Caleb Ewan victorious in UAE Tour after 'tough finish'
Feb 25 2020 12:24 am CET
Caleb Ewan (c)Lotto Soudal
Caleb Ewan of Lotto Soudal has won the second stage of the UAE Tour after outsprinting Sam Bennett and Arnaud Demare at the Hatta Dam.
The 168km stage included several small climbs but these weren't influential enough to keep things from resulting in a bunch sprint.
Bennett launched the sprint at over 150 meters from the line but Ewan passed his Irish rival for the victory. As a result, the Australian moves to the top of the standings with Bennett dropping to second.
"It was a really tough finish," said the Australian. "We thought that it might be a little bit harder than last year as the profile looked to be harder, but there was no wind, it was pretty straightforward.
"The last climbs were really hard of course, but my team did just a great job to drop me off in that final corner, and in the best position possible. I have to thank them for this victory."
The action in the seven-stage race continues on Tuesday with a 184km stage finishing on the Jebel Hafeet, where the general classification contenders are expected to fight their first battle.
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