After the two first flat stages in the UAE Tour (2.UWT, 20-26/02) during which the teams didn’t manage to make use of the wind to split the peloton, the individual time trial was the first event to create time gaps in the individual classification. Swiss time trial specialist Stefan Bissegger (EF) took power in the classification by preceding world champion Ganna (Ineos) by 7 seconds on the parcours of 9 kilometer in Ajman and taking the stage win.
The fastest rider of Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux was 22 year old Danish rider Julius Johansen. The former team pursuit world champion averaged 51.8 kph on the course with a U-turn and four roundabouts, with the climbers trying to limit the damage.
The fourth stage on Wednesday suits Tour of Oman winner Jan Hirt, Louis Meintjes and Rein Taaramäe well as the course of 181 kilometer will bring them to the top of the Jebel Jais (18.7km at 5.7%), where Meintjes finished thirteenth last year.