Preview: Pressure Is On for Remco Evenepoel and Isaac Del Toro Battle in UAE Tour 2026
Tadej Pogacar will not defend his title, and Jonas Vingegaard will also withdraw after a setback, but does this mean the UAE Tour will be dull? Absolutely not. Two other world-class stage racers, Remco Evenepoel and Isaac Del Toro, will be at the start of this WorldTour race. This can only mean a thrilling contest. WielerFlits looks ahead!
History
Last Edition
The 2025 UAE Tour started with a stage win from Jonathan Milan. The Italian showed himself faster in a bunch sprint than Jasper Philipsen, who was later relegated for a strange swerve towards Finn Fisher-Black. A day later, Joshua Tarling celebrated. The Brit won the individual time trial ahead of Stefan Bissegger and Tadej Pogacar. The latter struck in stage three. The Slovenian had the strongest legs on the final climb to Jebel Jais. He also took the leader's jersey from Tarling.
Stages four, five, and six went back to the sprinters. After Milan notched his second victory, Tim Merlier struck twice. Then came the queen stage to Jebel Hafeet. The stage started flat, but due to the tactics around the wind, the peloton already split in several parts. Except for Lennert Van Eetvelt, almost all GC contenders were in the first echelon.
Pogacar had teammates Florian Vermeersch and Rune Herregodts with him. The two Belgians broke up the leading group on the first part of the final climb, after which the world champion attacked with eight kilometers remaining. He dropped everyone, took the stage win, and secured the overall victory. It was Pogacar's third career win at the UAE Tour. He also won the race in 2021 and 2022, which is, of course, very important for his team.
Route
Lots of opportunities for sprinters, two mountain stages, and the traditional time trial around Al Hudayriyat Island. At first glance, the UAE Tour route seems largely unchanged from previous years. However, there are some interesting adjustments. For example, the finish on Jebel Jais has been replaced by a finish on Jebel Mobrah. And this second 'Jebel' (Jebel means 'mountain' in Arabic) is much tougher. Expect more spectacle! Or could the general classification already be decided after three days?
The first stage from Al Dhafra Walk Madinat Zayed to Liwa Palace favors the fast men, although we’ll keep a cautious eye. In the Emirates, there is always a risk of echelons. For roughly the first fifty kilometers, the peloton travels on wide, straight roads. After the first intermediate sprint in Liwa, the riders find themselves in a more open dune area.
The opening stage is certainly not flat as a billiard table. After the first intermediate sprint, it constantly goes up and down, but is it tough enough to worry the sprinters’ teams? Upon arrival at Moreeb Dune, there are two passages along the Moreeb Dune trail. This is a cycle path just over eighteen kilometers long over tricky terrain.
Then the peloton returns to Liwa, this time for the finish. The last straight line favors the strong sprinters because it ascends about five percent. Last year, Jonathan Milan was the fastest on that same finish.
Three of the seven stages — although the wind could still cause surprises — will shape the general classification. It starts with an individual time trial on day two of about twelve kilometers. The route mirrors last year’s time trial. The test against the clock was won last year by Joshua Tarling, ahead of Stefan Bissegger and eventual overall winner Tadej Pogacar.
The mapped-out time trial on Al Hudayriyat Island is made for specialists, riders capable of pushing big gears at high cadence. It is flat, flatter, flattest, with hardly any corners or tricky parts. After just under six kilometers, intermediate times are taken. Will Remco Evenepoel give his GC rivals a harsh blow here already?
For the pure climbers, the goal is to minimize damage in the flat time trial, to strike the next day. Stage three finishes on Jebel Mobrah, a newcomer to the UAE Tour. The climb is shorter than the famous Jebel Jais (20 km at 5%), which has been removed from the race, but much steeper. Riders have to climb a tough thirteen kilometers at just over eight percent on average.
And the average is quite distorted by a somewhat milder start and a small descent midway. The last seven kilometers are monstrous though. That section ascends at an average of twelve percent with ramps soaring up to 17%. That will hurt. One consolation for the riders: until this 'Angliru of the Emirates' the stage is nearly flat.
The addition of Jebel Mobrah is not the only route change the UAE Tour organizers have made. Stage four is also different from usual. Normally, sprinters would have a perfect chance the day after the first mountain stage, but this time a fairly challenging stage has been designed. Although there are no categorized climbs, it goes up and down all day.
The toughest climb comes right from the start: about eight kilometers climbing at an average of 4.3 percent. No absolute leg breaker, but an opportunity for strong riders to form a breakaway. Whether they can then hold off the sprinters’ teams remains to be seen, but they'll certainly try their chance.
For stage five, the caravan heads to the emirate of Dubai. The riders will start in the namesake city for a flat and sprinter-friendly 160-kilometer stage.
After leaving Dubai, the riders head toward the desert, passing some familiar locations visited in recent years. Think of the 86-kilometer long Al Qudra Cycling Track and Meydan Racecourse, a racecourse opened on March 27, 2010. Its grandstand is one and a half kilometers long and seats over 60,000 spectators.
The route then winds back toward Dubai via wide, mostly straight roads, interspersed with roundabouts and a few bends. The finish is on a wide avenue just before the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University, named after the Crown Prince of Dubai. The last 700 meters are straightforward.
Last year, the UAE Tour finished on Jebel Hafeet; this time the climb closes out the penultimate stage. The mountain in the hinterlands of Abu Dhabi is just under 11 kilometers long and ascends at an average of around 7%, with sections in the middle exceeding 10%. Previously, Tadej Pogačar (four times), Adam Yates (twice), Alejandro Valverde, and Lennert Van Eetvelt have triumphed here.
The riders start in Al Ain, a city in the United Arab Emirates located in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. With nearly 600,000 inhabitants, it’s the second-largest city in the emirate and fourth in the country. The route then goes over flat roads and via a big detour to the final climb.
What makes Jebel Hafeet so tough is the gradient. But the three-lane road can present a distorted picture. Frequently, the road ascends at 8 to 9%. The steepest section (11%) comes three kilometers from the finish. In the final kilometer, there is a short descent, then the road climbs again toward the finish. We've seen significant time gaps form here in the past.
Normally, the GC is decided after Jebel Hafeet. The flat final stage usually offers sprinters one last chance. The stage takes place in and around Abu Dhabi city. At the Zayed Museum — which was supposed to open in 2013 but finally did so in December 2025 — the riders clip in for 167 kilometers.
The route leads the peloton across several artificial islands. Then they roar along the highway towards the finish at Abu Dhabi Breakwater. A classic sprint is expected here. The last five kilometers are almost entirely straight, offering plenty of space to organize sprint trains.
Favorites
Eight race days, six wins. Remco Evenepoel has started his debut year at Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe like a comet. The 26-year-old Belgian dominated in Mallorca and was also a class apart in the Tour of Valencia. Now awaits the UAE Tour, which he won once before in 2023. The individual time trial fits perfectly with his skills, although he is not especially fond of a long steep climb like Jebel Mobrah. But in this shape, he won't be scared either.
Evenepoel will be satisfied with nothing less than overall victory, especially now that the two best GC riders in the world are absent. We are, first and foremost, referring to Tadej Pogacar. The Slovenian has already won his home race, UAE Emirates XRG, three times but is starting his season a bit later this year (at Strade Bianche). Jonas Vingegaard also resumes competition later. The Dane had planned the UAE Tour but illness and a crash in training spoiled his chance.
Still, it will be far from easy for Evenepoel to conquer the UAE Tour. His main rival is Isaac Del Toro. The 22-year-old Mexican racked up a staggering eighteen (!) wins in 2025 and, as we well remember, finished second in a memorable Giro d'Italia. Del Toro hasn't raced yet this year, but given his age, it wouldn’t be surprising if he made further progress over the winter. In that case, Evenepoel should brace himself.
Evenepoel versus Del Toro is the duel we expect. But there are more strong GC contenders in the start list. For example, Del Toro's teammate Adam Yates, who won the UAE Tour once before in 2020. The 33-year-old Brit started this season at the Santos Tour Down Under, where he did not contest the overall win but performed impressive domestique work for teammate Jay Vine. In the subsequent Tour of Oman, which he won in 2024 and 2025, Yates finished third overall.
Del Toro and Yates are 'new' rivals for Evenepoel this season, but Antonio Tiberi already faced him in the Tour of Valencia. There, the Italian was able to follow the Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe leader longest on the decisive climb to Cumbre del Sol. Ultimately, Tiberi also couldn’t hold on but his fourth place in the final GC shows he's in good shape. Also important: the Bahrain rider has a more than decent time trial in his legs.
Ben Tulett can also hold his own against the clock on a good day, but he will mainly need to limit losses in the 12.2-kilometer ITT. Whether the Brit can claw back time uphill against heavy hitters like Evenepoel and Del Toro is doubtful. Perhaps the deputy leader of Visma | Lease a Bike — who can ride for his own chances in Jonas Vingegaard’s absence — can aim for a podium place.
Tobias Halland Johannessen also has a good shot at a podium in his first race of 2026. While the Norwegian is not a great time trialist, he climbs with the best. He finished sixth in last year’s Tour de France, one spot behind Felix Gall, who also starts his season in the Emirates. For the Austrian, this is a perfect race to kick off: two tough uphill finishes and—hooray!—hardly any descents.
But those devilish echelons always lurk in the UAE Tour, as Gall learned last year. He missed the selection in the final stage along with Michael Storer and Lennert Van Eetvelt. No GC chances. Especially frustrating for Van Eetvelt, who was the defending champion, having won this race in 2024. Since then, he has had much bad luck. This season started with a setback as he had to abandon the Santos Tour Down Under after a crash. Fortunately, he suffered no fractures and can start the UAE Tour.
If the cliché that you are only as good as your last race holds true, we must also note Storer. The Australian closed out 2025 with a third place in the Giro di Lombardia behind Evenepoel and the unbeatable Tadej Pogacar. He also won a mountain stage in Paris-Nice, the Memorial Marco Pantani, and the Tour of the Alps overall last year. Storer will undoubtedly be competitive on Jebel Mobrah and Jebel Hafeet, but will the time trial not hurt him? Last year, he lost over a minute in twelve kilometers to winner Tarling.
Ilan Van Wilder will not be afraid of the time trial. The 25-year-old Belgian from Soudal Quick-Step — third in last year’s World Time Trial Championships — actually holds an advantage here over many rivals. His teammate Junior Lecerf will have to rely on the uphill finishes. Lecerf aims for a top-ten in the Vuelta a España this year and hopes to place top five in a WorldTour stage race. Can he achieve that already in the UAE Tour?
It won’t be easy, considering the names listed above. We haven’t even mentioned Derek Gee-West. The Canadian planned to start his season at the Volta ao Algarve but now replaces the ill Giulio Ciccone at the UAE Tour. What can he do in his first race for Lidl-Trek? The 28-year-old hasn’t raced since June 2025 due to a messy split with Israel-Premier Tech, but given his class, he is certainly a podium candidate.
Finally, we mention Harold Tejada (XDS Astana), David Gaudu (Groupama-United FDJ), Afonso Eulálio, and Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious). They can also compete for top places.
Sprinters
The sprinters get three to four chances in this UAE Tour. One of those will undoubtedly go to Jonathan Milan. On paper, he’s the fastest sprinter at the start here, and with two stage wins in the AlUla Tour, he’s off to a strong start. Although he was beaten once by compatriot Matteo Malucelli in that same race, who he will face again in the Emirates.
In the Tour of Oman, we saw sprint victories from Juan Sebastián Molano and Erlend Blikra. They are both also participating in the UAE Tour, along with Steffen De Schuyteneer. The 20-year-old Belgian of Lotto-Intermarché is still chasing his first win in his second pro season but came close in the Grand Prix de la Marseillaise, finishing second. We are also keeping an eye on his fellow countryman Gerben Thijssen, now riding for Alpecin-Premier Tech.
From a Dutch perspective, we will of course watch Fabio Jakobsen. His AlUla Tour started promisingly with fifteenth place in the first (echelon) stage, but he couldn’t contend in the later sprints. It would be a nice boost for the injury-hit Picnic PostNL rider if he can succeed in the UAE Tour. We also note the names Emmanuel Houcou, Ethan Hayter, and another Dutch rider, Cees Bol.
Weather and TV
No surprises on the weather front: the coming week will be warm and sunny in the United Arab Emirates. Temperatures will rise daily to 28 to 30 degrees Celsius, with little to no cloud cover. The wind — an important factor in this race — will mostly come from the northwest, blowing at 3 to 4 Beaufort.
The UAE Tour will be broadcast live daily on Eurosport 2 and streamed on HBO Max. Keep an eye on our TV guide for exact broadcast times.
