Abu Dhabi Tour (2015) Photos October 8 - 11

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Although he's not racing due to injury, Mark Cavendish is here to continue his promotion of the inaugural Abu Dhabi Tour	The winner's trophy	Part of the stellar lineup for this first year race on the Yas race track
	The World Champ, Peter Sagan in the middle
Peter Sagan	Fabio Aru	Pre-Race Press Conference
Marcel Kittel: "I have to be honest: 2015 has not been a good year for me, and I probably do not have the form to be competitive here. But I am happy to make the trip to the first Abu Dhabi Tour, and, since I am changing teams, it will be nice to ride this race for my team-mates, and to ride with them for the last time".	Tom Dumoulin: "I hope I have recovered form the Vuelta a EspaÒa and the World Championships. It has been a hard couple of months, but I would like to do well here. It is all about the legs, and about the heat, too, coming from Europe."	Peter Sagan and Vincenzo Nibali
Vincenzo Nibali: "It is my first time in Abu Dhabi, and it is fantastic to be here. It is my last race of the season, and I am in good shape after Il Lombardia. I have a very good team-mate, too, in Fabio Aru, so we can work together on the climb. To win this race overall is very important for the team."	Peter Sagan: : "Abu Dhabi is a nice city, and I have ridden in the region before, although, after the very crazy week that I have had, it may be a hard race for me, and I don't like it when it is hot! I am very proud of this rainbow jersey, and of having won this special race. No one can imagine what it is like for a rider to win the World Championships when it has been your dream all your life. It is unlike any other victory in my career. There are lots of World Champions here, but it is strange: we have talked about life, and the usual things, but never about what it is like to wear the rainbow jersey."	Fabio Aru: "I am really happy to be here, and I can see that this is a well organised race. How is my form after the Vuelta? I don't know myself, because I have had a lot of commitments. But it is great to be here because, for the first time since Spain, I feel free to get on with racing, with no distractions. The team is good, and Vincenzo Nibali is in great shape after Il Lombardia. We'll see what I can do and, in any case, I will be delighted to work for Vincenzo.
Picturesque, desolate, desert scenery from the stage 1 host, Qasr Al Sarab
	Alejandro Valverde: "It is the end of a hard season, and I am tired, as I think everyone is, too. That said, Day Three finishes with a hard climb, which is good for me, although there are other riders here who are in excellent shape, and they will be trying to win too, so it will not be easy. The rest of the race is for sprinters, and we have a fast man in Lobato, so we will be working for him."
Giovanni Visconti (Movistar)	Astana warming up	The World champ, Peter Sagan (Tinkoff - Saxo) in his new kit
Elia Viviani (Team Sky) enjoying the night scenery: "I had some good results in the recent Tour of Britain, and then I was strong in the World Championships, even if my result didn't reflect it. My form is good. I have a strong team around me, with Ben Swift and Andy Fenn and, with three opportunities for sprinters, I have plenty of motivation to finish the season well".	Andrew Fenn (Team Sky)	Team Sky
The view from Qasr Al Sarab with the sun setting	Night time training on the race track

Stage 1:  Qasr Al Sarab → Madinat Zayed, 175 km  Full Results and Report

Alejandro Valverde is a Spaniard used to the heat, but today was very hot by even his standards	Last weekend's Giro di Lombardia winner, Vincenzo Nibali signing in for Stage 1 in Qasr Al Sarab	The World Champ, Peter Sagan in his new kit and on his new ride
The rollout for Stage 1, "the Adnoc Stage". Not entirely flat as you can see.	The peloton made slow progress in the relentless heat and the race finished in the slowest possible time even though the finishing circuit was omitted	Picturesque sand dune scenery; good thing the morning wind died down.
Andrea GUARDINI (ASTANA) won the Stage 1 sprint finish in Madinat Zayed ahead of 2nd Tom BOONEN (ETIXX - QUICK STEP) and 3rd Daniele BENNATI (TINKOFF - SAXO)	Andrea GUARDINI (ASTANA) post race: I remember that, with 250m to go, I took was on Bennati's wheel, and I saw Sagan call out to Bennati to pull him, because they were too close ot the front. When I was at 250m, I heard my name over the loudspeakers in the race commentary, and it was really incredible. I knew that I had the legs to do a really powerful sprint. I moved over to the left side, and I went. At that moment, I remembered what it was like to win the stage in the Giro d'Italia.	Your Stage 1 winner, Andrea GUARDINI (ASTANA): This was the hottest day of my career and, I am sure, of that of most of the other riders. We started in the desert in 53 degree heat, and it was special because it was the first time in my career. I have raced in Malaysia, in Adelaide at the Tour Down Under, and once I trained around Adelaide in 50 degree heat. I felt really hot, but when I saw the faces of the other races, I tried to remember that, even if I was suffering, the others were suffering more than me.
and first race leader, Andrea GUARDINI (ASTANA) + Paul VOSS (Bora-Argon 18) with a falcon on his arm

Stage 2:  Abu Dhabi → Abu Dhabi, 130 km  Full Results and Report

Tom Boonen enjoying a happy selfie moment prior to Stage 2. He later crashed out of the race after suffering a head injury.	Race leader Andrea GUARDINI (ASTANA) acknowledging the crowd
Rolling out from Abu Dhabi for Stage 2 circuits
Flattish stage of the race
		Peter Sagan's fans are everywhere
Peter Sagan getting ready for the sprint finish	Sprint finish in full flight	1st Elia VIVIANI (SKY) wins the Stage 2 sprint ahead of 2nd Peter SAGAN (TINKOFF - SAXO), 3rd Fabio SABATINI (ETIXX - QUICK STEP)
Elia VIVIANI (SKY) post race: "I am riding strongly in this final part of the season, and the support from my team has been excellent. Yesterday, the team worked all day, but I lost position on the final corner and I had to make up too much ground to make the top three. Today we decided to do no work, and to leave me two team-mates for the lead-out. About 1km from the finish, I had to make a big effort to get on Sagan's wheel. On the final corner, Palini and another rider moved on the inside, but I did not like the look of it and held back. Sagan went, and I knew I had to wait, but not too long because he is so strong. But sprinting is my job, and I managed to get past him, and I am delighted to have taken another win. The conditions today were considerably better than yesterday, and it was a good day for me and the team."	Elia VIVIANI (SKY) also takes over the race lead although he's tied on time with Stage 1 winner, Andrea GUARDINI (ASTANA) finished 20th today
Points leader, Peter Sagan	Peter Sagan gets to hold the falcon today

Stage 3:  Al Ain → Jebel Hafeet, 140 km  Full Results and Report

Tom Dumoulin and Marcel Kittel relaxing prior to Stage 3	Andrea GUARDINI (ASTANA) signing in with the help of his teammates	Morning race leader, Elia VIVIANI (SKY)
Rollout from Al Ain
	Intermediate sprint	Starting the finishing climb to Jebel Hafeet (10.8 km @ 8.6% )
	Esteban Chaves (Orica GreenEdge) attack followed by Vincenzo Nibali (Astana)	Wout Poels and Fabio Aru chasing Esteban Chavez
Esteban Chaves (Orica GreenEdge) wins Stage 3 thanks in part to Wout Poels taking himself out on the final corner	Classy move by not raising a victory salute	Finish perspective
2nd Fabio Aru (Astana) + 12s	3rd Wout Poels (Sky) limps across for 3rd + 21s after crashing in the final corner while leading the race	Happy Colombian fans at the finish
Your Stage 3 uphill finish winner, Esteban Chaves (Orica GreenEdge)	Podium kisses Abu Dhabi style	Blind date
Your new race leader, Esteban Chaves (Orica GreenEdge) by 16s and likely your overall winner with Stage 4 being a flat circuit race

Stage 4:  Yas Marina, 110 km  Full Results and Report

Mark Cavendish and Joaquim Rodríguez during a visit in the Grand Mosque of Abu Dhabi	Race leader, Esteban Chaves (Orica GreenEdge) being escorted to the morning sign in	Race leader, Esteban Chaves (Orica GreenEdge) signing in
World champ, Peter Sagan signing in	Rollout for the circuit race	Circuits of the Yas Marina race track
Bike change for Peter Sagan	A quick handshake with Oleg	Back on his way
Night fall comes quickly here		Racing under the lights
		Sprint finish as expected
Elia VIVIANI (SKY) wins the bike throw against Peter SAGAN (TINKOFF - SAXO). Stage 1 winner Andrea GUARDINI (ASTANA) was 3rd.		Finish perspective
Your Stage 2 and now 4 winner, Elia VIVIANI (SKY)	Your overall winner, Esteban Chaves (Orica GreenEdge)	The first awarding of the Abu Dhabi Tour winner's trophy
Now that's a winning smile	Later in the evening, Chris Froome, Aref Hamad Al Awani and Mark Cavendish during the UCI cycling gala at Abu Dhabi Du Forum	Brian Cookson and Sultan Mohammed Al Shamal Al Memari during the UCI cycling gala
Peter Sagan was honored again for World's win last weekend	3rd, UCI WorldTour Individual Classification: Nairo Quintana (Movistar Team), 1st, UCI WorldTour Individual Classification: Alejandro Valverde (Movistar Team), 2nd, UCI WorldTour Individual Classification: Joaquin Rodriguez (Team Katusha)	Honoring the Grand Tour winners: Vuelta a España winner: Fabio Aru (Astana Pro Team), Tour de France winner: Christopher Froome (Team Sky), Giro d’Italia winner: Alberto Contador (Tinkoff - Saxo)