Sprint in UAE Tour was 'grueling battle' for Jakobsen, Kooij 'couldn't compete with the competition

Fabio Jakobsen sprinted to fourth place on Tuesday in the opening stage of the UAE Tour, which was marred by a massive crash just before the finish. The Dutchman from DSM-Firmenich PostNL managed to avoid the fall but ultimately had to settle behind Tim Merlier, Arvid de Kleijn, and Jakub Marezcko.

"I think it was a good start to the race for us, but the sprint got messy towards the end," Jakobsen told the team's website afterwards. "We stayed well together until a kilometer from the line, and then it became chaotic in the peloton. After that, it was a battle to the finish line. I'm confident that we'll have a chance to compete for the win here. Fourth place is a positive start to the week, and I'm very pleased with how the final went."

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Kooij 'gets a few more chances', white young rider for Van Belle.

Olav Kooij once again failed to feature in the discussions during the uphill sprint. The Dutch sprinter had to manage without lead-out Wout van Aert this time and ultimately finished only thirteenth in the shadow. A disappointment for Visma | Lease a Bike, although they do hold the white jersey with Loe van Belle.

"While leading Olav, I received communication indicating that there was still one second to gain at an intermediate sprint. I felt I had to give it a try. Wearing the white jersey in a WorldTour race is a nice bonus. It's still very special for me to compete in such a strong field of riders. Many of the riders I used to watch on TV are now my colleagues. I still appreciate that every time," the 22-year-old rider stated via the team's online channels.

However, securing the white young rider jersey was not the main focus of the day. "Our aim was to go for the win with Olav. Unfortunately, that didn't materialize. Nevertheless, in such a competitive field, there's no shame in that. Fortunately, new opportunities will arise soon. It often comes down to the smallest details. We maintain our confidence in Olav, and we'll do everything we can in the coming week to secure a stage victory."

Attila Valter escapes with abrasions after mass crash

Ahead of the sprint, a rider from BORA-hansgrohe was the first to hit the ground, pulling Astana Qazaqstan rider Harold Tejada down with him in the fall. This triggered a chain reaction in the peloton, resulting in several more riders crashing onto the asphalt. Among them was Attila Valter (Visma | Lease a Bike), identifiable by his Hungarian national jersey. "Attila was involved and is a bit bruised at the moment," said team manager Maarten Wynants in the medical update. "At first glance, the injuries don't seem too serious. He has some scrapes. It's a setback, but we're relieved that he seems able to continue for now."

"The sprint was very hectic, as expected. Everything went well for us, except for the last few hundred meters. Tim van Dijke was still leading towards the end but didn't see Olav behind him at that moment. Olav managed to get close to the front row but ultimately couldn't match the competition. Fortunately, there are still several opportunities ahead this week."