UAE Tour 2026 route - Stage-by-stage guide

The opening stage of the UAE Tour sees a return to the uphill drag to the finish at Liwa Palace. Twelve months ago, it was Jonathan Milan who got the better of Jasper Philipsen in the uphill sprint, with the Belgian later being relegated, whilst even Tadej Pogačar was involved in the shakeup, finishing in the top 10.

Beforehand, the riders will tackle a punchy section of the route leading to the Moreeb Dune, where two 18.1km laps await, as anticipation builds towards an explosive battle for the stage win.

With the gradients rising to around 5% on the long finish straight, this stage isn’t favourable for the pure sprinters, but the likes of Milan, who are versatile and strong enough, can shine, as proven in 2025. Timing will also be key in this finish, in the battle for the first race leader’s red jersey and stage win of the race.

The first of three stages that are likely to create separation between the general classification contenders, this 12.2km individual time trial will take place entirely inside Al Hudayriyat Island.

It’s not an overly technical route with a few sharp right-angle corners and two U-turns, meaning that the specialists will be able to leave everything out on the flat roads.

Last year, Josh Tarling stormed to victory in the individual time trial, whilst Tadej Pogacar set himself up in a strong position in the general classification by finishing third. Remco Evenepoel, world champion in the discipline, will be looking to lay down an early marker.

Stage 3 is the most intriguing on the menu due to the introduction of a new summit finish to Jebel Mobrah, which has the potential to create havoc.

The longest stage of the race at 183km in length, stage 3, sets off from Umm Al Quwain, and like most in this race, is mainly flat. However, things pick up towards the end of the stage, with the final 20km rising continuously to the finish, albeit for a short plateau that separates the uncategorised climbing and the start of the Jebel Mobrah climb.

The 15km ascent can be distinguished into two parts, and to the displeasure of most, the second half is even more difficult than the first. The first part of the averages 7%, before the final 6km ramps up the gradients significantly towards 12%. 

With maximum gradients reaching 17%, and the inclines remaining above 10-12% in the final kilometres, there could be individual riders littered across the slopes of a climb that should define the general classification of the 2026 UAE Tour.

This stage begins and finishes in Fujairah, and although the expected outcome is a sprint finish, the riders will still have their work cut out as the route is undulating for the most part. Stage 4 of the 2025 edition started at Fujairah Qidfa Beach and saw Jonathan Milan claim his second stage win of the race, and the Italian will be one of the favourites to win the fourth stage of the 2026 race.

The route heads inland with a turnaround in the enclaves of Hatta (Dubai) and Masfut (Ajman), traversing desert areas of the Hajar Mountains. Riders will tackle wide, mostly straight roads through the desert, where crosswinds, headwinds, and occasional sand can split the bunch or disrupt sprint trains. 

The finish is on a wide avenue, meaning the sprinters’ teams will have plenty of room to battle it out for a likely sprint finish.

Dubai hosts one of the most pan-flat stages of the race, which will be music to the sprinters’ ears. This 166km stage begins in the city before heading past landmarks, including the Al Quadra Cycletrack and the Meydan Racecourse, which hosts the Dubai World Cup horse race.

From here, the peloton will gallop their way through the final 60km to the finish at Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University, where another sprint is expected. As is the case with any stage in the UAE Tour, the wind can play its part, which all the teams and riders will be well aware of, but this could increase nerves towards the latter parts of the stage. 

The final 700 metres are straightforward to the finish on a wide avenue, which means that once more, sprint trains will play a crucial role as there is plenty of room for many riders to be involved. 

Though the majority of this 168km stage is flat from the start at the Al Ain Museum, this stage will prove consequential in deciding the fate of the general classification contenders, thanks to one of the UAE Tour’s most recognised climbs.

Those who tune in regularly to the UAE Tour will already be well aware of the final climb of Jebel Hafeet. It’s a climb that has become the stomping ground of Tadej Pogačar, a four-time winner on its slopes, but in 2026, it’s expected that two of his greatest rivals, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel, will do battle, alongside the world champion’s young Mexican teammate, Isaac del Toro.

In terms of this year’s UAE Tour, Jebel Hafeet will reveal the truth about each rider’s current level, on its 10km slopes, littered with sweeping hairpin bends, and gradients averaging around 8-9%. In multiple editions, the stage has come down to the wire, and with a short descent in the last km before the final uphill ramp, the race can become very tactical for what is a mountain top finish, particularly as this is likely the last chance to make a difference overall.

The general classification should all but be decided by this point in the race, but the UAE Tour has one last offering for the sprinters to strive for glory. This is a pan-flat 149km stage that takes place around the city of Abu Dhabi, taking in some of the most recognisable landmarks of the region, including Yas Island and the Yas Marina Circuit, home to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in Formula One.

Whilst the riders won’t be hitting quite as high speeds as the likes of Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and co, a fast and furious finish at Abu Dhabi Breakwater is on the cards to round out the 2026 UAE Tour.

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