Stefan Bissegger clinches stage three time trial for overall UAE Tour lead

Stefan Bissegger beat world champion Filippo Ganna to take stage three and overall lead in the UAE Tour in Ajman on Tuesday.

The EF Education-EasyPost’s Swiss rider clocked 9:43 in the nine-kilometre time trial to come clear of Ganna by seven seconds, handing the Ineos Grenadiers’ Italian rider his first defeat in a time trial this year.

Tom Dumoulin of Jumbo-Visma joined them on the podium ahead of the UAE Team Emirates' Tadej Pogacar, who moved to fourth overall to set himself up for the defence of his overall title.

“I had a really good time trial today,” Bissegger said. “I was also pretty confident that I had good power and so could have a good time.

“It’s always nice to win and make it, because you never know in a time trial, it’s hard to say how good the others are and if someone has the best day of their lives. I knew at the finish that my time was really good.

Stage three:

1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-43

2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s

3. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s

4. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s

5. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s

6. Mikkel Bjerg (DEN) UAE-Team Emirates, at 24s

General Classification:

1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-13-02

2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s

3. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin Fenix, at 12s

4. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s

5. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s

6. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s

“I was looking forward to this time trial for a long time. I had a rough winter with a broken scaphoid and it took a long time until it was fixed. I’m really happy to be back.”

With the first of the two mountain stages on stage four on Wednesday,