Italy’s Antonio Tiberi powered to victory in the UAE Tour's 183 km stage three in Ras Al Khaimah, conquering the new Jebel Mobrah climb to take both the stage win and the overall race lead.
Riding for Bahrain Victorious, Tiberi held off a strong late charge from Mexico’s Isaac del Toro of UAE Team Emirates XRG, who finished second, 15 seconds behind.
Belgium’s Lennert Van Eetvelt came in third, a further 14 seconds adrift, after a gruelling climb that split the peloton.
Overnight leader Remco Evenepoel struggled in the final five kilometres of the 13.2-kilometre ascent.
The Belgian lost more than two minutes and surrendered the red jersey to Tiberi, who will lead the race into stage four.
Tiberi now tops the general classification, 21 seconds ahead of Del Toro and a full minute ahead of third-placed Harold Tejada of XDS-Astana, while Evenepoel sits 11th, 1 minute 44 seconds off the lead.
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