Dubai: John Degenkolb of Team Giant-Alpecin has vowed to be totally focused on defending the overall leader’s blue jersey he claimed from Etixx-Quick Step’s Mark Cavendish following his stage three victory in the Dubai Tour on Friday.
Favoured to be on the podium, Degenkolb raced up the sharp climb to the finish line at Hatta to cross two seconds clear of the chasing bunch of riders, including Movistar Team duo Alejandro Valverde and Juan Jose Lobato, Lampre-Merida’s Filippo Pozzato, Marco Canola of United Healthcare Pro Cycling, BMC Racing Team’s Philippe Gilbert and CCC Sprandi’s Grega Bole.
BMC Racing Team’s Brent Bookwalter finished in the second group along with Geraint Thomas of Team Sky and Edgar Manuel Lemos Pinto of Skydive Dubai, a further five seconds off the pace, while overnight leader Cavendish was 17th overall in a bunch of 18 riders a further three seconds adrift.
Victory in the tour’s penultimate stage now gives Degenkolb a vital four-second advantage over Cavendish going into Saturday’s final stage over 123km that will conclude at the foot of the Burj Khalifa.
And the Team Giant-Alpecin rider, whose teammate Marcel Kittel won all three sprints in last year’s inaugural edition, was confident he can cope with the challenge of claiming overall victory.
“The first thought on my mind and on the mind of the team members is to defend what we have achieved today. This has been a true team effort and our focus will now be to bring home the jersey in the final stage. That would be truly satisfying,” Degenkolb told media.
“This is such a great start to the season for the team, so much of the pressure is off us. It is a good relief to win so early in the season. I was expecting some of the riders to catch up with me before the line, but nothing like that happened. We have every reason to be happy and pleased.”
Cavendish was not so happy with the outcome that now leaves him with the task of finishing more than four seconds clear of his 25-year-old rivalon Saturday.
“For some time I had this impression that I was perhaps a couple of seconds away from the third group of riders. But that was not the case and now we have our task cut out for tomorrow,” the Briton said.
Friday’s third stage — dubbed the Dubai Silicon Oasis Stage — was the longest at 205km and took in the desert areas of Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah before finishing on top of the scenic Hatta Dam.
The race was played out in three parts, with the first break-away group led by Skydive Dubai captain Mohammad Al Murawwi dominating the early part. Then it was Skydive Dubai’s Francisco Mancebo taking control, until Astana’s Lars Boom joined him with only 11 kilometres remaining. The peloton soon swallowed up the breakaway to set up Degenkolb thrilling uphill sprint to the line.
The riders well set off on the final stage at 12.30pm on Saturday from the race headquarters at Dubai International Marine Club for a likely finish in Downtown Dubai at about 3.30pm.
