The fourth and longest stage of the UAE Tour went smoothly. Halfway through the stage two riders escaped, but they were caught up by the peloton at more than thirty kilometres before the finish. Only in the last ten kilometres the nervousness in the peleton increased. Dekker rode to second place with the help of Christoph Pfingsten.

“Our initial plan today was to help Chris”, Dekker said. “The beginning was nervous, because the wind could always cause danger here. When this eventually turned out to be better than expected, the rest of the ride was relaxed. Until the last ten kilometres. The loss of Jos was of course a pity, but luckily Christoph was top today. After the finish I was quite frustrated, because I felt there a better result had been possible.”

Sports director Addy Engels was very pleased with Dekker’s performance. “It was a long and calm ride with a fast final. An incredible performance by David, especially after Jos dropped out. In the final he could count on the help of Christoph. To find your way in this way and to finish second is very strong.”

Nothing changed in the top ten of the general classification. Chris Harper managed to maintain his fourth place.