Durasek is the icon of the fighting spirit from UAE Team Emirates

Dubai, UAE, February 26, 2017:  UAE Team Emirates reaffirmed the team's fighting spirit in the 2nd stage of the Abu Dhabi Tour.
After that Manuele Mori had been protagonist in the opening stage, Kristijan Durasek (photo Bettini) was the rider from the Emirati team who joined the main breakaway of the stage Al Maryah Island-Al Marina (153 km).

Six attackers (Canola, Calabria, Boem, De Marchi and Sveshnikov in addition to the Croatian climber from UAE Team Emirates), breakaway which went clear just after the official start, max advantage of 5' and data (power, cadence, heart rate) of Durasek broadcasted live on TV and on Velon's website: another one day in the front of the race for the Emirati team which, after the neutralization of the breakaway (-10 km), focused the attention on the second target of the team for the stage, which was the sprint.

Guardini, who succeeded in entering in the list of the top sprinters obtaining the 7th place, described the final moments of the stage: 'Swift lead-out work to -500 meters was very useful, then I followed Consonni who led me to the wheel of Cavendish. 

I noticed that the trains of the other teams could not rely on many riders and that the speed was decreasing, I waited for the exit of the final bend at -300 meters and I decided to anticipate the sprint: probably, it would have been better to wait a little more, because the opponents overtook me and I was seventh. 

These are decisions which are taken in flash, I felt I could rely on good legs and I was really willing to give satisfactions to the sponsors and the team mates'.

Kittel won the stage, Cavendish detained the leadership of the general classification, where Mori is 6th at 8'.
Mori is 2nd in the intermediate sprints standing: same points as Canola, but worst results in the standing of the two stages.

The third stage will be the queen of the Abu Dhabi Tour: the riders will start from Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium and will reach the summit arrival of Jebel Hafeet at the end of a course of 186 km (final climb 10.8 km, max gradient of 11%).

STAGE RESULTS
1- Kittel 3h28'11'
2- Ewan s.t.
3- Cavendish s.t.
4- Pelucchi s.t.
5- Bauhaus s.t.
7- Guardini s.t.
19- Ulissi s.t., 24- Rui Costa s.t., 46- Swift s.t., 62- Meintjes s.t., 101- Mori s.t., 130- Durasek s.t., 144- Consonni 26'

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1- Cavendish 8h05'03'
2- Kittel 4'
3- Greipel 8'
4- Canola s.t.
5- Ewan s.t.
6- Mori s.t.