Ineos Grenadiers and Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale had been among the many groups worst affected after a double crash within the last 5 kilometres on stage 5 of the UAE Tour noticed each of their GC leaders go down and lose time.
Each Carlos Rodríguez for the British staff and Felix Gall for Decathlon AG2R hit the deck at excessive velocity with 3.5km to go on the method to Hamdan Bin Mohammed Good College, with a number of of their teammates additionally crashing.
With 500 metres to go till the essential 3km rule kicked in, the place any crash or incident sees you obtain the identical time because the winner on a dash stage, they then misplaced vital time on GC.
The Spanish rider misplaced 58 seconds within the frantic chase for house, with a giant rip on the again of his shorts and plenty of street rash. Gall misplaced the identical quantity after stable work from two of his teammates to dampen the blow, nevertheless, the pair dropped from eleventh and thirteenth total to twentieth and twenty first on GC, respectively, now greater than 1:40 behind chief Tadej Pogačar (UAE Workforce Emirates-XRG).
Ineos Grenadiers had been all fingers on deck at their staff van after the end, with Victor Langellotti and Ben Swift sustaining far more critical accidents than Rodríguez, who was in first rate spirits contemplating.
“Three Ineos Grenadiers had been concerned in a crash on the finish of stage 5 on the UAE Tour,” learn a put up from the staff. “All three riders had been capable of remount and end the stage. Rodríguez sustained cuts and grazes, whereas Swift and Langellotti have been taken for additional checks. Replace to comply with.”
Gall’s younger teammate and 18-year-old tremendous expertise Paul Seixas misplaced extra time than his chief, additionally hitting the desk earlier than they reached the very important 3km to go mark. After a stable opening 4 days in his first WorldTour race, Seixas dropped out of the highest 15 and into twenty second.
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“A quick and nervous fifth stage immediately on the UAE Tour was marked by late crashes. Seixas, Felix Gall and Gianluca Pollefliet went down 3.5 km from the end,” mentioned the staff on X.
“Felix loses 58″ and Paul 2’22” within the GC, however the race continues to be on! The staff stays centered for the remainder of the race. Medical replace to come back.”
The very best-placed GC rider to be affected was Movistar’s Pablo Castrillo, who went down in the identical incident 3.5km from the end after a contact of wheels rippled again by way of the bunch and prompted the primary crash.
An replace from Movistar confirmed that no fractures had been sustained after Castrillo’s tumble, nevertheless, he did drop from the digital podium locations in third right down to thirteenth after equally dropping slightly below a minute.
Different GC riders like Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto) instructed Cyclingnews the “final nook was positively not tremendous secure however it may possibly at all times occur, these dash levels are at all times tremendous hectic and I am simply tremendous glad I stayed secure.”
Whereas race chief Tadej Pogačar (UAE Workforce Emirates-XRG) managed to keep away from any drama after spending over 100km within the day’s break, the World Champion hinted that maybe the 5km rule, which was used on the Tour de France final 12 months, may make days like immediately much less hectic.
“It is at all times scary within the last 3km. Once I skilled the five-kilometre rule I felt a lot safer and extra snug, however the three-kilometre rule is at all times so shut to complete,” mentioned Pogačar in his press convention.
“Everyone is so centered and nervous, particularly right here so huge speeds, huge roads coming to the nook, all the things will get squeezed, and you’ll want to discover your individual means the right way to keep secure.
“I’ve good teammates round me, they handle this and attempt to create a bubble round me in a secure place. In any case, the sprinters, yeah, perhaps you want some generally to push a bit extra, however simply to remain secure at all times.”
Sprinters come undone in second crash on last nook
Because the high-speed finale raged on in entrance, one other crash had its say on how the fifth stage performed out, this time within the last kilometre of the race. The sweeping right-hand bend that led onto the house straight noticed a number of riders go down as soon as once more.
Many riders hoping to contest the ultimate dash with eventual winner Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep) had been concerned, notably Fernando Gaviria (Movistar), Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco AlUla).
Philipsen escaped with “only a few scrapes” whereas Gaviria was seen clutching at his left arm after taking place. Movistar confirmed there have been no fractures for the Colombian, nevertheless his progress might be checked.
Groenewegen equally managed to complete the stage however a social media put up from Jayco AlUla acknowledged that the Dutch champion “will proceed to be monitored in a single day” earlier than a call is made on his continuation tomorrow morning.
Dash levels within the UAE are identified for being hectic, with the extensive highways and high quality of dash trains current giving rise to an all-out battle for place at speedy speeds. Immediately was no completely different, with some groups stating that crashes like immediately’s can simply be a by-product of the racing.
“It is somewhat bit higher with the corners as a result of it simply strings issues out somewhat bit extra but it surely’s at all times like this within the UAE,” XDS Astana DS Mark Renshaw instructed Cyclingnews on the end.
“It hasn’t modified in 10 to fifteen years and it is not going to as a result of with out wind you do not have a tough stage and everybody has recent legs with loads on the road.”
Whereas Astana had a terrific day and completed second with Matteo Malucelli simply behind Merlier and forward of Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), they too suffered some misfortune within the duo of crashes.
“Within the first crash 3 to 4km from the end, we misplaced Aaron Gate, who usually would have been positioning Malucelli,” continued the previous lead-out specialist.
“So he is fairly wounded on his hip. I believe he’ll be alright tomorrow to race however while you crash at that velocity, it at all times hurts.”
Tomorrow morning will see all the consequences of the 2 crashes come out within the wash earlier than one other day of speedy and chaotic sprinting is taken on from the Abu Dhabi Biking Membership to Abu Dhabi Breakwater.
