Mark Cavendish rode to victory again in the United Arab Emirates in Stage 2 of the 2022 UAE Tour, four years after his last victory in Dubai. He made the best of another hotly contested bunch gallop in which Stage 1 winner Jasper Philipsen finished second in a very tight finish while Pascal Ackermann brought UAE Team Emirates back under the spotlight as he came third at Abu Dhabi Breakwater.
Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix) retained the leader’s jersey ahead of the 9km individual time trial in Ajman with an advantage of four seconds over escape artist Dmitrii Strakhov who collected six seconds of bonuses throughout the intermediate sprints for the second day in a row.
Stage winner Mark Cavendish said: “Very happy winning here at the UAE Tour. I’ve carried on racing my bike this year because I know there are more wins in me. I’m particularly happy to win here because it’s a hub for cycling. Lots of people have started riding and the infrastructure of more than 1000km for bikes here has been recognized by the UCI. Today’s stage was a celebration of the bike track. As long as I still love it, I’m gonna ride a bike.”
Race leader Jasper Philipsen said: “It was a hectic sprint so it was hard to get a full lead out. I had to start from a bit too far out. I didn’t have the watts in the end. It’s incredible what Mark Cavendish has achieved. At this moment I’m hoping he retires because I’ve already been second to him eight or nine times. It’s still an honour to sprint against a legend like him.”
H.E. Osama Ahmed Abdullah Al Shafar, UCI Vice-President, H.E. Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohamed Al Hamed, Chairman of the Department of Health in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, Ahmed Ibrahim, International Holding Company Head of Corporate Communication and Media, and H.E. Aref Al Awani, General Secretary Abu Dhabi Sports Council awarded the Red Jersey to Jasper Philipsen
Tomorrow, the first rider to start will be Artyom Zakharov (Astana Qazaqstan Team) at 14:15, the last one will be the Red Jersey Jasper Philipsen at 16:19.
2022 UAE Tour: Stage 2 Brief Results
- Mark Cavendish (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team), 176km in 4h20’45”, average speed 40.498km/h
- Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix) s.t.
- Pascal Ackermann (UAE Team Emirates) s.t.
General Classification After Stage 2:
- Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix)
- Dmitrii Strakhov (Gazprom-Rusvelo) at 4″
- Mark Cavendish (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team) at 6″
Official Jerseys:
Red Jersey, General Classification. Sponsor: International Holding Company – Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix)
Green Jersey, Points Classification. Sponsor: Italian Trade Agency (ICE) – Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix), worn by Mark Cavendish (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team)
White Jersey, Young Rider Classification. Sponsor: Nakheel – Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix) worn by Xandres Vervloesem (Lotto Soudal)
Black Jersey, Intermediate Sprint Classification. Sponsor: Abu Dhabi Aviation – Dmitrii Strakhov (Gazprom-Rusvelo)
Tomorrow’s Stage:
Stage 3 – G42 Stage presented by Tissot – Ajman ITT (9km)
An individual time trial entirely in Ajman that features a very fast course characterized only by a U-turn about halfway along the route. The road is perfectly flat and wide with wide radius turns.
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