Antwan Tolhoek has finished in tenth place in the final stage of the Abu Dhabi Tour. The 23-year-old rider from Team LottoNL-Jumbo climbed with the best on the tough ascend of the Jabel Hafeet in his first race of the season.

The entire team worked hard during the long, flat approach to the climb to close down the gap to the breakaway. Jos van Emden, fourth in the overall classification prior to the stage, also showed himself by attacking on the final climb.

Tolhoek was pleasantly surprised with the chance and with the trust he received from the team today. “The boys delivered me in the best position at the bottom of the climb. I began the ascend as one of the first few riders. I thought: ‘Am I going to win the race here or what?’ Their job had been that good. It gave me a lot of confidence and motivation to go for a good result. During the climb, I rode my own pace and I could almost join the group with Kelderman. To me, it’s a good sign. I have worked hard over the past few months and I am happy that I’ve been able to start my season well. It provides perspective for the races yet to come.”