Caleb Ewan won Stage 2 of the UAE Tour on Monday to repeat his success at the Hatta Dam 12 months ago.
Lotto Soudal’s Australian rider overcame Sam Bennett of Deceuninck-QuickStep in a gripping duel up the hill for a victory that also earned him the General Classification leader's Red Jersey.
The UAE Team Emirates’ Italian rider Diego Ulissi narrowly missed a podium finish when Arnaud Demare of Groupama-FDJ pipped him to the line for third spot.
Ewan appeared to use all that experience and knowledge from last year’s success to beat Bennett to the line.
The Irishman opened his sprint 200 metres from the finishing line but Ewan bid his time, and waited for the final 30m to launch his challenge.
“I could have gone from the bottom as well but I thought it was better to wait a few seconds,” Ewan said.
“Those last 20 or 30 metres are where you can win the race. I knew how long I could go for and I could time my sprint very well and accelerate all the way to the line.”
Ewan finished two seconds ahead of Bennett with Demare and Ulissi a further two seconds back in third and fourth.
“It's great to win here again one year later,” Ewan, who was second behind the Bora-Hansgrohe’s German rider Pascal Ackermann on Sunday’s opening stage of the Tour, said.
“We thought it would be a harder stage this time but due to the absence of the wind it was a pretty straightforward race.
“My team positioned me perfectly. I wasn't worried when Sam Bennett went before me because I knew this race was to be won in the last 20 metres.
“Now I lead the UAE Tour after I led the Santos Tour Down Under earlier this year. It always feels good leading a stage race even if it might last for only one day.”
Ewan leads Bennett by 12 seconds in the GC. Demare is in third at 16 seconds and Nikolai Cherkasov (Gazprom-RusVelo) fourth at 17 seconds with the majority of the field and the major GC contenders sit at 20 seconds.
The UAE Team Emirates enjoyed a better day with two of their riders finishing in the top 10 with Ulissi on fourth and the team’s lead man Tadej Pogacar in ninth spot.
“It was mainly a relaxed day in the peloton,” Ulissi said. “Obviously with the steep finish at Hatta Dam it made it more complicated in the closing kilometres.
“It was a finish that suited the really explosive riders and I think I did well. We were all in a great position coming into the bottom.
“I jumped from the bottom of the climb and ended up just off the podium. I'm feeling good and it bodes well for the rest of the week.”
Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome, racing for the first time since a horror crash during training at the Criterium du Dauphine last June, was dropped by the leaders eight kilometres from the finish.
Tuesday’s Stage 3 starts from the Al Qudra Cycle Track and finishes at the summit of Jebel Hafeet.
