UAE Tour 2026 preview - Can anyone stop Evenepoel's blazing Red Bull start?

The eighth edition of the UAE Tour will take place from 16-22 February, and boasts a strong start list featuring some of the sport's biggest stars, despite the absence of defending and world champion Tadej Pogačar.

As a race, the UAE Tour presents more opportunities for sprinters than most other races and consequently often attracts the very quickest riders in the peloton, and 2026 is set to be no different. Equally, this year’s battle for the overall title and red jersey features many stars, even with the recent withdrawal of Jonas Vingegaard due to a training crash and an illness that followed. Those eyeing the red jersey will also need to conquer a brand-new summit finish that has the potential to blow the race apart.

Last year, the race saw heavyweight sprint clashes with Jonathan Milan and Tim Merlier drawing level with two stage victories apiece. There was a time trial demonstration from Josh Tarling, a precursor to his maiden Grand Tour stage win later in May at the Giro d’Italia. 

And finally, Tadej Pogačar did what Tadej Pogačar does, and rose to the fore on both summit finishes to Jebel Jais and Jebel Hafeet to win a record-extending third edition of the UAE Tour. Giulio Ciccone and Pello Bilbao rounded out the general classification podium.

Stage 1 returns to the punchy finish at Liwa Palace, where Jonathan Milan sprinted to victory twelve months ago. It's a deceptively undulating stage throughout, and with gradients rising to 5% at the finish line, the sprinters will certainly have their work cut out. A degree of versatility will be needed to take the first red jersey.

Next up is a race against the clock, where the general classification contenders will get their first readings on one another's form. It’s not a particularly long effort at 12.2km in length, and with the route being flat, it’s one where the specialists should shine. 

The introduction of a brand-new summit finish on stage 3 to Jebel Mobrah will shake up the general classification significantly. The 15km climb can be split into two parts, with the first section averaging 7%, before the gradient ramps up towards 12% for the final 6km, with a maximum section of 17%.

Stages 4 and 5 are primed to end up in bunch sprints, that’s if the wind doesn’t wreak havoc on the peloton. Attention then turns back to the fight for the red jersey on stage 6, which sees a summit finish on the more recognised ascent of Jebel Hafeet. The climb is 10km in length, averaging around 8-9%, and it’s the last chance to make a difference, meaning that fireworks can be expected.

The final stage presents one last chance for the sprinters to duke it out for victory in what is likely to be a fast and furious battle to the finish at Abu Dhabi Breakwater, where the 2026 UAE Tour will draw to a close.

For more details on the 2026 UAE Tour route, here is a full stage-by-stage guide.

Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) has quickly settled into life with his new team after a blockbuster transfer from Soudal Quick-Step and will step into the spotlight once more at the UAE Tour. The Olympic Champion has started off his 2026 season with six victories in eight race days, most recently securing the GC at the Volta Comunitat Valenciana.

Along the way, Evenepoel powered to victory in the individual time trial, and the Olympic and World Champion in the discipline will have pencilled the second stage as an opportunity to lay down an early marker in the GC fight.

The climbing legs have impressed so far, but the summit finishes to Jebel Mobrah and Jebel Hafeet will give Evenepoel an opportunity to test himself in a different sort of challenge to the Spanish races.

Evenepoel was able to dispatch one of UAE’s main men in João Almeida at the Spanish stage race, and the Belgian will have the task of slaying another of the Emirati team’s star talents at their home race. 

In the absence of Tadej Pogačar, Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) will lead the charge, and the Mexican star will be aiming to kick on from a stellar 2025 in which he scored eighteen victories.

Out of his eighteen victories in 2025, only his Giro stage win was at WorldTour level, but if the Mexican continues on his current trajectory, that could change significantly in 2026, and the UAE Tour presents the first opportunity to make a mark.

2020 winner Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) leads the Emirati team alongside Del Toro after finishing third overall at the Tour of Oman. If both are strong enough, the numerical advantage could be key to a successful race.

Derek Gee-West (Lidl-Trek) is set to make his debut for his new team after originally being scheduled to race the Volta ao Algarve. The Canadian champion reportedly replaces last year’s podium finisher Ciccone, who has pulled out due to illness. Gee-West is one of the more intriguing names on the start list as he hasn’t raced since becoming Canadian champion at the end of June last year.

Other riders on the provisional start list at the time of writing who could be at the pointy end of the general classification and currently sit inside the top 100 of the UCI rankings include: Damiano Caruso and Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain-Victorious), Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM), Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility), Michael Storer (Tudor), Ben Tulett (Visma | Lease a Bike), and Ilan Van Wilder (Soudal Quick-Step).

In terms of the fast men, one rider stands out in particular. Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) sprinted to victory on two occasions twelve months ago, and after winning two stages at the AlUla Tour to kick off his 2026 season, the Italian should be the man to beat in the sprints.

This is further supported by the absence of Tim Merlier and Olav Kooij, both of whom were initially expected to ride, and both former stage winners at the race.

Milan will still have his work cut out because on the early provisional start list, there are plenty of sprinters who have unlocked the winning formula quickly in the season. Sam Welsford (Ineos Grenadiers) got off to a good debut with his new team at the Santos Tour Down Under, taking a stage victory. 

Erlend Blikra (Uno-X Mobility) and Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) sprinted to stage victories at the Tour of Oman, illustrating good form, and the latter is a former stage winner at the UAE Tour back in 2023. Meanwhile, Matteo Malucelli (XDS Astana) beat Milan on stage 4 of the AlUla Tour with a powerful and well-timed sprint. The Italian has a good track record in Asia, having won eight times in 2025, all on this continent. 

• How to watch?
• Start list
• Stage-by-stage guide
• Storylines to watch
• Sprinters to watch