Jonathan Milan won a second straight sprint finish to take the fifth stage of the UAE Tour in Dubai on Friday.
The Italian edged out Norwegian Erlend Blikra and compatriot Matteo Malucelli in the charge to the line at the end of a flat 166km run around Dubai.
For the second straight day, Milan's Lidl-Trek team managed the stage perfectly, this time reeling in a breakaway trio three kilometres from the line.
But Milan was still badly placed and had lost his lead-out men as the sprinters jostled for position going into the final 500 metres.
"It was difficult to stay together in the final. But I was still able to find an opening," said Milan, who already has four wins in 2026.
In the pack, leader Antonio Tiberi had an untroubled day and retained his 21-second lead over Mexican Isaac Del Toro, while the other contenders for victory are more than a minute behind.
Saturday's potentially pivotal stage finishes at the summit of Jebel Hafeet after a 10.6 km climb with an average gradient of 6.9 per cent.