Remco Evenepoel extends his general classification lead thanks to intermediate sprint bonus seconds.
Stage 5 of the UAE Tour was a quiet one until the final 20 kilometers, when several teams tried to split the peloton and even managed to create some cracks that caught a couple of sprinters and GC men on the back foot. Both Remco Evenepoel and Tim Merlier were in the first group which rode at an insane pace, putting some 15 seconds into the chasers. Fortunately for these, as soon as the leaders came out of a roundabout the wind changed direction and the second group could come back, but the bunch remained stretched out.
The sprint was again difficult to control, but Bert Van Lerberghe found a way to bring Tim Merlier at the front, and the Belgian Champion produced a strong turn of speed to take fifth place in Umm al Quwain, behind winner Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-Alula), a result that elevated him to the top of the points classification.
Three of the race’s distinctive jerseys are now owned by Soudal Quick-Step riders ahead of the weekend: in addition to Tim, who will sport the green one Saturday, when the sprinters will get their final opportunity, Remco has both red and white, and will go into the penultimate day of the UAE Tour with a nine-second buffer over his closest opponent on the general classification after picking up valuable bonifications at the last intermediate sprint of Friday’s stage.
Photo credit: ©Dario Belingheri / Getty Images
Remco Evenepoel 
