Colombian Einer Rubio (Movistar) celebrated his birthday in style by winning the third stage of the UAE Tour solo, with a 14-second advantage over the peloton led by Belgian Remco Evenepoel (SOQ), who got the leader’s red ‘jersey’.
“What a greater gift than this!” Rubio, who turned 25 this Wednesday, celebrated after his first professional victory.
The youngster began a breakaway 10 kilometers from the finish line, reaching almost a minute’s advantage over the peloton when there were still 5 km of the 185 of the stage.
“The truth is that it’s incredible. First professional victory! These past years I’ve been through a lot of things that hurt me a lot. Now I’m in great shape,” said the Colombian.
Their advantage was reduced and maintained in 30 seconds in the last 1,000 meters, among the arid and magnificent scenery of this mountain, which offers an ascent of twenty kilometers, with an average gradient of 5%, which rises to 7% in the last two kilometers.
“My team has brought me like a king on the ascent. I arrived at the foot of the port and I wanted to try from below, I came with a lot of strength. Winning here is incredible.”
“Today’s tactic was to hold the wheel until later, but I had a lot of strength, my teammates were with me, I had to try and today was given to us,” Rubio explained.
“In the last kilometers I always had the uncertainty that they were coming for me, but I had strength, I held on very well and it gave me the chance to win.”
“For me, for my family, for Colombia, it is an incredible day. I believe that now we will continue on the right path, working hard to maintain this line,” he added.
Shortly before, the peloton had caught up with the Spanish Oier Lazkano (Movistar), who had an advantage of almost two and a half minutes at the beginning of the ascent of Jebel Jais, after escaping for one hundred kilometers at an average speed of close to 40 km/h.
The first two overall before this third stage, the Australian Luke Plapp (Ineos Grenadier) and the world champion Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick-Step), were among the first in the peloton.
Evenepoel, second in the stage, took the lead in the general classification thanks to the bonus obtained, now taking 7 seconds over Plapp, fifth of the day.
Notably, recent Australian time trial champion Jay Vine (UAE/Emirates) did not start on Wednesday morning with knee pain. At the end of the second stage he was in 103rd place.
The 174km stage four on Thursday will loop around Dubai on a flat course. The UAE Tour ends on Sunday.
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Classification of the third stage:
1. One Rubio (Movistar) 4h51:24.
2. Remco Evenepoel (BEL/SOQ) a 14 seconds.
3. Adam Yates (GBR/UAE-Emirates) a 15.
4. Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ/Astana) mt
5. Luke Plapp AUS/IGD) m.t.
General ranking:
1. Remco Evenepoel (BEL/SOQ) 8h27:22.
2. Luke Plapp (AUS/IGD) a 7.
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP/BV) a 11.
4. Stefan de Bod (AFS/EFE-Easypost) 1:01.
5. Wouter Poels (NED/Bahrain-Victorious) a 1:04.