Evenepoel to continue its triumphant start to the season on the UAE Tour 2026

Before the classics take center stage in the cycling calendar, the UAE Tour, which takes place from February 16 to 22, serves as the first major test for the riders who are just waking up after the winter period. A race that repeats the formula that works year after year, including two mountain finishes, an individual time trial, and 4 stages for the sprinters who increasingly have fewer opportunities to shine in the calendar.

Isaac del Toro vs Remco Evenepoel, favorites for the UAE Tour 2026

Absent from the race are the last winner, Tadej Pogacar, and who should have been the main attraction, a injured and ill Jonas Vingegaard, the attention shifts to Remco Evenepoel, who has started the season without giving anyone a chance, winning wherever he has competed.

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In this way, the Belgian secured three trophies from the Challenge of Mallorca and the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, showcasing tremendous superiority that he aims to continue imposing in the two mountain finishes of the UAE Tour, very suitable for his characteristics and, above all, in his true specialty, the individual time trial, which should help him mark differences almost from the start.

On his part, Isaac del Toro will try to keep the UAE Tour at home, although he faces the handicap of this being his first race of the season and may be affected by a lack of rhythm and the fact that he has to face a Remco Evenepoel who has shown no mercy wherever he has competed.

Although it may be difficult to count on them for the general classification, mainly due to the penalty that the time trial represents for them, we must take into account other always combative cyclists who will surely try to play their options in the two mountain finishes. We are talking about names like Antonio Tiberi or Ben O’Connor.

UAE Tour 2026 Route

7 stages make up the UAE Tour, which begins on February 16 and will last until Sunday, February 22, organized by the Emirati race organization. A race that does not change its usual formula in which three stages decide the final result of the race.

The first point of attention is focused on the second stage, where the individual time trial takes place on the island of Al Hudayriyat. An absolutely flat and wind-exposed course where, despite the short 12.2 km, the terrain is enough for specialists to gain a good number of seconds on their rivals.

Jebel Mobrah, a 15-kilometer climb that concludes the third stage, and the classic finish at Jebel Hafeet in the sixth stage will ultimately define the general classification of this UAE Tour, as the rest of the stages are usually suited for sprints.

How to watch the UAE Tour 2026

Eurosport and the HBO-Max platform will once again cover the UAE Tour. The stages have a rather early schedule due to the time difference between Europe and the Gulf region, with the end of the stages expected around 12:30-1:00 PM.

The UAE Tour finds its place amidst the frenzy of the Winter Olympic Games and can be watched on the Eurosport 2 channel as well as through the HBO-Max platform.