The American Taylor Phinney (BMC) won the almost ten-kilometer opening time trial in the well-attended first edition of the Dubai Tour. He relegated his teammate Stephen Cummings and Omnium Olympic champion Lasse Norman Hansen (Garmin-Sharp) to the other podium places.
Also on the grid alongside Phinney was Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), who finished fourth, and Fabian Cancellara (Trek World Racing), who had to settle for fifth.
“I felt really good, really strong. It was a tough fight on the way back after the turn because there were headwinds. We made the tactical decision to start early because the wind usually picks up as the day progresses.", Phinney explained after the race.
Phinney needed 12:03 minutes for the flat street circuit and is therefore the leader for tomorrow's second stage. In all likelihood, this will be decided in the sprint and should therefore be a matter for drivers like Marcel Kittel (Argos-Shimano) or Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-QuickStep).
Result
1.Taylor Phinney (BMC) 12:03
2. Stephen Cummings (BMC) 00:14
3. Lasse Norman Hansen (Garmin Sharp) 00:16
4. Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) 0:22
5. Fabian Cancellara (Trek Factory Racing) 00:25