Tour de France favourite Tadej Pogacar suffered a high-speed crash towards the end of Wednesday's Stage 11 that saw Jonas Abrahamsen take the honours after a thrilling photo finish with Mauro Schmid.
UAE Team Emirates-XRA rider Pogacar hit the deck on the Cote de Pech descent after skidding along the tarmac with 4km to go but was able to rejoin the peloton – including rivals Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel – who sportingly waited for his return having not lost any time.
Pogacar struggled to put his chain on and had looked as if he would lose 30 to 40 seconds. “I'm quite OK,” said the Slovenian. “A bit beaten up but we've been through worse days. It was a hectic day from start to finish. Thanks to the peloton who waited … big respect to everyone in front.”
The three-time champion remains in second place, 29 seconds behind Irishman Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) who retains the overall lead and yellow jersey that goes with it, while there was no change at all in the general classification top 10.
It was a first Grand Tour win for Abrahamsen and his Uno-X Mobility team coming despite the Norwegian breaking his collarbone just a few weeks before the Tour, making this success even more spectacular – and unexpected.
Abrahamsen spent the entire day among the top 5 riders before a finale that saw him hold off the challenge of Schmid (Team Jayco-AlUla) by the slimmest of margins, with Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) coming home third.
The Dutch star's late surge to catch the leading duo fell just short and had to settle for a place on the podium which had been expected ti finish in a bunch sprint.
The GC group, including Pogacar and yellow jersey-holder Healy, finished the 156.8-km ride around Toulouse 3 mins 28 secs back.
“I broke my collarbone four weeks ago in the Belgium Tour. I was crying in the hospital because I thought I wasn’t riding the Tour de France,” Abrahamsen, 29, said after the stage.
“The day after I was on the home trainer and hoping I could go to the Tour. Every day, I did everything I could to come back. So, to be here having won a stage of the Tour de France is amazing.
“[Schmid] was so strong today from the start. I tried and it was so difficult to pass him, but I was thinking ‘I have to win this stage, I have to’, and then I got a wheel in front and that was so nice.
“I spent 10 days in the mountain jersey last year and wasn't able to win a stage so to do it today is so nice. It's a dream come true.
“It's so nice to be with a team from the start in 2017 and see the team growing every year. I'm so proud of the team. They believed in me to come to the Tour de France and to win a stage so it's so nice.
“I knew I had a pretty good sprint, and we had been out for a long time. In the end, I was hoping to take him in the sprint.
“We were with very strong guys but never with more than two-and-a-half minutes, I think. We worked so hard to get the gap all day and it’s so nice to get the victory now.”
Healy will lead the peloton into the Pyrenees on Thursday where the first real mountains will test his and everyone's legs on the legendary beyond category Hautacam climb.
General classification after Stage 11
- Ben Healy (Ire/EF Education-EasyPost) 41 hrs 1 min 13 secs
- Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +29secs
- Remco Evenepoel (Bel/Soudal Quick-Step) +1min 29 secs
- Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Visma-Lease a Bike) +1min 46 secs
- Matteo Jorgenson (US/Visma-Lease a Bike) +2mins 6 secs
How to volunteer
The UAE volunteers campaign can be reached at www.volunteers.ae , or by calling 800-VOLAE (80086523), or emailing info@volunteers.ae.
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo and dual electric motors
Power: 300hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,500-3,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.0L/100km
Price: from Dh199,900
On sale: now
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
The specs: 2018 Maserati Levante S
Price, base / as tested: Dh409,000 / Dh467,000
Engine: 3.0-litre V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 430hp @ 5,750rpm
Torque: 580Nm @ 4,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.9L / 100km
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Kesari
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Anubhav Singh
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra
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Total funding: Self funded
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