Kangert Wins Abu Dhabi Tour Stage 3

Tanel Kangert of Astana has won the third stage of the Abu Dhabi Tour.

Mark Cavendish of Dimension Data was in the lead for this 150km queens stage from Qasr Al Muwaiji to Jebel Hafeet and it was a stage that saw BMC's Greg Van Avermaet in the break along with Michael O'Loughlin (WIGGINS), Marco Coledan (Trek-Segafredo) and Evgeny Shalunov (Gazprom-Rusvelo).

On a day of temperatures around thirty five degrees, the break were five minutes clear with ninety kilometres and they stayed away until there was thirty kilometres left.

The peloton split and Greg Van Avermaet and Fran Ventoso of Movistar went away taking a lead of 12 seconds with 14.7kms left.

The final eleven kilometres was the Jebel Hafeet climb which featured in last year's debut Abu Dhabi Tour and had gradients of 6.6% with a maximum slope of 11%.

Van Avermaet was caught with ten kilometres to go and Carlos Verona went away getting ten seconds clear ahead of an eighteen strong chasing group and 1.03 ahead of Mark Cavendish and the group he was in.

Verona increased his lead to thirty seconds with 7.3kms left but Tamil Kangert and Nicholas Roche caught and passed him and led Jesper Hansen of Tinkoff by thirteen seconds with five kilometres to go.

Hansen was caught and Makseb Debesay went after the front duo who were fifteen seconds ahead with 3.3kms left.

Tanel Kangert of Astana dropped Roche on the hardest section of 11% as Debesay of Dimension Data closed in.

Kangert led by thirteen seconds going under the flam rouge. Roche kept going but Kangert won in 3.31.31 with Nicholas Roche second.

STAGE RESULT
1 - Tanel Kangert (Astana Pro Team) 150km in 3h31’31”, average speed 42.549km/h
2 - Nicolas Roche (Team Sky) at 17"
3 - Mekseb Debesay (Team Dimension Data) at 33"

JERSEYS

• RED JERSEY, sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (General Classification by time) – Tanel Kangert (Astana Pro Team)
• GREEN JERSEY, sponsored by Nation Towers (General Classification by points) – Mark Cavendish (Team Dimension Data)
• WHITE JERSEY, sponsored by Abu Dhabi Sports (Best Young Rider, born after 1 January 1991) – Julien Bernard (Trek - Segafredo)
• BLACK JERSEY, sponsored by Etihad (Intermediate Sprint Classification) – Jens Keukeleire (Orica - BikeExchange)