A tough attack 1,000 meters from the finish line gave Australia victory Ben O’Connor (Decathlon Ag2r) in the third stage of the UAE Tour held between Al Marjan Island and the top of Jebel Jais, 176 km, where his compatriot Jay Vine (UAE) took the leader’s red jersey.
O’Connor, recent winner of the Vuelta a Murcia and with stage wins at the Tour de France and Giro, launched a final attack 1,100 meters from the summit of Jebel Jais, breaking the UAE’s patterns, which became calm until then and He went to the glory signing of his solo feat, with a time of 4h.16.21.
A blow that allowed the cyclist born in Subiaco 28 years ago to raise his arms for the second time this season, 5 seconds ahead of another “aussie” cyclist Jay Vine, in the group of Pello Bilbao and Einer Rubio.
UAE lost their leader Brandon McNulty, but replaced him with another Jay Vine, who wears red with 11 seconds on O’Connor and 13 on the previous leader. Pello Bilbao rose to fifth place, 22 seconds behind.
The stage started in supersonic mode and there were two brave men on the run, the British Mark Stewart (Corratec) and the Swiss Silvan Dillier (Alpecin), an adventure with a small trajectory because the wind caused fans to fly the peloton . In the first hour of the race, 50 km was covered.
Moments of change in the peloton, divided into several sectors by the action of the wind. The important moment of promotion in Jebel Jais is still far away, but the teams of favorites mark any movement. Jonas Rickaert (Alpecin), and again Mark Stewart took the initiative in another escape where the Briton was alone, managing to open a gap of 3 minutes with 35 km remaining.
The large group did not lose heart, but there were some fears, such as the fall that affected the great overall favorite, Adam Yates, recent winner of the Tour of Oman. Gradually, the big challenge of the day approaches, climbing Jebel Jais, at least 19 km at 5.6 percent, crowning the highest peak in the UAE at 1,892 meters, an amazing view shared with neighboring Oman.
This is no ordinary peak in the history of the only World Tour race in the Middle East. Celebrities like Primoz Roglic and Tadej Pogacar have won it, and last year Movistar’s Colombian Einer Rubio made his debut. But the appointment is a clarifying test for the high hierarchy of the general classification, as will be the final Jebel Hafeet next Sunday.
The escape ended 29 minutes from the finish line. The UAE, the owner of the first three places overall, led the race with a clear declaration of intentions. McNulty’s men set the pace for the long climb to the finish line, complicated by the last 2 km at 9 percent.
EINER RUBIO TRIED TO REPEAT THE FEAT, UAE CONTROLLED AND O’CONNOR WON
As it did in 2023, Movistar made a move to attack Einer Rubio 12 from the finish line. The crash was controlled by the UAE, which at the time lost Adam Yates, injured in the fall. The men of the Emirati team dominated, but they suffered attacks that needed to be reduced.
Czech Jan Hirt tried, without success, and it all seemed that the UAE would keep McNulty red, but O’Connor decided to fire the ships just over 1 km from the top. The Decathlon cyclist gritted his teeth and left, he opened a few meters, and no one could catch him. He signed the ninth victory in his professional record.
This Thursday, the fourth stage will take place between the Dubai Police Officer’s Club and Dubai Harbour, which is 175 km long.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
