Dubai: Italian Elia Viviani was left with a good feeling for the rest of the season after winning the fifth edition of the Dubai Tour on Saturday.
Viviani is one of the seven riders to have joined Quick-Step Floors before the start of 2018 and now, just one month into his season, the Italian boasts of four victories — a remarkable feat after just three races with a virtually new squad of teammates.
“I came to this team in order to become one of the best sprinters in the world, and 90 per cent of what I have achieved here in Dubai is Quick-Step Floors’ merit. The boys are extraordinary, they rallied around me and offered their huge support, while Brian Holm [manager] laid out a perfect tactic,” Viviani told media after winning the final stage and the General Classification (GC) of the 841km race.
“Coming into Dubai, the goal was to win the GC, but at the same time we decided to take it day by day and see what happens. Two stage wins and the general classification is a fantastic way to close out the week. I’m very happy with how I started the season and the good form I have. This gives me even more confidence for my future races. It gives me a good feeling for the rest of the year,” he added.
Viviani became the first Italian to win the Dubai Tour, following the Briton Mark Cavendish (2015) and German Marcel Kittel (2016 and 2017) as the fourth consecutive winner representing Quick-Step Floors. American Taylor Phinney was the champion in the inaugural year in 2014 before the sprinters made Dubai their paradise.
Viviani’s rush towards the blue and red jerseys included a win on Stage Two on his birthday (February 7) along with the final stage while netting Quick-Step Floors’ fourth straight GC triumph at the Middle East race.
Saturday’s success was the second overall win of his career, nearly five years after coming out on top in the Tour of Elk Grove, a short stage race in the United States. The Italian, whose previous best overall result at the Dubai Tour was a fifth place, had gone into the final day with a slim two-second buffer over Magnus Cort Nielsen (Astana Pro Team).
Young Magnus Cort Nielsen came up with yet another feisty performance for the Astana Pro Team while finishing the Dubai Tour with two honours — the runner-up position behind Viviani and the white jersey for the best young rider. “The result gives me a lot of confidence for the remainder of the season,” Nielsen said.
“This was a true team effort and we can look expectantly to bigger things in the future. It has been a strong start for us and the focus, of course, will be on the Classics where we really hope to do well,” the Dane added.
Sonny Colbrelli carried the Bahrain-Merida team well bagging the third overall. Colbrelli’s win on the Hatta Dam had thrown the race for GC wide open till that supreme finish from Viviani. “The team worked very well. After the crash I tried to retrieve my position and get a podium place in Dubai,” the Italian said.
“This has been a great race for me personally and for the whole team too. Our focus is now on the next targets,” he added.
The next stop for most of the riders will be the Tour of Oman from February 13-18 followed by the Abu Dhabi Tour from February 21-25.
