A sharp attack 3 kilometers from the finish line and a solo breakaway to the end: Elisa Longo Borghini thus won the third stage of the UAE Tour, finishing at the top of the Jebel Hafeet climb after 152 kilometers of racing. The Italian champion achieves her first victory in the UAE Team ADQ jersey, preceding her teammate Silvia Persico and Kim Le Court, the Mauritian from AG Insurance who crossed the finish line in third place ahead of Monica Trinca Colonel and Barbara Malcotti.

Today's stage also revolutionizes the General Classification, which is now led by Longo Borghini with 2'09" over Persico and 2'11" over Le Court.

THE RACE - Starting from Al Ain Qasr Al Muwaiji, the decisive stage of the UAE Tour Women began very calmly for the first kilometers, coming to life after the University Sprint Point (won by Lara Gillespie) when a breakaway was launched by Slovak champion Nora Jenčušová (BePink - Imatra - Bongioanni) together with Hungarian Petra Zsankó (CERATIZIT Pro Cycling Team) and German Hannah Ludwig (Cofidis Women Team). Yuliia Biriukova (Laboral Kutxa - Fundación Euskadi) launched herself in pursuit of the leaders but failed to close the gap and, with 85 kilometers to go, was forced back into the peloton. A few kilometers later, the action of the leading trio also ended.

Around the hundredth kilometer of the race, the wind split the group and twelve riders moved to the front: Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE), Elynor Bäckstedt (UAE Team ADQ), Chloé Dygert (CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto), Nina Kessler (EF Education-Oatly), Christina Schweinberger (Fenix-Deceuninck), Lily Williams (Human Powered Health), Elisa Balsamo (Lidl - Trek), Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx), Elena Cecchini (Team SD Worx - Protime), Barbara Guarischi (Team SD Worx - Protime), Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) and Katrine Aalerud (Uno-X Mobility) but their action lasted only about ten kilometers, after which the group came back together.

The race then continued for several kilometers until 25 kilometers from the finish, when Cofidis attacked en bloc, launching Danish rider Amalie Dideriksen and French rider Victoire Berteau, pursued and caught by Polish rider Marta Lach (Team SD Worx - Protime). This trio contested the second Sprint Point of the day, remaining at the front until the -7 km marker when the UAE Team ADQ and the classification leaders' teams caught them.

The slopes of Jebel Hafeet and the pace set by Persico and teammates in favor of Longo Borghini made a significant selection, significantly thinning the group from which the race leader Lorena Wiebes had also detached. In the last five kilometers, the leading group consisted of Longo Borghini, Persico, Kim LeCourt, Niedermaier, Miermont, Malcotti, García, Trinca Colonel and Vinke, but just a couple of kilometers later, the Piedmontese rider dropped everyone, taking the stage and the red leader's jersey which she will wear tomorrow in the final stage of the race.

Elisa also leads the points classification ahead of Lorena Wiebes; Lara Gillespie wears the black jersey of the Sprint Points while Austrian Niedermaier is the best young rider in the UAE stage race.

To reread the stage chronicle click here

STAGE RESULTS

1 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa UAE Team ADQ 03:56:31

2 PERSICO Silvia UAE Team ADQ 00:35

3 LE COURT PIENAAR Kimberley AG Insurance - Soudal Team ,,

4 TRINCA COLONEL Monica Liv AlUla Jayco 00:38

5 MALCOTTI Barbara Human Powered Health ,,

6 NIEDERMAIER Antonia CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto 00:43

7 MIERMONT Dilyxine CERATIZIT Pro Cycling Team 01:29

8 VINKE Nienke Team Picnic PostNL 01:30

9 STIASNY Petra Roland 01:38

10 GARCÍA Mavi Liv AlUla Jayco 01:50

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa UAE Team ADQ 10:11:29

2 PERSICO Silvia UAE Team ADQ 02:09

3 (LE COURT) PIENAAR Kimberley AG Insurance - Soudal Team 02:11

4 TRINCA COLONEL Monica Liv AlUla Jayco 02:18

5 SWINKELS Sylvie Roland 03:02

6 MALCOTTI Barbara Human Powered Health 03:10

7 NIEDERMAIER Antonia CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto 03:15

8 AALERUD Katrine Uno-X Mobility 03:34

9 MEIJERING Mareille Movistar Team 03:40

10 GEORGI Pfeiffer Team Picnic PostNL 03:42