UAE Tour 2024 Stage 1

February 19, 2024 No wind and a straightforward finish created a sprinter's delight in the desert on day 1. At 20km to go, Thomas De Gendt tried to put the race in the gutter but no one else was interested in carrying it on. Soudal Quickstep marked it immediately and shut it down. Things really started to heat up at 8KM to go as teams were fighting for position on big wide roads and hitting speeds at and above 65KM/H. In the sprint, a crash took down a few riders with just 150M remaining but it didn't seem to hinder the main sprinters. Fernando Gaviria was first jump but went way too early as he is prone to do. Tim Merlier came out of the slipstream, leaving little doubt about his form, and took the win ahead of Arvid De Kleijn of Tudor Pro Cycling.