Dati of UAE Emirates takes yellow jersey at Tour de Gyeongnam, overtaking teammate

Tommaso Dati of Team UAE Emirates has seized the yellow jersey at the Tour de Gyeongnam, overtaking his teammate Simone Raccani in the overall standings. Dati, a 24-year-old Italian, finished fourth in the fourth stage of the race, which concluded on the southern coast of Gyeongnam province.

The 25-year-old Raccani had worn the leader's yellow jersey after the third stage. However, Dati's performance in the fourth stage, covering the 2-hour, 46-minute, and 38-second race, allowed him to move into first place with a total time of 10 hours, 54 minutes, and 5 seconds. Raccani now sits in second place, just 5 seconds behind Dati.

The fourth stage was considered the most demanding of the five-stage race. It included a steep climb, known as the 'King of Mountain' section, with gradients reaching 14% in the final 4 kilometers. This challenging ascent proved to be the turning point for the yellow jersey.

Dati admitted that the team's initial strategy was to support Raccani's defense of the lead. However, he felt his own pace was stronger on the final climb, leading to the change in leadership. The Tour de Gyeongnam is the only international road cycling competition in South Korea recognized by the UCI.

“

Originally, the team's plan was to defend Raccani's yellow jersey. But on the final climb, my pace was better.