Fujairah: British rider Mark Cavendish of Team Dimension Data claimed his first victory of the year as he proved himself to be the fastest on the finishing line of Fujairah on Stage 3 of the fifth edition of the Dubai Tour.

The 32-year-old former world champion edged out France’s Nacer Bouhanni and German powerhouse Marcel Kittel in a bunch sprint finish at the end of the 180km stage from Dubai to Fujairah.

Italian Elia Viviani, winner of Wednesday’s second stage, is the new leader after Dutchman Dylan Groenewegen, Tuesday’s opening stage victor, was penalised 20 seconds for drafting -- using a team car to shield himself from the wind.

Groenewegen dropped to 42nd overall with Cavendish up to second, four seconds off Viviani.

Friday’s fourth stage is a 172km ride from Dubai to Hatta Dam.

Wind issues

It was a day when the wind in the desert around Dubai caused problems for some riders for the first time in this year’s race.

The stage began with a four-rider escape group comprising British rider Mark Christian (Aqua Blue Sport), Italian Simone Bevilacqua (Wilier Triestina), Belgian Loic Vliegen (BMC Racing) and Frenchman Quentin Valognes (Novo Nordisk).

Although it was smooth sailing for this breakaway group for the first 100km or so, the crosswind-generated problems behind saw them being caught with over 60km still to race.

Meanwhile, Groenewegen and Cavendish found themselves with work to do after experiencing mechanical issues. However, both riders chased successfully with assistance from team-mates – and in the case of Groenewegen, his team car — which resulted in him being penalised.

With 50km to go, the wind eased and so did the pace of the peloton. All during the race, Quick-Step Floors assumed the pace-making role with members of LottoNL-Jumbo, Dimension Data and Katusha-Alpecin in attendance for their respective sprinters.

Swiss rider Tom Bohli (BMC Racing) then broke away by launching an attack with 29km-to-go. He quickly opened up a gap, but with less than 15km to go, he was caught.

A subsequent surge in pace signalled a changing of the guard at the front, with Katusha-Alpecin massing at the front. Other teams also wanted to take pole position in the final 5km, with Cofidis, Trek-Segafredo, LottoNL-Jumbo, Dimension Data and Quick-Step Floors also spread across the road all trying to assemble their sprint trains. However, with 3km to go, it was a large turnabout that played spoilsport for some teams as it marred their flow.

As in the previous two stages, the organisation of many of the teams largely dissipated in the frenetic final kilometre, setting up a free-for-all, during which Cavendish placed himself perfectly behind his rivals, moving from wheel to wheel, finally coming around them all with a blistering acceleration to emerge clear victor.

Kristoff shines

Meanwhile, the UAE Team Emirates capped off stage three with another hard fought performance, which culminated in Alexander Kristoff securing a top 10 finish following a bunched sprint to the line.

Ahead of the race, the reigning European Champion joined team-mates Yousif Mirza, the UAE National Champion, former U23 World Champion Sven Erik Bystrom, Anass Ait El Abdia, Filippo Ganna, Simone Consonni and Matteo Bono in meeting and signing autographs with students from Dubai College and Nord Anglia Dubai, as part of the team’s commitment to promote the health benefits of cycling and encourage the next generation of UAE cyclists to get on two-wheels.

Commenting on the sprint finish, Alexander Kristoff said; “Our lead-out train was perfect and we were at the front in the right moment, but we had no luck. We were boxed in to the left and couldn’t find any open road to accelerate. If we could have found some space, I feel I would have had a better chance of competing for the victory as my legs felt good today.”

Reflecting on the day’s events, Yousif Mirza commented: “It was great to meet the young cycling enthusiasts this morning, and to recognise the impact UAE Team Emirates is having here in the UAE. However, it was unfortunate we couldn’t carry that momentum into today’s breakaway. I put a lot of energy into yesterday’s efforts, which took its toll, but I will ensure I give another 100% in the remaining stages.”

The peloton will make their way from SkyDive Dubai to Hatta Dam during Friday’s stage four, as they navigate the desert planes of Dubai, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah. Riders will tackle short climbs in the final third of the race and tired legs could show should those with stamina look to form a late breakaway as the riders finish at the picturesque Hatta Dam.