Abu Dhabi Tour

(Photos: ©TDWSport)

(Photo: ©TDWSport)

Race: Abu Dhabi Tour, Stage 1

Start/Finish: Madinat Zayed/Madinat Zayed, UAE

Distance: 189 kilometers

Madinat Zayed, UAE — Team Novo Nordisk exceled in its Abu Dhabi Tour race debut with David Lozano featuring for more than 125 kilometers in the day’s main breakaway. The United Arab Emirates race serves as the team’s second World Tour stage race.

Charles Planet was in the first group of riders to attack following the neutral start. They were brought back and then Lozano and five other riders attacked and within three kilometers had managed to build a one-minute gap. The peloton kept them at a manageable distance throughout the 189-km stage with a maximum gap of around five minutes. Following the second intermediate sprint, three riders including Lozano dropped back to the peloton. With 16 kilometers to go, all escapees were reeled in. A bunch finish ensued with Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) taking the win. Team Novo Nordisk riders Quentin Valognes and Charles Planet finished inside the top ten in the Best Young Rider category at 8th and 10th respectively.

“The peloton let the breakaway go from the start. The first attempt Charles tried and in the second one, I was out there and they let us go,” Lozano said. ”When we reached the second sprint, the gap was under a minute, so I dropped back so I could help the team heading into the sprint.”

Team Novo Nordisk, the world’s first all diabetes pro cycling team, continues racing at the Abu Dhabi Tour on Friday with a 153-kilometer race beginning in Abu Dhabi on Al Maryah Island. Stage 2 features two intermediate sprints before ending in Al Marina.

Gallery:

Results: 

• 1^st: Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) 4:37:06
• 2^nd: Andre Greipel (Lotto Soudal): same time as Cavendish
• 3^rd: Niccolo Bonifazio (Bahrain Merida Pro Cycling Team): same time as Cavendish

Team Novo Nordisk Results: 

• Martijn Verschoor: 21^st: same time as Cavendish
• Quentin Valognes: 40th: same time as Cavendish
• Charles Planet: 48^th: same time as Cavendish
• Joonas Henttala: 64^th: same time as Cavendish
• Fabio Calabria: 65^th: same time as Cavendish
• Andrea Peron: 84^th: same time as Cavendish
• David Lozano: 115^th: same time as Cavendish
• Stephen Clancy: 144^th: 1:52 behind Cavendish

(Photos: ©TDWSport)

(Photos: ©TDWSport)

Race: Abu Dhabi Tour, Stage 2

Start/Finish: Abu Dhabi/Abu Dhabi, UAE

Distance: 153 kilometers

Abu Dhabi, UAE — After earning bonus seconds in the intermediate sprints, Team Novo Nordisk’s Fabio Calabria stands eighth overall following Stage 2 of the Abu Dhabi Tour.

Calabria featured in a six-man breakaway that escaped moments after the neutral start on the 153-kilometer race that began on Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi. The 29-year-old Australian was runner-up through the first intermediate sprint and took third in the second intermediate sprint, which earned him enough bonus seconds to move into the top 10 overall. In the final 10 kilometers, the breakaway splintered and the race came down to a bunch sprint with Marcel Kittel (Quick Step Floors) taking the win.

“Charles went in the first move and after that was caught, another attack went. I was a little far back but it was the right combination and I jumped in it,” Calabria said. “In a race like this, there isn’t much that separates everyone, especially on Stage 2. It was fun being at the front of the race and part of the race. I’ve had a good winter and it was nice to see all the hard work is paying off.”

Team Novo Nordisk, the world’s first all diabetes pro cycling team, continues racing at the Abu Dhabi Tour on Saturday with the race’s only mountain stage. The 186-kilometer stage begins at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain and ends with an 11-kilometer climb up to Jebel Hafeet with gradients of 11 percent.

Results: 

• 1^st: Marcel Kittel (Quick Step Floors): 3:28:11
• 2^nd: Caleb Ewan (ORICA-Scott): same time as Kittel
• 3^rd: Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data): same time as Kittel

Team Novo Nordisk Results: 

• Martijn Verschoor: 15^th: same time as Kittel
• Quentin Valognes: 21^st: same time as Kittel
• Andrea Peron: 27^th: same time as Kittel
• Charles Planet: 63^rd: same time as Kittel
• Joonas Henttala: 68^th: same time as Kittel
• David Lozano: 100^th: same time as Kittel
• Fabio Calabria: 123^rd: same time as Kittel
• Stephen Clancy: 122^nd: same time as Kittel

(Photos: ©TDWSport)

(Photos: ©TDWSport)

Race: Abu Dhabi Tour, Stage 3

Start/Finish: Al Ain/Jebel Hafeet, UAE

Distance: 186 kilometers

Jebel Hafeet, UAE — For the third consecutive day at the Abu Dhabi Tour, a Team Novo Nordisk rider featured in the breakaway. Saturday’s Queen Stage saw Irishman Stephen Clancy make the break within the first kilometers of racing.

On the 186-kilometer day, Clancy’s four-man breakaway stayed away until they reached the slopes of Jebel Hafeet, an 11-kilometer climb featuring gradients of 11 percent. As the race hit the base of the climb, the peloton splintered with Rui Costa (UAE Abu Dhabi) and Ilnur Zakarin (Team Katusha Alpecin) battling it out for the win. Costa out sprinted Zakarin and moved into the overall race lead.

“The break went pretty early. It helped that we had the numbers up front covering all the early attacks. Luckily, the one that I put in stayed away,” Clancy said. “With the strong winds, it was good to be out front to avoid the nervousness after I had a crash in the crosswinds and sands back in Dubai three weeks ago. Being only four riders, we had to do a lot of work up front but everyone did their turn and it was an honest and fair breakaway.”

Team Novo Nordisk, the world’s first all diabetes pro cycling team, concludes racing at the Abu Dhabi Tour on Sunday with the race’s final stage. The 143-kilometer stage features 26 laps around the Yas Marina Formula 1 circuit. The 5.5-kilometer circuit has wide roads and large, sweeping bends with a final 250-meter straight, flat run into the finish.

Gallery:

Results: 

• 1^st: Rui Costa (UAE Abu Dhabi): 4:34:08
• 2^nd: Ilnur Zakarin (Team Katusha Alpecin): same time as Costa
• 3^rd: Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb): 0:10 behind Costa

Team Novo Nordisk Results: 

• David Lozano: 74^th: 5:55 behind Costa
• Charles Planet: 85^th: 7:25 behind Costa
• Fabio Calabria: 96^th: 11:42 behind Costa
• Joonas Henttala: 99^th: 11:42 behind Costa
• Andrea Peron: 110^th: 11:42 behind Costa
• Quentin Valognes: 139^th: 12:40 behind Costa
• Martijn Verschoor: 140^th: 12:40 behind Costa
• Stephen Clancy: 148^th: 19:17 behind Costa

(Photos: ©TDWSport)

(Photos: ©TDWSport)

Race: Abu Dhabi Tour, Stage 4

Start/Finish: Yas Island, Abu Dhabi/Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Distance: 143 kilometers

Abu Dhabi, UAE — The final stage of the Abu Dhabi Tour took place on the Yas Marina Formula 1 circuit. The 143-kilometer stage featured 26 laps around a 5.5-kilometer course with wide roads and large, sweeping bends.

Shortly after the start, six riders escaped but never were given much of a gap as they battled it out for time bonuses and cash prizes on the day’s intermediate sprints. All escapees were reeled in with 30 kilometers remaining and the race stayed together for the finishing laps. The final kilometer featured several twist and turns before heading into a straight and flat 250-meter run into the finish. Caleb Ewan (Orica-Scott) took the stage win as Rui Costa (UAE Team Emirates) held on for the overall race victory.

“It was single file the whole day. They say it rains something like five days a year in Abu Dhabi and today it rained,” Planet said. “It was a really, really hard day. Early in the race, I nearly crashed and I lost a lot of confidence. Yet my legs felt good and I was always able to come back after each corner. Hopefully all that sprinting will translate well as we head back to Europe and I hope to be active and achieve a good results for the team next week in Italy.”

Team Novo Nordisk, the world’s first all diabetes pro cycling team, returns to racing for the one-day GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano on March 5^th.

Gallery:

Results: 

• 1^st: Caleb Ewan (Orica – Scott): 3:03:36
• 2^nd: Mark Cavendish (Team Dimension Data): same time as Ewan
• 3^rd: Andre Greipel (Lotto Soudal): same time as Ewan

Team Novo Nordisk results:

• 78th: Andrea Peron: same time as Ewan
• 79th: Joonas Henttala: same time as Ewan
• 82nd: Charles Planet: same time as Ewan
• 90th: David Lozano: same time as Ewan
• 136th: Fabio Calabria: 5:31 behind Ewan
• 137: Martijn Verschoor: 5:31 behind Ewan
• DNF: Stephen Clancy
• DNF: Quentin Valognes

(Photos: ©TDWSport)