ProTeam Dubai delivers seventh place for De Schuyteneer

From the start, the peloton kept a tight grip on the race. An early breakaway of 3 riders was allowed limited freedom before the sprint teams assumed control, ensuring the stage would culminate in a bunch finish. The relentless heat added an extra layer of difficulty, with positioning becoming increasingly crucial as the kilometers ticked down. In the final kilometres through Dubai, speed intensified and the fight for the front became fierce, with trains forming and reforming in the build-up to the decisive last kilometer.

In the decisive moments, Steffen De Schuyteneer found himself briefly distanced from teammates van Sintmaartensdijk and De Buyst. He navigated his way back through the bunch and launched his sprint, securing seventh place at the line.

“In the last kilometer I lost Roel (van Sintmaartensdijk) and Jasper (De Buyst) and I tried to find my own way back. It was really chaotic going into the last kilometer. I still tried to get the best possible sprint out of it”, De Schuyteneer reflects.

“The sprint stages here always are a bit of a lottery. I just find it frustrating that I can’t finish it off for the team. On Sunday we try again! My legs are feeling good, so hopefully luck also choses our side.”

Stage 6 will present another challenge for our climbers, covering 168 kilometers from Al Ain Museum to the summit of Jebel Hafeet — offering a fresh opportunity for Lennert Van Eetvelt.

Picture: PhotoNews