The WorldTour’s return in March kicks off with the ‘Race to the Sun’, Paris-Nice, but the desert sun has prompted its own fair share of stunning performances this month. From Taylor Phinney following up a superb time trial with a stunning sprint – bettered only by Marcel Kittel – in Dubai, to Chris Froome blasting up Green Mountain, it has been a month of high quality performances from some of the WorldTour’s elite in the deserts.
Tom Boonen’s mastery of the Qatari crosswinds – both in support of Niki Terpstra and then to seal victory for himself – was brilliant to watch, while the at-times unstoppable Lotto-Belisol sprint train deserve all the plaudits heading their way. Kittel, too, provided a sprinting masterclass in Dubai, and Peter Sagan reminded everybody why he is a serious contender this spring with stage four victory in Oman.
Below the top tier, Preben van Hecke (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise) impressed with his willingness to join the break in Oman, while Bardiani-CSF ensured their lime green jerseys received plenty of attention. As debuts go, Skydive Dubai will have enjoyed their first showings too. Over the course of the season, with bigger races to come, such performances are likely to slip from memory, but for the time being they all full deserve their moment in the sun.
