Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) wins the seventh stage of the UAE Tour, from Al Ain Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium to Jebel Hafeet (176km).

The stage comes alive thanks to the wind and the resulting fans: the majority of the men in the general classification join the initial breakaway of 12 men, with the exception of Riccitello , Gall , Van Eetvelt and Vine , who remain behind and accumulate a delay of over 3' at the foot of Jebel Hafeet.

UAE Team Emirates set the pace on the climb, but with only two men left for Pogacar . The world champion attacked with 7km to go and went off alone, with Ciccone and Onley the last to give up.

Pogacar easily triumphs alone and also conquers the general classification.

The only challenge is for 2nd place : Ciccone drops Onley, but Bilbao comes back on the Italian in the easiest part of the climb. Ciccone wins the sprint over the Spaniard and arrives 2nd in the stage and in the general classification.

ORDER OF ARRIVAL:

1 POGAČAR Tadej UAE Team Emirates - XRG 3:44:04

2 CICCONE Giulio Lidl - Trek 0:33

3 BILBAO Pello Bahrain - Victorious 0:35

4 ROMEO Iván Movistar Team 0:49

5 ONLEY Oscar Team Picnic PostNL 1:16

6 CASTRILLO Pablo Movistar Team 1:25

7 FISHER-BLACK Finn Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe 2:05

8 LECERF Junior Soudal Quick-Step 2:11

9 KONRAD Patrick Lidl - Trek 2:33

10 DEBRUYNE Ramses Alpecin - Deceuninck 2:51

Photo: Sprint Cycling Agency