Paris, France – The Russian team Gazprom foiled the plans of the sprinters in the sixth and penultimate stage of the UAE Tour won Friday in Dubai by the Czech Mathias Vacek, 19, the youngest of the event.
The Russian formation, which was invited by the organizers (RCS), placed three of its riders in the six-man breakaway launched from the start of this 180-kilometer stage.
In the sprint, Vacek was ahead of French neo-pro Paul Lapeira, 15 seconds before the arrival of the peloton who reacted too late to make the connection.
The Belgian Jasper Philipsen, already winner of two stages, was once again the fastest, but for the sixth place of the day.
The young Czech, European junior time trial champion in 2020, won his first professional success.
“I went into the breakaway to help my teammates. I had the idea of trying to attack in the last kilometers. But, at kilometer 100, we only had a one-minute lead. It was hard to imagine that the breakaway would make it to the finish”, commented the winner of the day.
“I made a tactical error. There was headwind and I should have started the sprint from behind to take advantage of the draft. That’s what the winner did”, regretted Lapeira (21), “a little disappointed” to come close to victory. “I know that in hindsight I will appreciate this performance a little more. »
Slovenian Tadej Pogacar (UAE) retained the leader’s jersey heading into the final stage, the race’s second top finish.
The route, 148 kilometers long, ends on Saturday with the climb of Jebel Hafeet, a usual and decisive meeting for the general classification.
Briton Adam Yates, winner in 2020, and Tadej Pogacar, also winner in 2020 and then in 2021, are regulars on this 10.9 kilometer long climb (at 6.7%), on the border with Oman.
Last year, Pogacar had beaten Yates, the only one to keep in touch with him up to the summit located at 1031 meters above sea level.
