Tim Merlier completed back-to-back victories by taking the penultimate stage 6 victory in the UAE Tour at the Abu Dhabi Breakwater on Tuesday.
The Soudal-QuickStep rider came around the two sprint trains to go clear of Jasper Philipsen and double stage winner Jonathan Milan to secure his seventh UAE Tour stage win.
The finish came after a variety of sprint teams fought to control the closing stages in the 165km route from Abu Dhabi Cycling Club to the Breakwater.
“I was in the washing machine, like they say. I found a gap at 300 metres to go and tried to surprise the others. The headwind was a really long effort, so I'm suffering,” Merlier said after the finish.
“It was really difficult to organise. Also, my lead-out crashed yesterday so maybe it wasn't a good idea to do real work today. But we tried what we could. We lost each other at 1.9km to go.
“I was boxed in, boxed in, boxed in all the time. I thought I wasn't going to make it, but I found a gap with 300m to go and then just gave it a try and it was enough.
“Every opportunity is an important one. I'm just happy with the win again.”
Tadej Pogacar, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider, finished safely in the peloton to retain his 21-second lead over Joshua Starling of Ineos Grenadiers ahead of the final 171km stage in Al Ain, from the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium to the summit of Jebel Hafeet.
“Today was a lot of people in Abu Dhabi, so it was really amazing to see them. So, thanks to everybody,” the Slovenian world champion said.
“I was feeling very good cycling through the city, without the traffic, just racing and people cheering on the side of the road, seeing the beautiful buildings and yeah, it's something special.
“I cannot describe how beautiful it is to ride through the city of Abu Dhabi. I wish more people will come to cheer us in Al Ain tomorrow.”
Pogacar finished safely in the peloton but admitted it felt like going through formalities.
“I think all of the bunch was pretty bored today at some point for sure. And that's also cycling,” he said.
“I count down the seconds or kilometres to finish and try to speak to somebody and just more or less counting down or watching around. It was cool to ride through the city but there was so many cat eyes and these little bumps in the road, so you still had to be a little bit focused.”
Pogacar holds the overall lead in the UAE Tour for the 14th time.
“I mean, it's a home race for the team, so it's an honour that I can race here and that I can always be in good shape, always fighting for the victory. And, yeah, it's good colour, red jersey, and I like it,” the three-time Tour de France winner added.
Stage 6 results
1. Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) 3hrs 44min 14sec.
2. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) s.t.
3. Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) s.t.
General classification
1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates – XRG)
2. Joshua Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers) at 21″
3. Ivan Romeo (Movistar Team) at 27″
Closing the loophole on sugary drinks
As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.
The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed:
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
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RECORD%20BREAKER
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World Cup final
Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
MATCH INFO
Borussia Dortmund 0
Bayern Munich 1 (Kimmich 43')
Man of the match: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Profile Idealz
Company: Idealz
Founded: January 2018
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Size: (employees): 22
Investors: Co-founders and Venture Partners (9 per cent)
Day 3, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage, the Sri Lanka pace bowler, has had to play a lot of cricket to earn a shot at the top level. The 29-year-old debutant first played a first-class game 11 years ago. His first Test wicket was one to savour, bowling Pakistan opener Shan Masood through the gate. It set the rot in motion for Pakistan’s batting.
Stat of the day – 73 Haris Sohail took 73 balls to hit a boundary. Which is a peculiar quirk, given the aggressive intent he showed from the off. Pakistan’s batsmen were implored to attack Rangana Herath after their implosion against his left-arm spin in Abu Dhabi. Haris did his best to oblige, smacking the second ball he faced for a huge straight six.
The verdict One year ago, when Pakistan played their first day-night Test at this ground, they held a 222-run lead over West Indies on first innings. The away side still pushed their hosts relatively close on the final night. With the opposite almost exactly the case this time around, Pakistan still have to hope they can salvage a win from somewhere.
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
