Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka line up today at the start of the 4-day UCI 2.HC Dubai Tour with the aim of helping Mark Cavendish win the race overall.
As the defending champion, Cavendish will start the Dubai Tour alongside a strong mix of riders from the African Team. Mark Renshaw, Bernhard Eisel, Matt Brammeier, Nic Dougall, Daniel Teklehaimanot, Natnael Berhane and Songezo Jim will be the riders who join Cav for the Dubai Tour.
Sprinters are expected to have a number of opportunities during the week with 3 of the 4 stages almost certain to end in a mass sprint. Stage 3, with a longer uphill drag to the line could see a few time gaps form but there is every chance that the sprinters could hang tough as the climb is not all that severe.
Parcours aside, the weather could also be a factor with high temperatures and wind always a cause for concern when racing in the middle east.
With Cavendish concentrating on a track based program for the better part of the off-season, the overall GC win would be a tough feat to defend for the Manxman, but he will always be a threat in the mass sprints.
Natnael Berhane and Mark Renshaw also showed they are both going well over the past few weeks which will provide the team with a few other options.
“Dubai Tour is one of the desert races to enjoy,” said Bernhard Eisel. “It’s not always just crosswind and full gas crazy racing all day long. There is also some nice scenery and we get to enjoy the nice places of Dubai. Also, staying at the Marina makes it super special and a race to look forward to.”
“Obviously, defending the win is the main objective for us. The pressure is on us, especially by having Renshaw and Cav there, everybody will be looking at us. Just because Cav won last year it doesn’t mean it will be so easy this year, he has a good chance and I believe they took out a few climbs that came before the uphill stage finish so it is very much a race for the sprinters, even there.”
“I think it will be a sprinter who wins the race. At the end of the day, it’s still the beginning of the season and it will take some time before we are working perfectly together again. It’s not going to be the first race that we get it right. We know what to do, but there is a lot of optimization that has to come over time.”
“We are all good bike riders and we know how things worked in the last years but at HTC things just worked and we didn’t even have to think, so let’s see how it goes.”
