Lorena Wiebes of Team SD Worx reversed the Day-1 placings with Charlotte Kool to win stage 2 and emerge the overall leader of the UAE Tour Women after the 133-kilometre route from the Al Dhafra Fort to Al Mirfa on Friday.
The European champion overcame a tense battle with Kool in the final 200 metres dash to clinch the race by a bike length. Kool’s teammate Pfeiffer Georgi joined them on the podium.
The race reached a climax with 1,400m to go. Team DSM led with a full lead-out train, Wiebes was briefly boxed, but Barbara Guarischi guided her to the front and on to Kool's wheel.
Kool and Wiebes then started the sprint at the same time, and the Team SD Worx rider had power and speed this time for the stage victory.
Wiebes will wear the red jersey as the new overall leader in stage 3 with Kool lying at the same time. Chiara Consonni of UAE Team ADQ finished fifth and retained her third place overall, 10 seconds behind.
“I'm feeling great now! Today was a tough stage, very windy and with crosswinds, we went full gas from the start until the finish line,” Wiebes said soon after crossing the finishing line.
“My teammates did a great job, we showed we are a strong team with a great lead out. DSM was coming up from the left side, but Barbara brought me into the perfect position, and I could sprint as I wanted.
“Tomorrow I hope I can help Anna Shackley (in the mountain stage) as much as possible.”
The riders had to battle through high winds and the stage was dominated by echelon action right from the start, with a group of 19 minutes ahead of the rest of the peloton for the major part of the race.
The peloton eventually closed in with 43km to go, and the chasing group returned at the 20km mark. However, in the last 10km, the race split again in the crosswinds, with Marta Cavalli (FDJ-Suez) among the riders losing ground in the GC battle.
“It was a hard stage, we had crosswinds from the beginning. Today I felt better, while sprinting I could feel I had more power in my legs and I showed it,” Weibes added.
“This win is not really a revenge for me after yesterday, now I am ready for the next opportunity.
“My teammates did a great job keeping me out of danger, we always rode in the front of the race and in the first group. In the finale they helped me out with positioning, I really wanted to finish it off for them.”
Stage 2 result top three
1. Lorena Wiebes (Ned) — Team SD Worx 3 hrs 35min28sec
2. Charlotte Kool (NED) — Team DSM) +00
3. Pfeiffer Georgi (GBR) — Team DSM +00
4. Marta Lach (POL) — Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling +00
5. Chiara Consonni (ITA) — UAE Team ADQ +00
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
The Word for Woman is Wilderness
Abi Andrews, Serpent’s Tail
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning.
The trains
Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.
The hotels
Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
