Abu Dhabi Tour - Stage 3
A very expensive Mercedes jeep squeezes past the peloton after the start, with the race-director getting a close-up view of the racing...
Greg Van Avermaet leads a four-man escape away from Al Ain...
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Mark Cavendish is all smiles on a day he can totally relax as race-leader...
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Mitch Docker has drawn the short straw to carry a half-kilo TV camera today - the last thing he wants with a 10-kilometre uphill finish..!
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Astana are starting to chase the escape, a clue as to who might be trying to win the stage...
The peloton passes a sand-blown part of the country with 70-kilometres covered...
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Gatis Smukulis has put the Astana foot down and is whipping up quite a high pace...
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The peloton finds itself amongst the sand dunes again, luckily with no wind to make life difficult...
Michael O'Loughlin takes his turn at the front of the escape, but the peloton will soon scoop them up in the crosswinds...
About 65 riders form the front group as the final climb looms on the horizon - but there's a lot of friction amongst the teams here...
Fran Ventoso has attacked from the lead group with Juan Jose Lobato..!
Van Avermaet has got across to the Movistar riders and now sets the pace in-front...
Carlos Verona has attacked and gone past the escapers at the start of the final climb...
About 20 riders are chasing Verona as the climbing gets tough...
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Verona is maintaining a 25-seconds lead - will it be enough though..?
Michael Schar is the man chasing for BMC...
Alberto Contador looks alert as he rides ahead of Quintana and Pearson...
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The chasers are led by Ben Hermans as the landscape opens up beneath the race...
Diego Ulissi shows himself ahead of the chasers, but Verona is still in front...
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Tanel Kangert surges ahead of the chasers, taking Ulissi and Roche with him...
Verona is about to be caught by Kangert and Roche with five-kilometres to go...
Nicholas Roche attacks as the chasers join him and Kangert...
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Roche and Kangert are once again off the front and duelling for the stage-win...
Jesper Hansen is chasing Roche and Kangert, but getting no closer to them...
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Contador is trying to join his teamate but Vincenzo Nibali is marking him...
Daniel Pearson has managed to stay in touch with bigger 'stars until now - but the British rider will take a fine 13th place today..!
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Mekseb Debesay is pulling away from Contador and Nibali - he'll take a very fine 3rd-place today..!
Kangert has dropped Roche and heads towards the finish, 20-seconds in front...
Nibali is marking Ulissi while Contador marks Nibali...
Ulissi makes one last surge but Nibali and Contador spoil his plans...
Tanel Kangert wins stage three atop the Jebel Hafeet..!
Nicholas Roche takes 2nd-place at just seventeen seconds...
Tanel Kangert is the new race-leader and virtual winner of the Abu Dhabi Tour...