Velon have posted onboard footage from the opening stage of the Abu Dhabi Tour which started yesterday. Cameras were placed on the bikes of Peter Sagan, Marcel Kittel, Michael Matthews and Tom Boonen amongst others.

The race took place in searing desert heat which resulted in the stage being shortened by 14 kilometres to 159.9 kilometres. Temperatures were said to be ranging from 40 to 45°C.

Riders can be seen passing bottles between each other in the footage, and there was a considerable amount of criticism after the stage from the riders. One rider is also seen dousing himself with water after the stage

One thing that’s noticeable from the footage is the shortage of spectators at the race, which is what we have come to expect from the various races in the Middle East.

The footage also shows the incredible acceleration that Andrea Guardini (Astana) put in at the end to pass Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo) and take the win ahead of Tom Boonen (Etixx – Quick-Step) and Sagan’s team-mate Daniele Bennati.

5 COMMENTS

  1. Good crowd, good scenery…. Oh wait, there is no crowd, there is no scenery and it’s too dam hot! Stupid place to have a tour! That being said it will definitely sort the weak from the strong.

  2. As a spectator would you sit outside in 40 deg C temps waiting to get a glimpse of the pack? I wouldn’t. I would be sitting in my air conditioned home on my comfy couch watching the action on TV.

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