Five young talents ready to break through at the 2026 UAE Tour

Mathys Rondel has flown out of the traps in 2026. The 22-year-old from Le Mans impressed at Challenge Mallorca with top fives in all three appearances, including second place behind Remco Evenepoel at Trofeo Andratx Pollença. That form was also evident in 2025, when he finished second on the Valdengo Oropa stage, sandwiched between UAE teammates Adam Yates and Jay Vine.

Rondel could feature on stages like stage 3, which includes the new ascent of Jebel Mobrah. It remains to be seen whether he will ride in support of Michael Storer as Tudor targets a high general classification placing. If he is still there deep into the summit finishes, beating riders like Evenepoel would be a major ask, but that is the level he is chasing.

21-year-old Kiwi, Lewis Bower, comes into the UAE Tour fresh off taking a third place at third stage of the Santos Tour Down Under. He excels on rolling terrain and can sprint from reduced groups. Keep an eye on him on stage 4, a tough day that still offers a fast finish.

It would come as no surprise to see the FDJ rider deep inside the top ten on that stage.

Another rider with a fast finish is Steffen De Schuyteneer of Lotto-Intermarché. He opened his 2026 season with second place at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Marseille, although the Tour of Oman did not go to plan.

De Schuyteneer has history at the UAE Tour. It was the race where he made his WorldTour debut in 2025 and he took a top ten on a stage. With a season of progression behind him, he should be in the top ten on sprint stages and, on his day, could finish in the top 15 in the stage 2 time trial.

Nordhagen has been regarded as one of the top talents of his generation for several years, and the UAE Tour could be the race that launches him. His last WorldTour appearance was the Tour of Guangxi in October 2025, which may have been the springboard for another step forward over the winter.

With two summit finishes, he will have the chance to show his progress to a wider audience and could even follow a path similar to Jonas Vingegaard’s, who took his breakthrough on Jebel Jais in 2021. Will we see déjà vu in 2026?

20-year-old Markel Beloki (son of former legend Joseba Beloki) claimed two stage top tens at the Vuelta a España in 2025 and will be looking to build on that in 2026. He opened his season at Challenge Mallorca with a best result of 15th on Tramuntana. Beloki is one to watch as a daring attacker on the summit finishes and on the rolling stage 4, although he will need a sharper sprint if he wants to contend for a stage result.