"No excuses": Evenepoel fails in the first major climb of the year

Antonio Tiberi attacked Jebel Mobrah to take the queen stage of the UAE Tour 2026 and wear the red jersey, on a day when Remco Evenepoel faltered four kilometers from the finish, losing more than two minutes and relinquishing the lead just 24 hours after showcasing his strength in the time trial.

Evenepoel fails to respond in the queen stage and hands over the red jersey

The queen stage of the UAE Tour 2026 shook up the general classification in the final ascent to Jebel Mobrah. Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) delivered a solid and brave performance to take the stage victory and don the red jersey, while Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) completed a great comeback to finish second and also move into second place in the overall standings. The big negative surprise of the day was Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), who faltered in the last four kilometers and ended up losing more than two minutes, dropping to eleventh place, 1:44 behind the new leader.

The day was marked by a long breakaway from Silvan Dillier and Jonas Rickaert (Alpecin), who managed to build a lead of nearly eight minutes against a peloton that remained calm until well into the second half of the race. Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe controlled the pace for many kilometers, while UAE and Decathlon CMA CGM increased the tempo as the final climb approached. The break was neutralized 11 kilometers from the finish, and as they hit the first slopes of Jebel Mobrah, the final selection began.

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Evenepoel initially responded to the moves of riders like Felix Gall, but his pace fell apart with about four kilometers to go. Tiberi took advantage of the moment to launch his final offensive and consolidate a lead that earned him both the stage and the overall lead. Del Toro, after a somewhat more conservative start in the ascent, improved as the race went on to secure a second place that strengthens his candidacy in the overall standings.

Evenepoel explains his collapse

The Belgian, who had won the time trial the day before and started as the leader, did not hide his disappointment after crossing the finish line. He pointed directly to Tuesday's effort as a possible cause of his bad day: “The effort from Tuesday in the time trial was not fully absorbed. At the foot of the climb, I started to cramp, something I don’t usually experience. Maybe it was due to yesterday's effort, which I hadn’t fully recovered from.”

He also acknowledged that he did not feel good from the start of the ascent: “When I had to give in, I had a really bad kilometer, but then I managed to survive a bit. I didn’t have good feelings in my legs today.”

And he was clear when analyzing the overall standings after losing the red jersey: “I didn’t have the best night either; I woke up because of the heat. But in the end, I can’t make excuses.”

With a 1:44 deficit, Evenepoel himself admitted that the overall classification is seriously complicated and hinted that he will focus his options on seeking a stage victory at Jebel Hafeet.

What does this result mean?

Beyond losing the lead, the stage represented a first opportunity to gauge his form in a long and demanding climb ahead of the upcoming Tour de France. Having not yet completed his altitude training, scheduled in Teide after the UAE Tour, the Belgian faced a day that could serve as a declaration of intent against rivals who have accumulated work at altitude.

The team has downplayed the result, reminding that we are in February and that the main goal is July.

What happened today can be interpreted as a specific recovery issue after the time trial, exacerbated by the heat and the lack of specific adaptation to prolonged efforts in climbing. But it also reopens the debate about his performance in long climbs against the best climbers in the peloton, especially if the goal is to fight for the podium in Paris.

With several stages still ahead and another finish at altitude in Jebel Hafeet, Evenepoel will have room to partially react.