Olav Kooij pips Tim Merlier in photo finish to win Stage 5 of UAE Tour

Olav Kooij clinched Stage 5 in a thrilling sprint to the finishing line to deny Tim Merlier back-to-back and a third win in five days at the UAE Tour on Friday.

The Dutch rider from Visma-Lease A Bike reversed the previous day’s result over the Belgian rider in a photo finish to the 182-kilometre Fujairah stage from Al Aqah to Umm Al Quwain.

Kooij sprinted off the wheel of Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan), who had a strong lead-out from Michael Morkov but was unable to take it to the line, leaving Kooij to surge past the Manxman on the right-hand side of the road.

Kooij’s closest challengers initially appeared to be Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Sam Welsford (Bora-Hansgrohe) until winner of the first and fourth stages, Merlier, came out from further down the pack and into the open road on the left.

The Soudal Quick-Step rider threw everything at it in a tight finish with neither rider totally sure who had won.

“I didn't know that I was the winner so I was very happy to be declared the winner from the photo finish,” Kooij, 22, said soon after result was announced.

“After the first two sprints I got better but you need everything right to win. I tried to not get too much wind in the finale and a good position at the last roundabout.

“I thought I was maybe a bit far but I managed to follow Mark Cavendish on the right. Luckily there was a little gap and I could pass everyone.

“My stage win at Paris-Nice last year was very nice but the field of sprinters here is very strong so it makes it another very nice one. Now I'm excited to see what I will be able to do at my first Grand Tour, the Giro d'Italia, after this good start of the season.”

Welsford joined them on the podium, while the likes of Dylan Groenewegen