Also stage 2 of the Abu Dhabi Tour was a super flat stage - 129 km from Yas Marina to Marina Island - but that didn't prevent the Team Katusha riders from attacking .

"I can only be happy with what out riders showed today. Without a sprinter in a sprinter's stage it is a hard but not an impossible task. That's what our riders showed. Maxim Belkov went in the attack almost immediately after the start. Five riders joined him. They were just reeled in in the final ten kilometers. And then Anton Vorobyev attacked. Anton is on the good way again. Together with Rafaâ Chtioui (Skydive Dubai) he stayed in the front till the last two kilometers. Our riders did everything to prevent a sprint. It didn't work out, but they tried and that's the right spirit," said Team Director Claudio Cozzi.

The stage win was for Italian Elia Viviani (Team Sky) who was faster than world champion Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo) and Fabio Sabatini (Etixx – Quick Step). Viviani is the new leader.

Tomorrow's stage finishes with an uphill finish (Jebel Hafeet) after a 10.8 km climb with gradients touching 12%.