Dubai: The BMC Racing team duo of Taylor Phinney of the US and Steven Cummings of Great Britain stole the limelight during the Downtown Stage as the curtains opened on the Dubai Tour 2014 cycling event here on Wednesday.
Phinney made a clean sweep of all five jerseys on offer as he not only bagged the stage winner’s blue one for general classification, but was also awarded the red jersey for points classification, the white jersey for best young rider and the Dubai jersey for intermediate sprints.
Phinney was timed fastest over the 10km opening stage with 12.03 minutes, ahead of his BMC team-mate Cummings from Great Britain, who was timed at 12.17 minutes.
Garmin Sharp team rider Lasse Norman Hansen completed the podium after ending third best in a time of 12.19 minutes.
Next came world champion and pre-stage favourite Tony Martin of the Omega Pharma Quick-Step team (12.25) and Trek Factory Racing’s Fabian Cancellara (12.28).
The American rider Phinney was thrilled after beating some of the big names in the world of cycling. “This win means a lot to me and my confidence. I have been thinking about this race a lot since I came here for the first time in December. I knew there would be big names here, but I had mostly kept [Tony Martin] and Fabian [Cancellara] within sight,” he said.
“I was pretty nervous going out there as I was aware he was going out last, so when he finished below me [in fourth], I was overjoyed.”
Omega Pharma’s Martin was irked after being forced to be the 127th rider out in predicted varying wind conditions after 3pm on Wednesday.
“The preparations were good and I was super-motivated and the power was good too. But what can I do against the wind? I am certainly disappointed I could not win,” Martin told media after finishing in fourth place overall and surrendering a 22-second lead to Phinney.
“I had a look at the wind forecast last night (Tuesday) and wanted to try and get a start in the first block of riders. But that did not happen despite my sports director taking it up with the organisers,” the German rider said.
“Twenty-two seconds is a bit too much for me to play catch-up as I am not specialist. I am able to defend first place, but to chase will be tough.”
Trek Factory Racing’s Cancellara was philosophical after coming fifth and 25 seconds behind the stage winner. “It really doesn’t count who is in front and who is behind. I was expected to do my job and I think I gave it my best out there on a completely new course today,” the Swiss rider said.
“Time trials are normally very tough especially when they are over a short distance like 10 kilometres. But for me what is more important right now is to go out there and do better on the next stage.”
Today’s second stage — known as the Sport Stage — will be a sprint flat stage in which the best sprinters take on each other over 121kms.
The start will be at 12.25pm at the Dubai World Trade Centre and the finish at the Atlantis on The Palm Jumeirah.
