The last climb of UAE Tour produced some great racing, with Dan Martin and Tom Dumoulin both taking it up. But it was overall leader Primoz Roglic who claimed the stage and added to his advantage in the standings.
Dan Martin hit out first in a bid to win the final climbing stage at UAE Tour today, but it was Primoz Roglic who won the day.
Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) extended his race lead when he proved too strong for the other favourites on the Jebel Jais uphill finish.
The early escapes had been caught and the peloton whittled down to a select group when Dan Martin hit out with about 400 metres remaining.
He was clearly hoping a slight early move would catch out those he was with. But in the end three others passed him and he had to settle for 4th.
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Laurens De Plus was the final man of Roglic’s team left on the front after the last of the escapees, CCC's Joey Rosskopf, was caught with just over 2km remaining.
De Plus kept the pressure on into the final 500 metres and it was Dan Martin who was first to surge past him.
However, that move by the Irish rider did not carry the same punch that Martin usually demonstrates on an uphill finish.
Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb) reacted immediately, not allowing Martin any leeway and then overtaking before Roglic came from behind to win.
Dan Martin climbed well and put in a kick at the finish but others were stronger on the day.
Roglic just got the verdict over Dumoulin, in a close sprint between the two, with David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) next.
Then came Dan Martin (UAE Team Emirates) followed by Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and Wilco Kelderman (Team Sunweb).
The first nine all finished on the same time. Young British rider James Knox of Deceuninck-QuickStep rounded out the top ten at five seconds.
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Roglic took a 10-second time bonus; winning the stage in convincing style and extending his lead at the top of the general standings.
His team also won the TTT that opened the race, putting him in the race leader’s jersey.
Roglic then followed up with 2nd and 3rd on stages three and four followed by his victory today.
The 29-year-old, a former ski jumper who only began riding UCI races aged 23 years, looks to have overall victory wrapped up.
Primoz Roglic se lleva la victoria en un sprint masivo en el puerto por delante de Dumoulin y Gaudu y consolida su liderato. #UAETour pic.twitter.com/l3F2VHLfLs
— Alpe d'Huez B&T (@Alpe__dHuez) March 1, 2019
With a final stage suited to the sprinters to come tomorrow, and his team having been so strong, it would take a racing incident to dislodge him from the lead.
He enjoys a buffer of 31 seconds over Valverde, with Gaudu next at 44 seconds; the 22-year-old Frenchman looking in great early-season form.
Dan Martin actually slipped down a place today in the general classification to 7th, some 1:11 behind Roglic.
That occurred because Dumoulin leapfrogged him in the standings having secured a six second time bonus for his runner-up placing on the stage.
Sam Bennett (Bora-hansgrohe) finished in 117th today, some 44:40 down. He has another chance tomorrow for a stage win.
During his opening stage race of this year, Vuelta San Juan in Argentina, he won the final stage.
And having been right in the mix yesterday when he was 4th, he is a contender to win the final stage.
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