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Italy’s Filippo Ganna won Monday’s 13km individual time trial on the second stage of the UAE Tour.
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Tour de France champion and UAE Team Emirates' home hope Tadej Pogacar took over the race leader's Red Jersey.
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Pogacar said: “I’m really happy with my performance today. The wind was quite strong. I did my best and it was a really good time, I’m happy to have the leader’s jersey. I prefer to be ahead than behind on GC.”
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Ineos rider Ganna clocked 13min 56sec on the circuit around Al Hudayriyat Island in Abu Dhabi, finishing 14sec clear of Switzerland’s Stefan Bissegger.
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UAE Team Emirates rider Mikkel Bjerg of Denmark was third, just ahead of teammate Pogacar in the shadows of the Abu Dhabi skyscrapers on the Corniche..
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Tuesday’s third stage is a 162km run from Al Ain to Jebel Hafeet and concludes with a summit finish.
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Pogacar was fourth on the day and inherited the leader’s Red Jersey vacated by Mathieu van der Poel following Alpecin-Fenix’s decision to withdraw from the race after a member of the team’s staff tested positive for COVID-19.
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Speaking after the stage finish, winner Ganna said: “It’s never easy to win a time trial even if you do it with good legs and a strong focus. Luckily my body was ready for this effort today. It’s a fantastic result for me and for the team. It was a bit strange to ride in the desert and it’s my first time at the UAE Tour. It’s hard to ride at 55 or 56km/h but I’m really happy today.”
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