The Dubai Tour saw the big-name sprinters fight for victory on the four flat stages. However, a new name, or an old name depending on how long you have been following the sport, also showed up several times in the results.
Riccardo Minali is a 21-year old neo-pro with Astana. He impressed in each of the Dubai Tour sprints, finishing 13th, eighth, fifth and then third. He clearly knew how to ride the hectic sprint finishes, putting himself in the right place time and time again. He had the courage to hit out early in the opening sprint and then was not afraid to go up against Marcel Kittel (Quick-Step Floors), Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data), John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo), and fellow Italian Elia Viviani (Team Sky).
If you followed professional cycling in the 1990s, you may remember Nicola Minali winning Grand Tour sprints and Paris-Tours, in Gewiss or Riso Scotti colours. Riccardo is Nicola’s son and is following in the family tradition of successful sprinting.
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“My dad was my hero when I was a boy. I used to wait for him to come home from training. When he won the final stage of the 1997 Tour de France I was there, but I was only two and I’ve been told I was asleep on my granddad’s shoulders,” Riccardo recalled to Cyclingnews and Gazzetta dello Sport.
“My dad is smaller than me and was perhaps more explosive in the sprints. I’m sure I get my talent from him but we’re different sprinters. He had an amazing final kick. I’m taller and have a longer sprint. He was more like Cavendish, while I’m more like Viviani, who I know well because we’re both from the Verona area of Italy.”
When a train goes by, you’ve got to jump on it
Riccardo was successful as an under 23 rider with the highly respected Colpack team, winning nine races and securing a place in the Italian team for the World Championships in Qatar. He was hoping to be the protected sprinter but was forced to accept a minor role after the Italian Federation finally allowed professionals to ride in the under 23 championships and put their hopes in Jakub Mareczko, who went on to finish third.
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