The Abu Dhabi Tour, the only UCI World Tour within the Middle East (21-25 Feb), has drawn the most productive of the arena of biking with a adorned line-up that incorporates biking legend Mark Cavendish, final year's champion Rui Costa, Giro d'Italia winner Tom Dumoulin and former Vuelta a Espana winner Fabio Aru. And with the addition of time trials for the first, the five-day staged race brings within the unpredictability to go with the three dash phases and the finale - an uphill climb from Al Ain to Jebel Hafeet.
TOI Sports alternatives out the highest contenders for the 2018 Abu Dhabi Tour:
Rui Costa (POR - UAE Team Emirates)
The defending champion, winner of the Red Jersey, Rui Costa will probably be eying an encore for the home crew - UAE Team Emirates - within the fourth version of the Abu Dhabi Tour. While he finished 10th overall within the not too long ago concluded Tour of Oman, the Portuguese veteran has an outstanding listing of accomplishments that include the 2013 UCI Road World Championship, three degree wins on the Tour de France and 3 General Classification victories on the Tour de Suisse, along with a large number of one-day podiums. Last year Rui Costa won the Jebel Hafeet degree and the General Classification on the Abu Dhabi Tour.
Mark Cavendish (British Isles - Team Dimension Data)
The legend from the Isle of Man has won three phases and two consecutive Green Jerseys on the Abu Dhabi Tour and involves this version on the back of his 3rd degree win within the Dubai Tour - his first win of the year.
With every other sprint-heavy Tour, Cavendish is a serious contender and will lead the combat for his crew - Dimension Data. He was once a late addition to the crew for Tour of Oman and was once content with taking part in the supporting function, however come Abu Dhabi and Cavendish will have the spotlight.
Tom Dumoulin (NED - Team Sunweb)
Winner of the celebrated Giro d'Italia final year, Dumoulin has the added benefit of having a time trial degree in Abu Dhabi Tour 2018. A time trial specialist, the Dutch will probably be licking his chops on the prospect of a 12.6 km flat out degree 4 of the tour. Last year, the Dutch was once positioned 3rd on the climb at Jebel Hafeet and likewise finished 3rd overall.
The silver medalist on the Rio's Olympic Games, with the addition of a time trial, will probably be one of the vital largest favourites for the General Classification.
Fabio Aru (ITA - UAE Team Emirates)
Riding alongside Costa will be the latest addition to the UAE Team Emirates, the winner of the 2015 Vuelta a Espana - Fabio Aru. The 27-year-old has already stated that he's additional motivated to do well for his new crew at their home base. Aru wore the Tour de France's Yellow Jersey for the first time and were given a degree win at La Planche des Belles Filles.
Alejandro Valverde (ESP - Movistar Team)
The most a success rider within the Movistar Team, Valverde will be the guy to beat relating to overall classification. With a win at degree two of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana previous this year, the 37-year-old is heading in to 2018 Abu Dhabi Tour with just right form. Known as El Bala ('The Bullet'), the Spaniard was once out for just about six months after suffering a damaged kneecap sustained in a Tour de France crash, however has made a stunning restoration in an excessively short time and seems to be back at his very best.
Elia Viviani (ITA - Quick-Step Floors)
Viviani, winner of the General Classification at 2018 Dubai Tour, will be the lead out guy for Quick-Step Floors and with three dash phases, there's little question that the Italian will probably be within the thick of the action. Since turning professional, Viviani has claimed 50 victories. In 2015 he won the Abu Dhabi Tour's second and fourth phases and wore the Red Jersey as chief of the GC for one day. Last year's wins come with the Bretagne Classic - Ouest-France, and the Cyclassics Hamburg. Elia has already claimed few victories in 2018: degree three on the Tour Down Under and degree two, five and the General Classification on the Dubai Tour.
Marcel Kittel (GER - Katusha Alpecin)
The 29-year-old German remains to be discovering his ft in his new crew as evident from an underwhelming day out on the 2018 Dubai Tour. But the dash specialist is aware of that it's still a piece in progress and the consequences will show sooner or later. Katusha's dash finishes were not that robust, however, there's no doubting Kittlel's calibre who has to his name 86 victories, with one degree on the 2017 Abu Dhabi Tour alongside 19 Grand Tour degree wins (4 on the Giro d'Italia, 14 on the Tour de France - five of them being within the 2017 version - and one on the Vuelta a Espana).
Andre Greipel (GER - Lotto Soudal)
Greipel is without doubt one of the very best sprinters of his era, with a formidable body which has earned him the nickname "The Gorilla". He has won 11 phases on the Tour de France (2011-2016), seven Giro d'Italia phases (in five other editions), and 4 on the Vuelta a Espana. Andre has won the Tour Down Under GC twice, in 2008 and 2010. Of his 149 wins since turning skilled, two of them got here this January, the first and 6th phases on the Tour Down Under.
Caleb Ewan (AUS - Mitchelton-Scott)
Ewan is a skilled sprinter who claimed 11 skilled victories in his first season, including a degree on the Vuelta a Espana on his Grand Tour debut. Caleb was once in superb form in 2017 too, having won 4 phases on the Tour Down Under, a degree on the 100th Giro d'Italia, three on the Tour of Britain and the overall degree on the Yas Marina Circuit within the Abu Dhabi Tour. In 2018 he has already won the second degree of the Tour Down Under.
(The correspondent's trip to Abu Dhabi was once paid for by means of the Abu Dhabi Tour)
TOI Sports alternatives out the highest contenders for the 2018 Abu Dhabi Tour:
Rui Costa (POR - UAE Team Emirates)
The defending champion, winner of the Red Jersey, Rui Costa will probably be eying an encore for the home crew - UAE Team Emirates - within the fourth version of the Abu Dhabi Tour. While he finished 10th overall within the not too long ago concluded Tour of Oman, the Portuguese veteran has an outstanding listing of accomplishments that include the 2013 UCI Road World Championship, three degree wins on the Tour de France and 3 General Classification victories on the Tour de Suisse, along with a large number of one-day podiums. Last year Rui Costa won the Jebel Hafeet degree and the General Classification on the Abu Dhabi Tour.
Mark Cavendish (British Isles - Team Dimension Data)
The legend from the Isle of Man has won three phases and two consecutive Green Jerseys on the Abu Dhabi Tour and involves this version on the back of his 3rd degree win within the Dubai Tour - his first win of the year.
With every other sprint-heavy Tour, Cavendish is a serious contender and will lead the combat for his crew - Dimension Data. He was once a late addition to the crew for Tour of Oman and was once content with taking part in the supporting function, however come Abu Dhabi and Cavendish will have the spotlight.
Tom Dumoulin (NED - Team Sunweb)
Winner of the celebrated Giro d'Italia final year, Dumoulin has the added benefit of having a time trial degree in Abu Dhabi Tour 2018. A time trial specialist, the Dutch will probably be licking his chops on the prospect of a 12.6 km flat out degree 4 of the tour. Last year, the Dutch was once positioned 3rd on the climb at Jebel Hafeet and likewise finished 3rd overall.
The silver medalist on the Rio's Olympic Games, with the addition of a time trial, will probably be one of the vital largest favourites for the General Classification.
Fabio Aru (ITA - UAE Team Emirates)
Riding alongside Costa will be the latest addition to the UAE Team Emirates, the winner of the 2015 Vuelta a Espana - Fabio Aru. The 27-year-old has already stated that he's additional motivated to do well for his new crew at their home base. Aru wore the Tour de France's Yellow Jersey for the first time and were given a degree win at La Planche des Belles Filles.
Alejandro Valverde (ESP - Movistar Team)
The most a success rider within the Movistar Team, Valverde will be the guy to beat relating to overall classification. With a win at degree two of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana previous this year, the 37-year-old is heading in to 2018 Abu Dhabi Tour with just right form. Known as El Bala ('The Bullet'), the Spaniard was once out for just about six months after suffering a damaged kneecap sustained in a Tour de France crash, however has made a stunning restoration in an excessively short time and seems to be back at his very best.
Elia Viviani (ITA - Quick-Step Floors)
Viviani, winner of the General Classification at 2018 Dubai Tour, will be the lead out guy for Quick-Step Floors and with three dash phases, there's little question that the Italian will probably be within the thick of the action. Since turning professional, Viviani has claimed 50 victories. In 2015 he won the Abu Dhabi Tour's second and fourth phases and wore the Red Jersey as chief of the GC for one day. Last year's wins come with the Bretagne Classic - Ouest-France, and the Cyclassics Hamburg. Elia has already claimed few victories in 2018: degree three on the Tour Down Under and degree two, five and the General Classification on the Dubai Tour.
Marcel Kittel (GER - Katusha Alpecin)
The 29-year-old German remains to be discovering his ft in his new crew as evident from an underwhelming day out on the 2018 Dubai Tour. But the dash specialist is aware of that it's still a piece in progress and the consequences will show sooner or later. Katusha's dash finishes were not that robust, however, there's no doubting Kittlel's calibre who has to his name 86 victories, with one degree on the 2017 Abu Dhabi Tour alongside 19 Grand Tour degree wins (4 on the Giro d'Italia, 14 on the Tour de France - five of them being within the 2017 version - and one on the Vuelta a Espana).
Andre Greipel (GER - Lotto Soudal)
Greipel is without doubt one of the very best sprinters of his era, with a formidable body which has earned him the nickname "The Gorilla". He has won 11 phases on the Tour de France (2011-2016), seven Giro d'Italia phases (in five other editions), and 4 on the Vuelta a Espana. Andre has won the Tour Down Under GC twice, in 2008 and 2010. Of his 149 wins since turning skilled, two of them got here this January, the first and 6th phases on the Tour Down Under.
Caleb Ewan (AUS - Mitchelton-Scott)
Ewan is a skilled sprinter who claimed 11 skilled victories in his first season, including a degree on the Vuelta a Espana on his Grand Tour debut. Caleb was once in superb form in 2017 too, having won 4 phases on the Tour Down Under, a degree on the 100th Giro d'Italia, three on the Tour of Britain and the overall degree on the Yas Marina Circuit within the Abu Dhabi Tour. In 2018 he has already won the second degree of the Tour Down Under.
(The correspondent's trip to Abu Dhabi was once paid for by means of the Abu Dhabi Tour)
Abu Dhabi Tour: The top contenders
![Abu Dhabi Tour: The top contenders]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
February 20, 2018
Rating:
