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Lorena Wiebes’ highly anticipated road racing debut with SD Worx falls apart at the end Crash Damage Kilometers for Stage 1 exist UAE Women’s TourThe Dutchwoman was one of many sprinters and GC contenders who hit the pavement during a chaotic run-in but brilliantly got back on her bike and sprinted to second at Dubai Harbour.
“Of course, I was sad about the crash because that always takes strength. I’m perfect, but I’m just a little short,” Wiebers said.
There was promise of echelon action in the crosswind in the opening stages, but the wind wasn’t strong enough to really open the gap. Instead, crashes dominated the race on wide roads through the Dubai cityscape, including a pair of back-to-back crashes in the final four kilometers.
Wiebes was one of the riders to go down with 3.8km to go, but sprinted back to the front in time to finish with the help of her new SD Worx teammate runner-up behind her former teammate charlotte kuhl (DSM team).
“A rider fell right in front of my front wheel. It was impossible to dodge at that speed, so I was thrown. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten back on my bike so fast. A fall like that It always takes energy. I also feel like I’m falling now and will be stiff tomorrow. The adrenaline will probably help me to still win a stage in the next few days,” said Wiebes.
Tereza Neumanová (Liv Racing TeqFind), who was also involved in the same crash, also quickly rose to the front and sprinted to sixth.
“I had a crash about 4 kilometers from the finish. Luckily, Talita[德容]brought me back to the peloton and I was still able to do good sprints and I was still able to do a good sprint,” said the Czech champion. [DeJong}broughtmebacktothepelotonandIwasstillabletodoagoodsprint”saidtheCzechchampion
Other sprinters haven’t been so lucky: Tamara Dronova, Thi That Nguyen (Premier Tech-Roland, Israel), Ilaria Sanguineti (Trek-Segafredo) and Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka (Canyon-SRAM) have all seen them do well in the sprints The chances were gone in the blink of an eye.
Emma Norsgaard’s Movistar Team sprint train was also derailed in the final crash of the day, 2.7 kilometers from the finish line.
“In the end, it was a very chaotic sprint and very dangerous, and there were big, big crashes, so we couldn’t do the sprint with Emma as planned. I tried to stay with the girls and be with Emma behind the wheel, but then it fell apart and we all lost each other. It was really, really messed up,” Norsgaard’s team-mate Liane Lippert recalled of the final.
Lippert won the second intermediate sprint of the day, and the three-second bonus gave her a slight edge in the overall standings. The German champion now sits fourth in the second stage on Friday.
Several climbers who came to the UAE to participate in the third stage of the summit competition also interrupted: Claire Steels (Premier Tech-Roland, Israel), Esmee Peperkamp (Team DSM), Petra Stiasny (Fenix-Deceuninck), Pauliena Rooijakkers (Canyon- SRAM), Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo) and Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ) are all behind the peloton.
In this case, Longo Borghini and Persico were lucky, they went down in the last crash in the last three kilometers, so they didn’t waste time. The other four GC drivers now have a gap of 25 seconds in the GC.
Even before the finale, there were several crashes, usually due to wheels colliding in crosswinds. While many riders will experience bruises and rashes tonight, most escape without serious injuries. Matilde Bertolini (BePink) was the only driver who had to abandon the race after crashing early on the stage and never re-engaging with the peloton.
The UAE Tour Women is a sprint-intensive race with two more chances – Stage 2 from Al Dhafra Castle to Al Mirfa and Stage 4 from Fatima Bint Mubarak Women’s Sports Academy to Abu Dhabi Breakwater .
“I’m glad the elicitation is going well,” Wiebes said of her SD Worx train. “It gives me a lot of confidence for the next few days. I will give my all for the win tomorrow.”
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