Lara Gillespie claimed a solid fifth place in the sprint that decided Stage 2 of the UAE Tour Women, raced today on the fast and demanding roads of Dubai.
Compared to the previous day, the finale proved far more chaotic and nervous, with several crashes marking the closing kilometres of the stage. Throughout the day, UAE Team ADQ’s riders showed great awareness and positioning, successfully staying out of trouble and avoiding the dangers that characterized the final phase of the race.
The 145-kilometre stage started from the Dubai Police Academy and finished at the Hamdan Bin Mohamed Smart University. The race was animated for much of the day by a breakaway of four riders, who managed to stay clear of the peloton until just over 30 kilometres from the finish.
As the gap was closed, the teams of the sprinters took control of the race, increasing the pace significantly in the run-in to the finish. The high speed and tense positioning battle led to several crashes, but once again UAE Team ADQ’s riders remained safely out of harm’s way.
The difficult and fragmented finale did not allow the team to fully organize an effective and compact lead-out. Nevertheless, Lara Gillespie, who started the day wearing the green jersey as leader of the points classification, was able to position herself well and deliver a strong sprint, securing a valuable top-five result. The leader Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx) won again the stage.
The UAE Tour Women continues tomorrow with Stage 3, the 121-kilometre Abu Dhabi TeamLab Phenomena – Abu Dhabi Breakwater, where UAE Team ADQ will once again look to be among the protagonists.
(ph. @facepeeters)
