UAE Tour 2022 – Stage 1
We have a day for the sprinters with a middle section with some hills.
The riders head south before heading back.
The hilly section.
Mind yourself, this is probably not entirely accurate and It is very difficult to confirm as you do not have Google Streetview available to check. This is the “going out” section.
This is the “going back” section.
The last five km.
Flatter than a pancake and very simple.
Weather
The weather for tomorrow is quite good. It is hot and we will have wind from the South. This means a headwind in the first half and a nice tailwind going back.
Contenders
Groenewegen has the full team behind him. Two wins in Saudi Tour is a good start for him and also important for the team. He beat Ewan, twice. He is doing well, but the team will not have it easy against more synergized sprint trains.
Cavendish has something the others do not. Mørkøv. A win in Oman is good, and it was quite difficult without his normal sprint train. I like his support for tomorrow, it is time to get some more wins if he wants to be selected for the Tour de France instead of Jakobsen.
Bennett had a bad ending at QuickStep. He has Archbold, Mullen and DvP – it is a strong team. It will be their first time together, but the easy finish is optimal. He is bloody quick.
Phillipsen also has a long sprint train with him but I do not think he can beat the competition in a pan-flat power sprint. He is very consistent, so a podium is of high chance.
Viviani – is too alone to win.
Ackermann now sprinting for UAE. They have not looked good in the sprints at all this year.
Who will win?
Mark Cavendish. He is just 10% better with Mørkøv at his side.
