DUBAI // Taylor Phinney will forever be remembered as the first winner of a Dubai Tour.
It could be some time yet before the city’s first professional cycling race ever has a more laid-back champion, too, judging by his demeanour after confirming his overall classification win in Downtown on Saturday.
According to the blurb on the tour’s website, the “Circle of Stars” trophy he won is shaped “from extraordinary multifaceted blue sand crystals” and created in homage to riders of the past. Phinney was more interested in what he was going to do with it, though.
“I will either use it as a hula-hoop later tonight, or hang it or stand it up in my house when I get back,” Phinney said of his spoils from Dubai that were awarded to him by Diego Maradona.
“It will look quite cool and it should fit in my bag on the way back.”
As the son of Davis Phinney, a former sprint racer who twice won stages at the Tour de France, he has been marked out for some as a potential contender among the elite.
He acknowledges that his evolution from Under 23 time trial world champion in 2010 to a winner on the pro tour has been a relatively slow one.
“I have always been patient with myself,” said the 23-year-old BMC Racing team rider.
“I kept growing in my first two years as a pro and only stopped last year and that took me a little more time to arrive at a place where I was more comfortable.
“I think that time has come for me now. I am very happy to be here, up with the best guys, especially [Friday] with the climbs. It has just been a longer process than a lot of people expected.”
A glorious future could well lie ahead for him, but whatever happens, his first serious win as a professional cyclist is likely to live long in his memory.
“I hope to back next year and I hope to see this race continue to evolve and grow,” he said.
“I would definitely like to be part of that growing process. I’m very happy to be the first winner. It is a cool feeling.”
Phinney and Marcel Kittel’s rivals will be hopeful they are incapable of maintaining such dominant form into the serious business of the summer’s European tours. However, Kittel refuted the idea that the hat-trick of stage wins he completed here suggests he is peaking too early, reasoning that it is never too early to start winning.
“Three stage wins were not expected to be honest, so I am super, super happy,” the German rider said.
“The Dubai Tour was my first goal. I am very pleased with how it went, but I do not think it was too early.”
The much anticipated joust between Kittel and Mark Cavendish came to nought, as the rider from the Isle of Man failed to contest one sprint with his young competitor over three stages.
Cavendish was in an ill temper at the conclusion on Emaar Boulevard yesterday, but Kittel is unsure whether the scars of his victories here will last for long.
“I don’t know whether I scared [his rivals], you would have to ask them,” Kittel said.
[ pradley@thenational.ae ]
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