Elia Viviani and Mark Cavendish have been sprint cycling’s must-watch rivalry this season, and Abu Dhabi got a genuine taste of it on Friday, as Cavendish edged out Viviani with just 10m to go before the finish of the second stage of the Abu Dhabi Tour in the capital.
That prompted Viviani to call Cavendish “the best sprinter this year”, which is some praise, given that he has beaten him this year. The pair battled it out at the Dubai Tour this year, then at the track world championships in March and, most notably, in the omnium at the Rio Olympics.
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There, they were involved in a crash that brought Viviani down, though he still went on to win gold and push Cavendish to silver. It has been testy, although Cavendish played down any friction later.
“We had a strong lead-out and only Cav of all the sprinters here can pass me on the line and he passed me here with 10m,” Viviani said. “I do a good sprint, a good progression in last 200m but we lose to one of the world’s best sprinters, maybe the best sprinter this year.”
For much of the last portion of the race, along the Corniche, it seemed as if the peloton had incorrectly calculated their assault on the breakaway at the front.
That breakaway had remained in place from the start of the 115 kilometre stage, which went through the city and looped back from Yas Island. Stanislau Bazhkou, Jens Keukeleire, Jan Polanc, Dion Smith, Samuel Williams and Eugert Zhupa broke away early and stayed intact until, with 20km to go, Bazkhou dropped out. At that stage their lead was one minute and 45 seconds.
The peloton began tearing into that with 10km to go, shredding the lead over the last couple of kilometres. It was only with 500m to go that they caught up, when Cavendish and Viviani got going. Viviani broke first, only to be eventually overtaken.
“It’s a thin line between winning, not winning,” he said. “I’m really happy about the team’s work. Yesterday we worked a lot during the stage but didn’t finalise it.
“Today we did perfect job. Owain [Doull] and Andy [Fenn, from Team Sky] took me in best position before the last corner. After the corner I see Cavendish on the left and I was sure he would come on my wheel. When I started the sprint from 200m, I know he is on wheel and I try to do a good progressing. He passed me really close on the line so congrats to him.”
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