Tim Merlier celebrated his second stage win in the UAE Tour by taking the penultimate stage in another bunch sprint at Abu Dhabi Breakwater on Saturday.
The Soudal-QuickStep rider got the better of Bennett of Bora-Hansgrohe and stage 5 winner Dylan Groenewegen of Jayco-Alula in Abu Dhabi, covering a distance of 166 kilometres in three hours, 41 minutes and 12 seconds.
“It was another hectic finish today but I was put into a great position with 500 metres to go and then went for a long sprint. Thankfully I was able to hold on and I am happy to win in the Green Jersey,” Merlier said.
“Today was a good one. It was hectic. Everyone was so nervous because it was the last sprint, the last opportunity I think, and it was really dangerous. In the last 500 metres, I found the good spot and I went again from far out. Today it was enough.
Results
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“We did a recon of the stage and we knew before it was going to be really hectic, like the last days again. But we found a good way and you need a bit of luck here.”
Merlier’s Soudal-QuickStep teammate Remco Evenepoel finished safely in the peloton and he remains in the overall lead ahead of the testing mountaintop finale on Jebel Hafeet on Sunday.
The Belgian carries a lead of nine seconds over Luke Plapp of Ineos Grenaders, with Pello Bilbao of Bahrain Victorious in third overall at 13 seconds.
“The morale in the team is very high after achieving our third stage win of the race,” Evenepoel said.
“There is a very high standard of sprinters here so it’s special for Tim as well to claim his second victory, and it was great to see him celebrate in the Green Jersey.
“I managed to stay out of trouble during the whole stage and even pull a bit before the sprint and I am focused on tomorrow now. It is an important one for me and I would very much like to defend this Red Jersey and win this race.”
MATCH INFO
World Cup qualifier
Thailand 2 (Dangda 26', Panya 51')
UAE 1 (Mabkhout 45 2')
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULTS
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hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
Results
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