Tim Merlier stormed to victory in stage 5 of the UAE Tour, taking his sixth career win in the race with a perfectly timed sprint. The Belgian beat Matteo Malucelli and Jonathan Milan after the fastest-ever stage in the race’s history, averaging 48.8 km/h.
Tadej Pogačar, who spent more than 100km in the day’s breakaway, retained the Red Jersey and extended his lead thanks to bonus seconds at the intermediate sprints. The stage was marred by two crashes inside the final five kilometres, with several GC contenders, including Carlos Rodríguez and Felix Gall, losing valuable time.
With 160km of flat roads on the menu, a sprint finish was always the most likely outcome, but that didn’t mean it was a straightforward day. Pogačar, Lennart Van Eetvelt and Djordje Djuric were among those who pushed the pace early on, forming a breakaway that was eventually reeled in with 39km to go.
From there, it was all about setting up for the sprint, but a crash just outside the 3km mark disrupted the finale. Rodríguez and Gall were the biggest GC casualties, both losing 58 seconds after being caught out. Rodríguez suffered road rash and torn shorts, while his Ineos Grenadiers teammates Victor Langellotti and Ben Swift were taken for further medical checks. Movistar’s Pablo Castrillo was another victim, dropping from 3rd to 13th overall.
Pogačar avoided the chaos and later suggested that a 5km safety rule, used at the Tour de France last year, could help prevent such situations.
“It’s always scary in the final 3km. When I experienced the five-kilometre rule I felt much safer,” said the race leader.
Photo Credit: Sprint Cycling AgencyMerlier delivers in hectic finale
The second crash, inside the final kilometre, had a direct impact on the sprint, with several key names hitting the deck. Jasper Philipsen, Fernando Gaviria and Dylan Groenewegen were all caught up, with Philipsen escaping with minor scrapes. Gaviria was seen clutching his left arm, but Movistar confirmed there were no fractures.
Despite the late drama, Merlier remained composed, positioning himself perfectly in the final kilometre. After losing out to Milan on stage 3, the European champion made no mistake this time, holding off Malucelli’s late charge.
“We discussed with the team what went wrong yesterday and today we did a really good job,” said Merlier. “I was waiting for my moment to sprint. I’m really happy I managed to win here.”
Milan’s third-place finish meant he held onto the Green Jersey, while Pogačar and Van Eetvelt’s efforts earlier in the stage saw them gain three bonus seconds on their rivals.
With two stages remaining, the focus will now turn to the UAE Tour’s final sprint battles, but for those caught up in today’s crashes, the priority will be making it to the start line tomorrow.
2024 UAE Tour Stage 5 result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Sprint Cycling Agency
