House (GBr) ONE Pro Cycling 0:20:28
81 Tom Bohli (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:20:36
82 Oleksandr Golovash (Ukr) Minsk Cycling Club
83 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Dimension Data
84 Alan Banaszek (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
85 Michal Kolár (Svk) Tinkoff Team 0:20:49
86 Badr Alhammadi (UAE) Nasr Dubai 0:21:09
87 Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Astana Pro Team
88 Majid Albalushi (UAE) Nasr Dubai 0:22:17
89 Jakub Mareczko (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Southeast 0:23:04
90 Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Astana Pro Team
91 Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Team Sky
92 Matteo Draperi (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Southeast
93 Nasser Almemari (UAE) Nasr Dubai
94 Anton Ivashkin (Blr) Minsk Cycling Club
95 Owain Doull (GBr) Team Sky
96 Andrew Fenn (GBr) Team Sky
97 Jonathan Dibben (GBr) Team WIGGINS
98 James Knox (GBr) Team WIGGINS
99 Andrew Tennant (GBr) Team WIGGINS
100 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky 0:23:09
101 Niccolo Bonifazio (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
102 Juraj Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff Team 0:23:21
103 Erik Baska (Svk) Tinkoff Team 0:23:25
DNS André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Soudal
DNF Juan Jose Lobato (Spa) Movistar Team
DNF Francisco Ventoso (Spa) Movistar Team

General classification after stage 3 :
1 Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team 9:19:44
2 Nicolas Roche (Irl) Team Sky 0:00:21
3 Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre – Merida 0:00:43
4 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:01:00
5 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff Team
6 Julien Bernard (Fra) Trek-Segafredo 0:01:02
7 Ben Hermans (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:01:29
8 Martijn Tusveld (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:01:38
9 Winner Anacona (Col) Movistar Team
10 Jesper Hansen (Den) Tinkoff Team
11 Daniel Pearson (GBr) Team WIGGINS 0:02:19
12 Karol Domagalski (Pol) ONE Pro Cycling 0:02:28
13 Jelle Wallays (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:02:32
14 Davide Rebellin (Ita) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 0:02:41
15 Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica-BikeExchange 0:02:53
16 Dayer Quintana (Col) Movistar Team
17 Dion Smith (NZl) ONE Pro Cycling 0:02:58
18 Alexander Kolobnev (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo 0:03:45
19 Hayden McCormick (NZl) ONE Pro Cycling 0:03:50
20 Mekseb Debesay (Eri) Dimension Data 0:03:56
21 Carlos Verona (Spa) Orica-BikeExchange 0:04:16
22 Koen De Kort (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:04:49
23 Jacopo Mosca (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:06:34
24 Michael Matthews (Aus) Orica-BikeExchange 0:06:49
25 Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:07:05
26 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Dimension Data 0:08:38
27 Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:09:45
28 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:12:24
29 Christopher Latham (GBr) Team WIGGINS 0:12:25
30 Steele Von Hoff (Aus) ONE Pro Cycling
31 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team
32 Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Orica-BikeExchange
33 Roman Maikin (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
34 Siarhei Papok (Blr) Minsk Cycling Club
35 Michael O’loughlin (Irl) Team WIGGINS 0:12:27
36 Luka Pibernik (Slo) Lampre – Merida 0:12:28
37 Floris Gerts (Ned) BMC Racing Team
38 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Southeast
39 Eugert Zhupa (Alb) Wilier Triestina-Southeast 0:12:39
40 Youcef Reguigui (Alg) Dimension Data 0:13:14
41 Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:13:44
42 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Orica-BikeExchange 0:13:46
43 Carlos Betancur (Col) Movistar Team 0:14:46
44 Lukasz Owsian (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 0:14:53
45 Jan Hirt (Cze) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 0:14:59
46 Jaber Almansoori (UAE) Nasr Dubai 0:15:06
47 Jan Polanc (Slo) Lampre – Merida
48 Sergey Firsanov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
49 Jesus Hernandez (Spa) Tinkoff Team
50 Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar Team 0:15:10
51 Maciej Paterski (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 0:15:52
52 Frederik Frison (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:16:57
53 Yauheni Sobal (Blr) Minsk Cycling Club 0:17:14
54 Michal Paluta (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 0:17:17
55 Kanstantsin Klimiankou (Blr) Minsk Cycling Club 0:17:28
56 John Degenkolb (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:17:48
57 Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:18:02
58 Andrei Solomennikov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo 0:18:13
59 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Dimension Data 0:18:28
60 Elia Viviani (Ita) Team Sky 0:18:48
61 Andrea Guardini (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:18:50
62 Yousif Alhammadi (UAE) Nasr Dubai 0:18:54
63 Chun Kai Feng (Tpe) Lampre – Merida 0:18:57
64 Edward Ravasi (Ita) Lampre – Merida
65 Ahmed Almansoori (UAE) Nasr Dubai
66 Manuel Belletti (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Southeast
67 Evgeny Shalunov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
68 Marco Coledan (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:19:12
69 Samuel Williams (GBr) ONE Pro Cycling 0:19:14
70 Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre – Merida 0:19:37
71 Zico Waeytens (Bel) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:19:47
72 Artem Nych (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo 0:19:49
73 Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Astana Pro Team 0:19:52
74 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:19:56
75 Sander Armee (Bel) Lotto Soudal
76 Alan Banaszek (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 0:20:46
77 Oleksandr Golovash (Ukr) Minsk Cycling Club
78 Michal Kolár (Svk) Tinkoff Team 0:20:56
79 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Dimension Data 0:20:57
80 Tom Bohli (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:21:07
81 Badr Alhammadi (UAE) Nasr Dubai 0:21:19
82 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:21:59
83 Stanislau Bazhkou (Blr) Minsk Cycling Club 0:22:20
84 Majid Albalushi (UAE) Nasr Dubai 0:22:27
85 Kristian House (GBr) ONE Pro Cycling 0:22:34
86 Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:23:01
87 Jakub Mareczko (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Southeast 0:23:11
88 Anton Ivashkin (Blr) Minsk Cycling Club 0:23:14
89 Andrew Fenn (GBr) Team Sky
90 Kiel Reijnen (USA) Trek-Segafredo
91 Juraj Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff Team 0:23:31
92 James Knox (GBr) Team WIGGINS
93 Erik Baska (Svk) Tinkoff Team 0:23:32
94 Matteo Draperi (Ita) Wilier Triestina-Southeast 0:23:35
95 Andrew Tennant (GBr) Team WIGGINS
96 Jonathan Dibben (GBr) Team WIGGINS 0:23:45
97 Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:24:01
98 Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) Dimension Data 0:24:03
99 Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Team Sky 0:24:34
100 Owain Doull (GBr) Team Sky 0:24:51
101 Niccolo Bonifazio (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:27:16
102 Nasser Almemari (UAE) Nasr Dubai 0:27:43
103 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky 0:27:56