MTN-Qhubeka’s Songezo Jim donned the best young rider jersey on the opening stage of the inaugural Abu Dhabi Tour.
The South African withstood the blinding heat on the flat desert roads to stay with the first move of the day.
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The six-rider break built up a lead to a maximum of five minutes over the peloton, but the riders were pulled back one by one in the final 30km of the stage.
Jim was one of the last three to be reeled in to the protection of the bunch. The bonus second he earned was enough to secure him the white jersey and seventh place overall.
With temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius, organisers decided to shorten the stage by 15km.
The final bunch sprint saw Astana’s Andrea Guardini take the stage win with Daniele Bennati of Tinkoff-Saxo third.
