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Mark Cavendish ends 2016 road season with second Abu Dhabi Tour stage win

Manxman wins under floodlights on Yas Marina Formula One circuit; Tanel Kangert wins overall

Mark Cavendish signed off his 2016 road season with another victory, outsprinting Italian duo Elia Viviani and Giacomo Nizzolo to win the final stage of the Abu Dhabi Tour at Yas Marina.

Racing on the Formula One circuit, Cavendish was given the perfect lead-out by long-standing lieutenant Mark Renshaw, and finished it off with a powerful kick to record his tenth win in Dimension Data colours.

Mark Cavendish sprinted to victory on the final stage of the 2016 Abu Dhabi Tour (pic: RCS Sport)

Victory also earned confirmed his place atop the points classification standings, as Tanel Kangert (Astana) sealed overall victory.

In the unusual setting of racing under the floodlights on the motor racing circuit, former British champion Kristian House (ONE Pro Cycling) was one of five riders to get in the day’s breakaway.

Dimension Data did the bulk of the chasing, while Astana kept race leader Kangert safe on the front as the race always seemed likely to end in a sprint finish.

Former British champion Kristian House leads the breakaway on the Yas Marina Formula One circuit (pic: Sirotti)

House, Fredrik Frisson (Lotto-Soudal) and Michal Paluta (CCC Sprandi Polkowice) attacked the breakaway as the final lap approached, but continued to attack each other before eventually being swept up for the final circuit.

BMC Racing and Orica-BikeExchange hit the front, stretching the peloton out, but Cavendish remained well-placed heading into the sprint.

Renshaw led him out to perfection, despite Ramon Sinkeldam (Giant-Alpecin) getting between the two, but the Dutchman’s presence only further assisted Cavendish’s sprint.

A brief gap opened between Renshaw and the peloton when Sinkeldam hesitated to start his own sprint.

But when he did finally kick, Cavendish blasted out from behind him to claim a relatively comfortable sprint victory.

Cavendish’s victory was his tenth of the season, and 143rd of his career (pic: RCS Sport)

His 143rd career victory ended his 2016 season on a high, with only two Six Day races, with Sir Bradley Wiggins, to come this calendar year.

Kangert sealed overall victory, meanwhile – his 21-second lead over Team Sky’s Nicolas Roche never looking under threat.

Abu Dhabi Tour 2016: stage four – result

1) Mark Cavendish (GBR) – Dimension Data – 3.07.44hrs
2) Giacomo Nizzolo (ITA) – Trek-Segafredo – ST
3) Elia Viviani (ITA) – Team Sky
4) Magnus Cort Nielsen (DEN) – Orica-BikeExchange
5) Jempy Drucker (LUX) – BMC Racing
6) Ramon Sinkeldam (NED) – Giant-Alpecin
7) Michael Matthews (AUS) – Orica-BikeExchange
8) Sacha Modolo (ITA) – Lampre-Merida
9) Mark Renshaw (AUS) – Dimension Data
10) Michael Kolar (SVK) – Tinkoff

General classification

1) Tanel Kangert (EST) – Astana – 12.27.34hrs
2) Nicolas Roche (IRL) – Team Sky +21”
3) Diego Ulissi (ITA) – Lampre-Merida +43”
4) Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) – Astana +1.00
5) Alberto Contador (ESP) – Tinkoff – ST
6) Julien Bernard (FRA) – Trek-Segafredo +1.02
7) Ben Hermans (BEL) – BMC Racing +1.29
8) Martijn Tusveld (NED) – Giant-Alpecin +1.38
9) Winner Anacona (COL) – Movistar – ST
10) Jesper Hansen (DEN) – Tinkoff

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