UAE Team Emirates dominated the ITT at Al Hudayriyat Island with Brandon McNulty taking first place in 13’27”, followed by teammates Jay Vine (+2”) and Mikkel Bjerg (+4”). There was a solid performance by Adam Yates also who put in a highly respectable time (16th, + 28”).
The number 1 team in the world laid down a clear marker as the team to beat in their home race, setting a blistering pace and leaving the rest of the field in their wake as they soared to the top of the podium for stage 2.
McNulty’s powerful effort, closely followed by Jay Vine and Mikkel Bjerg, showcased the team’s incredible strength in depth as they wrestled a firm grip upon the overall GC standings, and now focus will shift to preparing for the first summit finish on Wednesday at Jebel Jais.
McNulty’s display further enhanced his standing as one of the top Time-Trialists in the world, building on an impressive 2023 season in which he secured his first Grand Tour stage victory, became the USA ITT National Champion, and finished a commendable fourth in the ITT World Championships.
Team leader Adam Yates produced a very solid ITT, finishing just 28 seconds off the pace, setting him up perfectly for the remainder of the race and two summit finishes in which he will be looking to continue his golden form following a mesmerizing display in the finale of the Tour of Oman.
The talismanic Brit will be looking to assert his authority over his GC rivals on the Stage 3 ascent to Jebel Jais, before aiming to repeat his 2023 Jebel Hafeet heroics on Stage 7 in his quest for overall GC victory.
The hat-trick was facilitated by the foresight of the team’s sports directors of scheduling the start of the three riders in the early part of the day when course conditions were most favourable. McNulty rode at an eye-watering speed of 53.9 km/h.
McNulty, new leader of the UAE Tour ahead of teammates Vine and Bjerg, said: “The team decided to put the best three-time trialist out first in the starting order and it paid off, I guess. I am satisfied with my performance. I had good speed, and I won the time trial, that was what I wanted. It’s great that we got three of our team on the podium.
Tomorrow’s stage will be demanding, the climb is tough, but our team has good climbers, so we are confident”.
Stage 3 (176 km) will start from Al Marjan Island, and it will end on the summit finish of Jebel Jais (19 km at 5,6%).