Gazprom rider Mathias Vacek wins stage six of UAE Tour after thrilling finish in Dubai, Tadej Pogacar retains lead

Gazprom rider Mathias Vacek won stage six of the UAE Tour after a thrilling finish in Dubai, which saw the 19-year-old secure the victory and his biggest career win to date. There were six riders up front as the race headed into the final 3km, with Vacek and his teammates Dmitri Strachov and Pavel Kotsjetkov in contention.

Ad/> Meanwhile, Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè duo Johnatan Canaveral and Alessandro Tonelli were also in the running, alongside Paul Lapeira from AG2R-Citroën. /> UAE TourUAE Tour Stage 5 Highlights — Philipsen takes stage as Pogacar remains in overall lead21 HOURS AGO A grandstand finish to the race was expected, with this the fourth and final sprint race before Saturday’s mountain finish to complete the tour.

That was exactly what happened, as Vacek was the fastest out of the breakaway group, with Lapeira crossing the line in second, while Strachov took third place. This penultimate stage of the UAE Tour started and finished at the Expo 2020 Dubai site, and saw the 140 riders race through 180km through some of Dubai’s glitziest landmarks.

Philipsen takes Stage 5 win, Pogacer retains lead despite late puncture 'Biggest cycling event ever' — Scotland will host new World Championships next August The race was certainly a scenic one, as it took in Dubai Sports City, the Silicon Oasis Meydan Racecourse, Palm Jumeirah and the Jumeirah Islands, before the race reached its climax at the Expo. It certainly favoured a sprint approach in an absorbing race that saw six riders slip away early, with the gap growing to nearly five minutes and settling to around two minutes.