The Italian Champion signed off the team’s 22nd podium of the season.
Elia Viviani came close to nabbing his third victory of the year, at the end of an action-packed and hectic 184km-long stage 2 at the UAE Tour, which was heavily impacted by strong crosswinds that sent the race awry with 90 kilometers to go, when the peloton split into several groups.
Caught out at the back, part of a group that lingered a minute behind the ones who had made the cut, the 30-year-old Italian was brought back by his Deceuninck – Quick-Step teammates, who chased hard the leaders, rejoining them around 66 kilometers from the line. Sensing a lull in the bunch, two riders went clear and remained at the front until inside the final 15 kilometers, when thanks to the watts laid down at the front of the pack by several riders, including neo-pro Mikkel Honoré.
The blue train made its way towards the front only just before the red kite, and it was Danish Champion Michael Mørkøv the one who expertly piloted, before Fabio Sabatini drilled the pace for his countryman, who then jumped on the wheel of Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates) and kicked out 100 meters from the line. Despite a strong sprint, the reigning Dubai Tour champion had to settle for second, a result which served as an extra motivation to Viviani for the next flat stages.
“We knew that if Fernando’s lead-out worked well, it would be hard to beat him. He was the strongest on this stage, so there’s not much to say about it”, Elia acknowledged after the stage which netted his third podium of the season. “I had to change my direction in the sprint due to the wind, but that’s the way things were. We learned from what happened today and we’ll be even more prepared for the next bunch gallop in a few days’ time.”
Photo credit: ©Justin Setterfield/ Getty Images
