Stefan de Bod will be looking to stamp his authority on the UAE Tour in Monday’s individual time-trial. Photo: Twitter @StefandBd
Stefan de Bod will be looking to stamp his authority on the UAE Tour in Monday’s individual time-trial.
The 24-year-old was due to be South Africa’s lone participant in the year’s opening WorldTour event, but he was joined in the peloton at the last minute by compatriot Louis Meintjes (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert Materiaux).
In Sunday’s opening UAE Tour stage over 176km from Al Ruwais to Al Mirfa, De Bod was caught out by the crosswinds which split the peloton.
He eventually finished in 59th place, 8:39 behind winner Mathieu van der Poel.
De Bod will begin Monday’s 13.1km individual time-time at 11:51 SA time after his Kazakhstan team elected to put him out among the early starters.
The Worcester-born Astana-Premier Tech rider should feel more at home against the clock.
At national level, De Bod is a three-time U23 individual time-trial champion (2016, 2017 and 2018).
He also won the gold medal in the individual time-trial at the 2019 African Continental Road Championships in Ethiopia.
