Mark Cavendish (Team Dimension Data) wins Stage 1, the Emirates Motor Company Stage, of the Abu Dhabi Tour and takes the Red Jersey

Madinat Zayed, 23 February 2017 – The Manx rider Mark Cavendish (Team Dimension Data) won the opening stage of the 2017 Abu Dhabi Tour, from Madinat Zayed to Madinat Zayed (188km), in a bunch sprint and took the lead in the General Classification. On the podium he was rewarded with the first race leader’s Red Jersey, sponsored by Al Maryah Island, and also the points leader’s Green Jersey, sponsored by Nation Towers.

STAGE RESULT
1 – Mark Cavendish (Team Dimension Data) 189km in 4h37’06”, average speed 40.923km/h
2 – Andre Greipel (Lotto Soudal) s.t.
3 – Niccolò Bonifazio (Bahrain – Merida) s.t.

JERSEYS

The Red Jersey, sponsored by the Al Maryah Island (General individual classification by time) – Mark Cavendish (Team Dimension Data)
The Green Jersey, sponsored by Nation Towers (General individual classification by points) – Mark Cavendish (Team Dimension Data)
The White Jersey, sponsored by Abu Dhabi Sports Channel (Best Young Rider born after 1 January 1992) – Niccolò Bonifazio (Bahrain – Merida)
The Black Jersey, sponsored by Etihad Airways (Intermediate Sprint Jersey Classification) – Manuele Mori (UAE Abu Dhabi)

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1 – Mark Cavendish (Team Dimension Data)
2 – Andre Greipel (Lotto Soudal) at 4″
3 – Niccolò Bonifazio (Bahrain – Merida) at 6″

Speaking seconds after the stage finish, the winner said: “I can’t fault anyone in the team. If I’d lost it would have been only my fault. It was the same finish as last year and I was only third then, with us having made some mistakes. We went through what we did wrong last year, tried to do the complete opposite and that’s what happened.”

Press conference interviews and further details to follow.

TOMORROW’S STAGE
Stage 2 – Nation Towers Stage (153km)
From Abu Dhabi (Al Maryah Island) to Abu Dhabi (Al Marina)
Sign-on procedures: 12:00-13:20
Alignment: 13:25
Start – KM 0: 13:30 (transfer 2,500m)
Finish: Approx. 17:00
Race Headquarters: St. Regis Corniche Hotel, Abu Dhabi (UAE)

ROUTE
The second stage will take place mostly in the city of Abu Dhabi. After the start the race goes through Reem Island, then along the Abu Dhabi Corniche for the first time before turning south on wide, straight boulevards. Here the route passes close to the Sheikh Zayed Mosque and reaches Shakhbout City – site of the first Intermediate Sprint, with several roundabouts on the course – before riding through Al Shahama and Al Bahya – for the second Intermediate Sprint – then returning to Yas Island. The final part of the stage is raced on the Sheikh bin Zayed Highway towards the Abu Dhabi Corniche and the finish line. The entire route is on wide boulevards with “cat’s eyes” road reflectors constantly dividing the lanes.

Last km
The final 5km are on increasingly large roads with large semi-curves leading to the straight finish on asphalt.