Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep) took the win at the first stage of the UAE Tour after a hectic sprint resulted in all sorts of riders crashing just before the finish line.
Leadout trains went awry when some of the poissons-pilotes wiped out just before the end of the stage.
The opening day of the seven day stage race was a 143-km ride from Al Dhafra to Liwa. Arvid de Kleijn of Tudor Pro Cycling Team took second, with Jakub Mareczko (Team corratec – Vini Fantini) slotting in third. The sole Canadian in the race, Michael Leonard, may have been affected by the crash, as he finished three minutes behind.
You can watch the brutal finale below.
🇦🇪 VIDEO: @uae_tour
Medical update and details from @haroldtejada1 after his crash on the finish line of Stage 1 ⬇️#UAETour #AstanaQazaqstanTeam
🎥 Astana Qazaqstan/@eurosport/@discoveryplus pic.twitter.com/tyybcGNQYK
— Astana Qazaqstan Team (@AstanaQazTeam) February 19, 2024
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