ESTEBAN CHAVES WINS STAGE 3, THE AL AIN STAGE, OF ABU DHABI TOUR, AND TAKES RED JERSEY

Speaking seconds after the stage finish, stage winner and new race leader Esteban Chaves made the following declarations: "It was a very hard climb, and even harder in the heat. The first part was hard, the final kilometres less so, but you needed to have the legs. The racing was hard, too. We are in the middle of the desert and the temperatures were unbelievable, so it was important to keep my body temperature down. The team was great. They worked hard for me all day, bringing me water and ice for my back and head. I poured 30 to 35 bottles of water on my body. I am really happy with this win. It was a hard climb, but I did not raise my hands in celebration because the rider in front of me crashed, and it would not have been correct to celebrate. I would like to send my commiserations to Wout Poels, and also say to the race organisers, 'Congratulations, Abu Dhabi Tour.'"

Press conference interview and further details to follow.

#RideToAbuDhabi
The Abu Dhabi Tour, organised by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council in collaboration with RCS Sport (8-11 October) consists of four stages covering a total of 555km; three stages suit the sprinters, while the remaining stage finishes uphill after a 10.8km climb with gradients touching 12%.