ZCZC
BSP-20
CYCLING-UAE
Australian Ewan sprints to second-stage victory on UAE Tour
HATTA, United Arab Emirates, Feb 24, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Australian Caleb
Ewan sprinted to victory in the second stage of the UAE Tour on Monday,
taking the overall lead in the process.
The 25-year-old, who also won two stages on the Tour Down Under earlier
this year, edged out Irishman Sam Bennett on the up-hill climb at the finish
to take the win at Hatta Dam for a second straight year.
Ewan took the lead in the general classification as first-stage winner
Pascal Ackermann fell away on the penultimate climb.
Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome, racing for the first time
since a horror crash during training at the Criterium du Dauphine last June,
was dropped by the leaders eight kilometres from the finish.
Frenchman Arnaud Demare was third on the day after the 168km ride from
Hatta to Hatta Dam.
Tuesday’s 184km third stage ends with a challenging final climb of 10.6km,
with a seven percent average gradient, at Jebel Hafeet.
BSS/AFP/RY/1940 hrs