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We have all marvelled at these riders as they tackled the Tour de France, on TV. We have been amazed by their strength and stamina through some gruelling stages in the Vuelta and the Giro d'Italia. And now we will get to see these world-class riders in the flesh, in our own backyard.
The inaugural Abu Dhabi Tour is all set to put pedal to metal from Thursday and despite what has been a long and tiring season, all the top riders are in attendance, including the newly-crowned world champion. Peter Sagan will be at the starting line wearing his newly-acquired Rainbow Jersey, given to the world champion, after his exploits in Richmond, Virginia, just over a week ago.
The Slovakian ace, riding for Tinkoff-Saxo, won the Elite world road race championships and being an all-round rider that he is, not just solely a sprinter or climber, looks a strong contender to land the Tour. Sagan has been here before, having raced in Dubai, but it will be his first time in Abu Dhabi.
"Abu Dhabi is a nice city, and I have ridden in the region before, although, after the very crazy week that I have had, it may be a hard race for me," said Sagan.
Sagan is the type of rider who picks up points on every stage and while, Abu Dhabi has three sprint stages-The ADNOC Stage, The Capital Stage and The Yas Stage, the climb which the riders will encounter in The Yas Stage, may well decide the winner.
Sagan has won the Green Jersey on the Tour de France from 2012 to 2015 and the 25-year-old would be the one to watch out for. But there are other contenders too in Vincenzo Nibali, Fabio Aru, Philippe Gilbert and Alejandro Valverde.
Astana Pro Team's Nebali is a good climber and one of the few riders who has won all three Grand Tours. He comes into the race on the back on a win at the Il Lombardia. "It is my first time in Abu Dhabi. I am in good shape after Il Lombardia. I have a very good teammate, too, in Fabio Aru, so we can work together on the climb. To win this race overall is very important for the team," Nebali said.
Nebali's teammate Aru is an ace climber and won his first Tour, the Vuelta, a month ago. And teamwork was the theme for both.
"For the first time since Spain, I feel free to get on with racing, with no distractions. The team is good, and Nibali is in great shape after Il Lombardia. We'll see what I can do and, in any case, I will be delighted to work for Vincenzo," said Aru.
The riders will have to contend with the heat as well as the cross winds and one man who does know a thing or two about it is former world champion Tom Boonen. Boonen has raced in the Tour of Qatar many times. "The wind is always an ally for my team. We have specialised in these conditions for many years. But it is hard to predict. It is our first time racing in Abu Dhabi, so we have to get to know the roads," said Boonen, who races for Etixx-Quick Step.
The Tour's ambassador Mark Cavendish said it was tough to pick out a winner. "Wind can play a factor. Etixx-Quick Step could be one to watch out for over the first two days. But I really don't know actually. We have the greatest bike riders in the world here so it is a tough one," said the ace British sprinter will not be racing here because of a shoulder injury. Up for grabs is the glittering 'Silent Speed' Trophy designed by Ferrari.
james@khaleejtimes.com
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