Abu Dhabi Tour
Abu Dhabi Tour | February 21-25 | United Arab Emirates
Despite the organiser’s attempt to add intrigue to the Abu Dhabi Tour with the addition of a time trial on the penultimate day, it was climbing talent and experience that once again prevailed.
Spaniard Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), 38 this April, rode away from his time trial rivals, including race leader Rohan Dennis to capture the final stage and take the overall winner’s gold trophy.
In a career of 99 wins, the Worldtour stage race was his first in the Middle East.
“This is special, a Worldtour race outside of Europe,” Valverde said. “The great time trial ride that I had helped me get this overall win even if today was the main difficultly.”
With the added 12.6-kilometre time trial, the race had seemed to shift in favour of Steve Cummings (Dimension Data), Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb) or Dennis (BMC). With Dumoulin’s disastrous debut as world champion, Dennis prevailed on Saturday. The Australian won the time trial and led with 14 seconds over Valverde, in eighth, for the final stage and its 10-kilometre climb rising from the rocky desert.
Dennis, who is set to be BMC’S leader for the Giro d’italia, found himself distanced when Valverde began attacking six kilometres out. “I’m not completely in form,” he said. “I have a few things I need to work on before May. Climbing is the main thing. I probably need to lose some weight off my arse and keep my power, as well.”
The Abu Dhabi time trial meant that Valverde had to watch the clock to keep Dennis within touching distance as well as Wilco Kelderman (Sunweb) who began the day eight seconds ahead of him. On the climb Valverde rode clear with Colombian climber Miguel Angel López (Astana), eventually third overall, and put 15 seconds into Kelderman. He then confidently handled Lopez, 13 years his junior, in the sprint. “What’s the secret? There’s no secrets,” Valverde said, “I like racing, this is my work and my passion.”
Valverde shattered his left knee and ankle in the opening day of the 2017 Tour de France and only returned to racing in January, but has wasted no time with two stages and the overall in the Vuelta Valenciana last month.