Andrea Guardini (AST) became the first leader of the Abu Dhabi Tour after the 174km ride initially proposed from the Qasr Al Sarab desert resort to Madinat Zayed were reduced to 159km. The final urban circuit was scrapped as a result of the enormous delay by the peloton in the opening phase and, most importantly, the scorching hot conditions (43ºC) faced by them almost all day.

The Movistar Team, which briefly took the reins of the peloton to catch the last of the day's two main breaks - led by Tunisian Rafaâ Chtioui (SKD) - with Javi Moreno and even Alejandro Valverde himself, struggled a bit more to put their fastmen into good position as José Joaquín Rojas could only take eighth place.

Both the Spaniard and Juanjo Lobato will aspire, should temperatures and the race development allow it, to improve their result on stage two, a more urban, coastal race over 129km towards the Yas Island.

"I do not want to hear rather than it is too hot to train in Andalusia," Lobato tweeted after the stage, showing a photo of his computer displaying a temperature of 49.2.

"I think I've never been so hot as today with an average temperature of 43 degrees," Rojas tweeted.