Mark Cavendish left the 2024 UAE Tour sick but that did not stop Tim Merlier showing that he is the top sprinter these days.

Merlier burst past a clutch of top sprinters to secure his third win of the UAE Tour on Saturday, winning the sixth and penultimate stage by a convincing margin.

The 31-year-old Belgian cut through the field from around 150 metres out and opened a 20-metre gap before easing off with his left arm raised in triumph at the Abu Dhabi Breakwater finish line.

""Everything went perfectly together with the team," Merlier said. 

"I could do my sprint where I wanted. In the last kilometre, it was all or nothing. I was afraid to be boxed in but it didn't happen. I'm happy with the margin I win by. It wasn't a close one this time. It makes a nice picture. 

"It's also nice to be the first rider to win three stages at the UAE Tour, considering how many sprinters there are here. It makes me very happy."

In the overall standings, Jay Vine of UAE Team Emirates leads his Australian compatriot Ben O'Connor of Decathlon AG2R by 11 seconds, while American Brandon McNulty is third at 13sec.

Only 134 riders set off from the Louvre Abu Dhabi start line Saturday after British veteran sprinter Mark Cavendish pulled out sick.

"He doesn't feel good today, he has some fever," said Astana sports director Dmitry Fofonov. "So we took the decision not to start today because there is hot weather."

Cavendish will be back in action at the Tirreno Adriatico stage race in early March.

Sunday's UAE Tour finale features a 10km climb up Jebel Hafeet mountain which will decide the winner, with Spanish rider Pello Bilbao at 22sec in fifth one of the main men to watch out for.