A spectacular finish to a spectacular race, a fitting stage winner but an unassuming champion – so the second Abu Dhabi Tour ended on Sunday evening, in what already seems like a well-embedded tradition, at the Yas Marina Circuit.
Mark Cavendish, the tour ambassador, won the stage, his second of the Tour and ended up with the green jersey for the points classification title. But it was the unassuming Estonian Tanel Kangert, of the Astana team, who won the red jersey and with it the overall Tour.
That came courtesy his win on the gruelling Jebel Hafeet climb on the third stage on Saturday. And it was his first overall Tour win in a career in which he has played the solid support act to the big names.
More Abu Dhabi Tour
• In pictures: Abu Dhabi Tour concludes under the lights at Yas Marina Circuit
• Stage 3: For Astana's Tanel Kangert, a day on top of the mountain, for once
He has done it without complaint too. After winning on Saturday he was quick to thank his team and teammate Vincenzo Nibali in particular for allowing him the chance to go for the win.
On Sunday evening, beaming in the red jersey, he insisted that a first overall win would not change the way he looked at next season, or his role in the team (soon to lose Nibali).
“No, no, I still love my position in the team,” he said. “If I get occasionally the chance to do my own results then I would love to take it and use it.
“But I am not the big champion. I am not going to be the big champion. I’d love to win a race or two per year always.”
As if to drive home the point of how big he is not, he mingled in the aftermath of the presentations with six (this correspondent counted them meticulously) fans from Estonia.
They were jubilant, he was jubilant, but it could well have been an intimate family gathering.
Maybe it will hit him at some point over the next week what he has accomplished.
“I have to say it’s a great way to finish the season for me and for the team,” he said. “I thank all my teammates who were here because none of them will be in the team except me.
“We have had a great time together. For me personally it was the first time on the podium in a race like this. First time overall victory, and I hope it was the first of a few to come.”
The stage itself was without incident. There was a five-man breakaway at the start, involving Kristian House, Fredrik Frisson, Sergey Firsanov, Michal Paluta and Yauhen Sobal.
House, Frisson and Paluta eventually pushed on from the rest and continued their attacks until they were caught up on the last of the 26 laps of the 5.5km-circuit.
Cavendish and his Team Dimension Data took control of the final metres, however, beating Giacomo Nizzolo and Elia Viviani in the final sprint.
This was academic in context of the overall win, and Kangert said he had passed an easy night on Saturday after his Jebel Hafeet win.
“I cannot say I slept bad but I was still excited this morning,” he said. “But I think you have to be if you are really committed to racing and I certainly am, because without being nervous at all I think you are not serious.
“I was waiting for the race and in it I felt safe and comfortable. I even enjoyed racing in the dark. It was a special race, here at the FI circuit.
“[Evening races] are nice but they are very particular because it’s in the night, it is artificial light and everything seems to go much faster than it actually is.”
Then he was off to celebrate, though by now you should not be surprised by the relatively sober nature of his plans. How was he to celebrate?
“Dinner would be nice.”
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The Bio
Amal likes watching Japanese animation movies and Manga - her favourite is The Ancient Magus Bride
She is the eldest of 11 children, and has four brothers and six sisters.
Her dream is to meet with all of her friends online from around the world who supported her work throughout the years
Her favourite meal is pizza and stuffed vine leaves
She ams to improve her English and learn Japanese, which many animated programmes originate in
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
RESULT
Valencia 3
Kevin Gameiro 21', 51'
Ferran Torres 67'
Atlanta 4
Josip Llicic 3' (P), 43' (P), 71', 82'
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Violence%20
%3Cp%3EInstances%20of%20violence%20against%20Syrian%20refugees%20are%20not%20uncommon.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EJust%20last%20month%2C%20security%20camera%20footage%20of%20men%20violently%20attacking%20and%20stabbing%20an%20employee%20at%20a%20mini-market%20went%20viral.%20The%20store%E2%80%99s%20employees%20had%20engaged%20in%20a%20verbal%20altercation%20with%20the%20men%20who%20had%20come%20to%20enforce%20an%20order%20to%20shutter%20shops%2C%20following%20the%20announcement%20of%20a%20municipal%20curfew%20for%20Syrian%20refugees.%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CThey%20thought%20they%20were%20Syrian%2C%E2%80%9D%20said%20the%20mayor%20of%20the%20Nahr%20el%20Bared%20municipality%2C%20Charbel%20Bou%20Raad%2C%20of%20the%20attackers.%3Cbr%3EIt%20later%20emerged%20the%20beaten%20employees%20were%20Lebanese.%20But%20the%20video%20was%20an%20exemplary%20instance%20of%20violence%20at%20a%20time%20when%20anti-Syrian%20rhetoric%20is%20particularly%20heated%20as%20Lebanese%20politicians%20call%20for%20the%20return%20of%20Syrian%20refugees%20to%20Syria.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
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