Luke Plapp (22) takes first race leader's jersey of pro career at UAE Tour

*The Soudal-QuickStep riders on their way to victory in the stage 2 TTT at UAE Tour today. led here by the very aero Remco Evenepoel (Photo: Sprint Cycling)*

Luke Plapp (Ineos Grenadiers) has taken the lead in a pro stage race, for the first time in his career, after today's stage 2 team time trial (TTT) at UAE Tour. While the 22-year-old Australian's team did not win the 17.3km test into Khalifa Port, the stage result means he finished as race leader, but on the same time as Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep).

Tim Merlier won the opening stage yesterday and though his Soudal-QuickStep team won today's TTT, Merlier was dropped by the team and so lost time, giving up his general classification lead. Plapp picked up time bonuses at the intermediate sprints yesterday. And today his team was beaten by Soudal-QuickStep by just three seconds, meaning Plapp takes the race lead.

Soudal-QuickStep, last off the ramp today, broke the hearts of the EF Education-EasyPost riders as they were in the hot seat only to be beaten by one second by the final team to finish. Then came Ineos Grenadiers in 3rd place, at three seconds, followed by Bahrain-Victorious; 4th at four seconds. Team Jayco AlUla was 5th, at five seconds, and Team DSM placed 6th at 10 seconds.

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Sam Bennett's and Ryan Mullen's Bora-hansgrohe did arguably better than expected, with 7th place at 15 seconds, though the team's main objective is stage wins with Bennett. The German outfit's general classification hope, Emanuel Buchmann, started as an outsider and then lost 51 seconds yesterday when he missed the breakaway.

In the overall, ahead of the uphill finish on Jebel Jais tomorrow, there is nothing to separate some of the general classification men at the top of the standings. Plapp, a potential winner of this race, and GC favourite Evenepoel are equal on time in 1st and 2nd. Nikias Arndt (Bahrain-Victorious) is 3rd at three seconds while his team mate, and potential overall winner, Pello Bilbao, is in 4th at four seconds.

The biggest loser so far is Simon Yates. The Jayco AlUla rider missed the breakaway yesterday and so ceded 51 seconds to Plapp, Evenepoel and Bilbao. He lost another few seconds today to his main rivals.