Collision in final sprint almost ruined Wiebes' victory: "Hit my knee and handlebars"

Wiebes, Wiebes, Wiebes. It was three out of three for the Dutch sprint star from SD Worx-Protime in the UAE Tour, making it a perfect start to the season—both for herself as the European Champion and for her team. But it wasn’t smooth sailing—things almost went wrong in the chaotic finale, yet she still managed to sprint to victory.

In her third appearance at the UAE Tour, she finally won the final stage, something she had never achieved in previous editions. "It’s great to win this one," she beamed in her post-race flash interview. "The team worked really hard today, so I had to finish it off. It was very chaotic in the last kilometers. I lost my train but managed to find my way out and, in the end, was still able to sprint."

Despite being isolated, she stayed calm and executed perfectly. "I knew we had a headwind in the final stretch, so I didn’t want to hit the front too early. But then I felt someone coming up on my right, so I responded. That was enough to hold on until the finish."

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Wiebes has now won half of all stages ever in UAE Tour

It was a close call, as Wiebes almost didn’t get to sprint at all. "There was some kind of obstacle. The girls in front of me didn’t see it, and so I didn’t either. I hit it with my knee and handlebars, and for a few kilometers, I had no power in my right leg. But then the adrenaline kicked in, and I didn’t feel the pain while sprinting." With this victory, Wiebes has now won half of all stages in UAE Tour history. "That’s pretty cool. It’s a great way to start the season, winning three times already. And for the team, it’s a great way to kick off the year—this gives us a solid foundation to build on."

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