Abu Dhabi: Mark Cavendish (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) won Stage 2 of the UAE Tour today by beating red jersey holder Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix) in a bunch sprint and pipping him to the line by a wheel.
The pair battled in a two-man race in the final 100m, dropping the rest of the field’s talented sprinters in the final couple of hundred metres. Cavendish attacked early on, and managed to maintain just enough distance between him and the Belgian to take the victory.
Flat race
Starting in Hudayriyat Island and finishing with an extended straight to Abu Dhabi breakwater, Stage 2 of the UAE Tour offered an extremely flat race. Riding in an urban environment and without any difficult profiles to manoeuvre, the stage represented another perfect opportunity for the field of sprinters to battle it out.
This is Cavendish’s second win of the 2022 season, having already won on stage two of the Tour of Oman two weeks ago.
UAE Tour Stage 2
Al Hudayriat Island to Abu Dhabi, 173 km:
1. Mark Cavendish (GBR) Quick-Step - Alpha Vinyl 4:20:45
2. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin - Fenix “
3. Pascal Ackermann (GER) UAE Team Emirates “
4. Olav Kooij (NED) Jumbo - Visma “
5. Arnaud Demare (FRA) Groupama - FDJ “
6. Matteo Malucelli (ITA) Gazprom - RusVelo “
7. Emils LiepinAi (LAT) Trek - Segafredo “
8. Tom Devriendt (BEL) Intermarche - Wanty - “
9. Michael Schwarzmann (GER) Lotto - Soudal “
10. Marijn van den Berg (NED) EF Education - EasyPost “
