Mylène de Zoete sprints to fifth in Abu Dhabi

A bold move saw our Dutch Sprinter open up early to claim another top 10 at UAE Womens Tour.

Today's stage was much more like a traditional sprint stage with the wind finally dying down for the peloton. A small breakaway of three riders was allowed up the road, gaining a maximum of five minutes over a much more relaxed bunch. This allowed the teams to concentrate on the fast and technical final run into Abu Dhabi.

With around 15km to go, the break was caught and an injection of pace as the counterattacks flew strung the bunch out. The peloton split in the wind over an exposed motorway bridge as we approached the city. Back in the shelter of the buildings, the race came back together. The team were well positioned near the front with de Zoete and Marta Lach at the front as they approached the final corner. De Zoete taking advantage of the fast pace threaded through a gap to open up her sprint early, forcing the other sprinters to chase and eventually crossing the line fifth.

Mylène de Zoete said at the finish: "I saw a gap and I was coming in with speed so I had to go. It was such a hectic final so I had to take the opportunity. It was a bit too early, but at least I could sprint! And I learned from my mistake in the first stage which meant I couldn't give it my all. I think as a team we had a good week with some decent results and lots of learning points. It was also cool to race in this special country."