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Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto-Dstny) claimed the UAE Tour in dramatic circumstances after winning the final summit finish to Jebel Hafeet with a searing late attack.
The Belgian powered clear with 1.7km remaining to take stage victory by 22 seconds from Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) and Ben O’Connor (Decathlon-AG2R).
That gap and the stage winner’s time bonus was enough to hand him the overall title, two seconds clear of O’Connor, while Bilbao secured the third step of the podium.
UAE Team Emirates had looked in command of the race beforehand, with Jay Vine in the red jersey and Brandon McNulty lying third overall, but both riders were surprisingly distanced on the lower slopes of the tough final climb.
That made O’Connor the de facto race leader in the final kilometres, and the Australian looked to control the race by setting his Decathlon-AG2R team to work.
The race ignited in the final four kilometres, with Bilbao making several attempts to forge clear and O’Connor repeatedly forced to stitch the front group back together.
The decisive move, however, was triggered by another Australian. When Michael Storer (Tudor) accelerated with 2km to go, the Belgian youngsters Van Eetvelt and Ilan Van Wilder (Soudal-QuickStep) were immediately on his wheel.
300m later, Van Eetvelt sensed his opportunity. The 22-year-old produced a towering acceleration that saw him rip clear of Van Wilder and Storer, and he proceeded to put daylight into O’Connor, Bilbao et al as he powered to stage victory.
Van Eetvelt, who already won at the Challenge Mallorca last month, was careful to sprint through the finish line before celebrating his stage victory, and that detail helped to ensure he took overall victory just two seconds clear of O’Connor.
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