Dubai: American rider Taylor Phinney won the first stage of Dubai Tour 2014 after finishing the 10km individual time trial in 12 minutes 3 seconds on Wednesday.
The Team BMC star beat teammate Steven Cummings, of Great Britain, by 14 seconds.
Stage one of the inaugural tour saw Dubai’s streets become a race track for some of the world’s top cyclists.
Some 128 riders began departing from a stage close to the World Trade Centre from 1.15pm to compete in the 10km first stage, which took the form of an individual time trial, meaning they race against the clock in a bid to post the fastest time. The route took them to the Downtown area, where they competed amidst the stunning backdrops of Dubai’s skyline.
Top stars such as Britain’s Mark Cavendish, Swiss Fabian Cancellara and Rui Da Costa are among the field for the four-day event, which runs until Saturday.
Dutch rider Tom Veelers was the first off the line.
