Final KM: Dubai St4, Besseges St4, Sun Tour St3, Valenciana St4!

We’re finishing up our races this weekend and here are your Final KMs from yesterday’s Dubai Tour, Etoile de Besseges, Herald Sun Tour and Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana.

Dubai Tour, Stage 4, Dubai Int’l Marine Club to Business Bay, 137km

The final stage of the 3rd annual Dubai Tour was all about two riders: Giacomo Nizzoli (Trek-Segafredo) and Marcel Kittel (Etixx-QuickStep). With only 6secs between the two in the GC and a parcours that screamed sprint, it all came down to second place. If Kittel won with Nizzolo in 2nd, Nizzolo won the whole shebang; if Kittel won and Nizzolo came in third or worse, the ArgoSunGod would win the whole kit and kaboodle. In the end, Kittel bossed the sprint, with Elia Viviani and Mark Cavendish trailing in his wake.

In addition to the stage and the overall win, the ArgoSunGod also took the points jersey; Nizzolo and Juan Lobato were second and third, respecitvely. Soufiane Haddi took home the best young rider’s jersey.

Embed from Getty Images

Herald Sun Tour, Stage 3, Traralgon to Inverloch, 146.2km

United Healthcare’s John Murphy took the stage win with Niccolo Bonifazio (Trek-Segafredo) and Steele von Hoff (ONE) sweeping up the rest of the bonus points at the finish. Peter Kennaugh (Sky) easily held onto his leader’s jersey, with teammate Chris Froome 13secs behind and Jack Bobridge (Trek-Segafredo) holding onto third at 31secs back.

Embed from Getty Images

Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, Stage 4, Orihuela to Xorret de Cati, 141.3km

It was the Queen Stage and with a 22% gradient on the final climb, it was going to be excited. A two-pronged attack by Astana started the fireworks on the climb but race leader Wout Poels kicked away, was first on the descent and crossed the finish line solo. Poels’ Sky teammate Benat Intxausti and Movistar’s Jon Izaguirre rolled in 23secs after.

With one stage to go, Poels has a pretty tight grip on the leader’s jersey, with Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) 46secs behind and Intxausti in third at nearly a minute down.

Etoile de Besseges, Stage 4, Tavel to Laudun-l’Ardoise, 148.5km

Embed from Getty Images

Angel Madrazo (Caja Rural-Seguros) earned himself a stage win (and looked pretty stoked about it!), with Evaldas Siskevicius (Delko Marseille Provence) and Dieter Bouvry (Roubaix Metropole) 2 and 4 secs behind respectively. Direct Energie’s Sylvain Chavanel stays in the leader’s jersey going into the final stage, with Lotto-Soudal’s Tony Gallopin just 2secs behind him. FDJ’s Arthur Vichot is in third, 9secs back. Could be a rip-roarer of a finish, with those tiny time gaps.

Links:

Official site for Herald Sun Tour, Twitter #SunTour

Official site for Dubai Tour, Twitter #DubaiTour

Official site for Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana,Twitter #VCV2016

Header image: Final podium for the Dubai Tour: l-r Juan Lobato, Marcel Kittel, Giacomo Nizzolo  © MARWAN NAAMANI/AFP/Getty Images

Leave a Reply