James Knox was one of the unexpected early casualties of the UAE Tour's stage 3 Jebel Hafit summit finish, falling almost at the foot of the 10km climb.

Knox entered the race as a GC contender and was backed by the Detunink-Quick Step team, which shared the overall classification and Sam Bennett in the sprint stages.

However, Knox struggled in the heat and was over 11 minutes behind stage winner and new race leader Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott).

"I suffered a lot, especially with the heat and not having raced in Australia and South America like the other guys. When I arrived at the last climb, I had nothing left. There was nothing left," he told Cycling News.

"I did my best and tried my best. I got ice and water with around 100km to go, and I stuck with the climb for the first kilometer, but my legs were throbbing."

Knox finished 13th at the Forta a la Comunitat Valenciana earlier this month and set his sights on the Giro d'Italia. He was clearly disappointed with his performance on stage 3 in the UAE, but acknowledged that bigger goals lie ahead and said he intends to work for the team in any role during the UAE Tour.

The race returned to Jebel Hafeet on stage 5, giving Knox a second chance to climb.

"It's still early in the season, so it's hard to know where the conditions are. Coming from Europe, I couldn't stand the heat. I will need to run a week in this heat to adapt. Next time I will try the climbs and just hope my legs will be better."

"We still have a strong team here. If I need to ride at the front to save one more rider for the sprint, I will gladly do so. If I need to get back on the bike to refill my bottle, I will do so.

"For me, I'm here to prepare for the next race in Catalunya.