UAE Team Emirates rider Alexander Kristoff said he will look to build on his opening stage efforts in the Tour de France after narrowly missing out on the podium on Saturday.
Norwegian Kristoff was part of the final sprint at the end of the 201-kilometre stage from Noirmoutier-en-Lille to Fontenay-Le-Comte, but had to settle for fourth place.
Quick-Step Floors' Colombian sprinter Fernando Gaviria claimed the stage in four hours, 23 minutes and 32 seconds. Slovakian Peter Sagan of Bora-Hansgrohe took the runner-up spot, with Germany's Team Katusha Alpecin rider Marcel Kittel completing the podium.
“It was quote chaotic but I got good help from my teammates and had a good position," Kristoff, 31, said. "I couldn’t manage to pass Sagan or Gaviria but I manged to get fourth.
"I was hoping for a podium and I was close, but Gaviria, Sagan and Kittel were better than me today. I will try again in the next stages and hopefully can improve on my fourth place.”
Dan Martin, UAE Team Emirates' leading rider in the battle for the general classification, finished comfortably in the main group and managed to avoid the crash that included defending champion Chris Froome.
“Today was a chaotic final where everybody was fresh and wanted to stay in front," Martin 31, said. "I avoided the crash and that was really important.
"As I said in the past few days, I have a lot of confidence in the team, and in stages like today teammates are really important.”
Sunday's 182.5km second stage will begin in Mouilleron-Saint-Germain and finish in La Roche-Sur-Yon, and with only one category four climb, a bunch sprint will again decide the winner.
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Political flags or banners
-
Bikes, skateboards or scooters
THE BIO
Favourite author - Paulo Coelho
Favourite holiday destination - Cuba
New York Times or Jordan Times? NYT is a school and JT was my practice field
Role model - My Grandfather
Dream interviewee - Che Guevara
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Try out the test yourself
Q1 Suppose you had $100 in a savings account and the interest rate was 2 per cent per year. After five years, how much do you think you would have in the account if you left the money to grow?
a) More than $102
b) Exactly $102
c) Less than $102
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q2 Imagine that the interest rate on your savings account was 1 per cent per year and inflation was 2 per cent per year. After one year, how much would you be able to buy with the money in this account?
a) More than today
b) Exactly the same as today
c) Less than today
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q4 Do you think that the following statement is true or false? “Buying a single company stock usually provides a safer return than a stock mutual fund.”
a) True
b) False
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
The “Big Three” financial literacy questions were created by Professors Annamaria Lusardi of the George Washington School of Business and Olivia Mitchell, of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Answers: Q1 More than $102 (compound interest). Q2 Less than today (inflation). Q3 False (diversification).
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 502hp at 7,600rpm
Torque: 637Nm at 5,150rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh317,671
On sale: now
