DUBAI // Mark Cavendish is on a mission to keep a promise. The British sprinter narrowly won the opening stage of the Dubai Tour on Wednesday and in doing so secured possession of the coveted blue jersey awarded to the race leader and the red jersey given to the stage winner.
After completing the 145-kilometre route in three hours 24 minutes and 50 seconds, the Isle of Man native revealed he had last week met with fashion designer Paul Smith. The world renowned English tailor created four exclusive jerseys for this week’s tour and Cavendish told him he planned to be packing one of the jerseys in his suitcase before leaving the Emirates.
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“I am super happy to wear the leader’s jersey here in Dubai,” Cavendish, 29, said. “My friend Paul Smith designed the jerseys and when I saw him about a week ago, I promised him I’d bring him back one of his jerseys, so I dedicate my win to him.”
In truth, it appeared to be hanging in the balance for much of the 145-kilometre stage with the 29-year-old Etixx Quick-Step rider entering the final kilometre with two teammates in tow, but losing Fabio Sabatini much earlier than he would have hoped. With only Mark Renshaw as his lead-out man, Cavendish decided to start his sprint as early as the 300-metre mark and was only just able to hold off a charge from Astana sprinter Andrea Guardini over the final 20 metres.
“Ideally, I wanted to leave it late, but [Team] Sky went early,” he said. “Renshaw just stayed calm and used them to pick up some speed in the slipstream, then he overtook and he started the lead-out and I felt [Ben] Swift go on the left, so I had to go then.
“I went earlier than I’d have liked, but I know I’ve good form and I was able to hold it. I knew it was OK when I went. I knew I was on top of the sprint, but I felt Andrea Guardini coming faster than me, so I was happy to just hold on until the line.”
With Guardini having forced a photo finish on passing Union Flag House, Cavendish raised his fist in celebration, while the Italian rotated his upturned palm from side to side as if to say “maybe, just maybe”.
The win marked Cavendish’s second victory of 2015 following success in the final stage of the Tour de San Luis in Argentina last month. “I can’t explain the feeling,” he said, having averaging a speed of 42.44 kph. “It’s nice to win — I like winning — but it’s hard to describe the feeling unless you feel it yourself.”
The second running of the city’s event had attracted the attention of a special — surprise — spectator earlier in the afternoon. As the field came along Jumeirah Beach Road, a white Mercedes G-Wagen with the No 1 licence plate drove ahead, leading the peloton towards Union Flag, before speeding off.
Sat in the passenger seat of the vehicle was Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai, who was cheered uproariously by shocked school children who had lined the streets simply to watch the race. Organisers later suggested the appearance of the vice-president of the UAE had not been planned.
If Sheikh Mohammed later witnessed the footage of the event on TV, he will have undoubtedly been pleased. More than 100 countries across five continents essentially broadcast a three-and-a-half hour guided tour of Dubai, passing skyscrapers, beaches and desert — and all cast under a perfect blue firmament.
When Cavendish was asked how it felt to be competing amid such surroundings, he looked slightly bemused. After the question was repeated, he smirked and replied: “All I see is some wheels and some male asses. You can’t really see much.”
Fortunately for the 2011 world champion, he will have another chance for some sightseeing this afternoon. The 187km Stage Two runs from the Dubai International Marine Club to Atlantis The Palm and starts at 10.55am.
“I’m super-happy with my form, and super-happy with the cohesion between Etixx Quick-Step,” he said. “At training, it was such a good ambience. We knew we’d start off on a good note. We won 60 races last year, and we want to better that this year — and I don’t think it’s going to be a big ask because you can feel the motivation and desire to go out as a unit and win.”
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