Mark Cavendish lauds his team after winning second stage of UAE Tour

Mark Cavendish beat opening day’s hero Jasper Philipsen to take Stage Two of the UAE Tour on Monday.

The Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl rider prevailed by a wheel after a tense battle to the line in the final 100 metres in the second of the four sprint stages of the seven-day race.

UAE team Emirates’ German rider Pascal Ackermann took third place over the 176-kilometre flat course which began at Hudayriyat Island and finished at Abu Dhabi Breakwater.

Cavendish thus recorded his second win of the 2022 season, having already won a stage in the Tour of Oman two weeks ago.

“I'm just happy. I knew we could win here,” Cavendish said after the finish.

“A third of the team here are first year professionals and this is the first or second race of their career. Seeing how they rode today, they were like seasoned professionals, just after one day of talking how we didn't get it right yesterday.

Stage Two:

1. Mark Cavendish (GBR) QuickStep-AlphaVinyl 04:20:45

2. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin-Fenix

3. Pascal Ackermann (GER) UAE Team Emirates

4. Olav Kooij (NED) Jumbo-Visma

5. Arnaud Demare (FRA) Groupama-FDJ

General Classification:

1. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin-Fenix 09:03:03

2. Dmitry Strakhov (RUS) Gazprom-Rusvelo 00:00:04

3. Mark Cavendish (GBR) QuickStep-AlphaVinyl 00:00:06

4. Sam Bennett (IRL) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:00:10

5. Pascal Ackermann (GER) UAE Team Emirates 00:00:12

“The job was to get me to the final as fresh as possible and they did that. Fortunately they did it so well that I could launch with 300 to 350m to go into a headwind.

“That's usually too far to go into a headwind but they delivered it so well that I knew I'd have the energy to keep it to the line.

“I was quite fortunate because I could feel Philipsen coming fast at