With the entire Alpecin-Fenix team, including Stage 1 winner Mathieu van der Poe, dropping out of the race due to a positive COVID result, Stage 2 of the 2021 UAE Tour was an open canvas for the TT specialists to make their mark.
Coming off of the cyclocross World Championships, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) did not expect to take a leadership role at the 2021 UAE Tour Stage 1, but found himself racing comfortably in the echelons and rode to victory.
Here’s the cycling news highlights for Thursday, February 18, 2021
British rider Tao Geoghegan Hart of the INEOS Grenadiers won the 2020 Giro d’Italia after a tense time trial.
Tao Geoghegan Hart claimed his first Grand Tour victory as he outclassed a Team Sunweb duo formed of Wilco Kelderman and Jai Hindley at the mountain top finish of Piancavallo in the 2020 Giro d’Italia.
Jhonatan Narvaez claimed his first Giro d’Italia stage win at Cesenatico, the second for Ecuador after Jonathan Caicedo atop the Etna and the third for Team Ineos Grenadiers after Filippo Ganna’s two successes
Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ) claimed his fourth stage victory in the 2020 Giro d’Italia in a bunch sprint in Rimini, beating Peter Sagan (Bora – Hansgrohe) and Álvaro Hodeg (Deceuninck-Quick Step)
Peter Sagan (Bora – Hansgrohe) soloed to win Stage 10 of the 2020 Giro d’Italia, 177km from Lanciano to Tortoreto.
Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ) claimed his second Giro d’Italia stage win following his victory on Stage 10 to Modena last year.
Jonathan Caicedo emulated his compatriot Richard Carapaz, last year’s Giro d’Italia winner overall, as he won Stage 3 to Mount Etna before his former breakaway companions Giovanni Visconti and Harm Vanhoucke.