CYCLING NEWS - Elia Viviani crossed the finish line first in a tightly contested bunch sprint to claim the top honours in the Dubai Tour on Saturday.
Viviani, the Rio Olympic champion in the omnium, emerged triumphant after a 132-kilometre stage along the emirate's roads.
The Quick-Step Floors man becomes the first Italian to win the race.
Commenting on his victory, Viviani said: “It’s amazing. This morning I was very stressed, but I tried to look relaxed. A two-seconds lead meant all or nothing. But we rode well as a team.”
There was drama in the final stage but Viviani and his team did well to avoid a big crash before positioning themselves for a strong finish.
“I had six teammates leading me out in the last corner. We missed the crash by very little. [Fabio] Sabatini closed the gap on the four guys ahead after the crash. With 50 metres to go I understood I could win the stage. With the headwind, it would have been dangerous to launch from too far out.”
