Tim Merlier (Soudal QuickStep) has won the opening stage of AlUla Tour in Saudi Arabia but the Belgian will not still be in the leader's jersey after tomorrow's brutal finish. It will be riders like Ireland's Eddie Dunbar (Team Jayco AlUla) who will look to grab their first win of the year and position themselves for a general classification result.
Dunbar finished in 41st place today and was safely in the bunch, on the same time as impressive winner Merlier, after 142.7km of racing through the desert to Al Manshiyah Train Station.
Tomorrow, the race concludes up a short brutal climb, the final 1.6km of which averages 12 per cent gradient. And if Ireland's Dunbar has the legs for that finish - and the climbs before it - he would love to reach out and take the stage and leader's jersey.
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The field gathered this week for the five-stage race is not exactly star-studded, though there are a very small number of names that jump off the start list.
Dunbar is one, as well as Tom Pidcock (Q36.5), Rafał Majka and Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates-XRG). Others may surprise, including young emerging riders, but this week could be a very big chance for Ireland's Dunbar, the winner of two stages at La Vuelta last year.
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Tomorrow's stage 2 sees the riders take on 158km from AlUla Old Town to Bir Jaydah Mountain Wirkah. It finishes on the third passage of the Bir Jaydah climb; some 2.8km average 9.4 per cent and with the final 1.6km at 12.1 per cent.
Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) ?? gana al sprint la etapa 1 del #AlUlaTour
Por delante de Molano (UAE) ???y de Zijlaard (Tudor) ???
? @LosBrolin pic.twitter.com/nhHOOzsQo9
— Avituallamiento Ciclista (@EVTMO_) January 28, 2025
