The 2020 UAE Tour is set for a stellar line-up as Sam Bennett (Deceuninck – Quick-Step), Chris Froome (Ineos) and Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) are amongst the big names due to ride.
The Middle Eastern race will be Froome’s first back after his crash at the Critérium du Dauphiné last year. The four-time winner of the Tour de France will be hoping to build his form ahead of the 2020 edition.
Alongside Bennett, other sprinters who will be looking to contest for stage wins are Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Soudal), Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates), Dylan Groenewegen (Jumbo-Visma) and Pascal Ackermann (Bora-Hansgrohe).
Mark Cavendish (Bahrain-McLaren) will be taking part in his second race for his new team.
The race will run from February 23 – 29, with the majority of WorldTour teams expected to take part.
The UAE Tour, the only WorldTour race in the Middle East, is a merger between the Abu Dhabi and Dubai tours into a seven-day stage race.
Other riders expected to race include Tony Martin (Jumbo-Visma), Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott), Victor Campenaerts (NTT), Ilnur Zakarin (CCC), Rafał Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Wout Poels (Bahrain-McLaren).
The seven-day race will consist of six flat stages with stage two the only day featuring some hills that could provide opportunities for puncheurs to attack.
All seven United Emirates will feature in the race – Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain.
UAE Tour 2020 start list
Movistar – confirmed
VALVERDE Alejandro (Esp)
CATALDO Dario (Ita)
ROJAS José Joaquín (Esp)
CARRETERO Héctor (Esp)
SAMITIER Sergio (Esp)
TORRES Albert (Esp)
ELOSEGUI Iñigo (Esp)
AG2R La Mondiale
GASTAUER Ben (Lux)
GENIEZ Alexandre (Fra)
BIDARD François (Fra)
HÄNNINEN Jaako (Fin)
Astana Pro Team – confirmed
BOHORQUEZ Hernando
IZAGIRRE Gorka (Esp)
FRAILE Omar (Esp)
LUTSENKO Alexey (Kaz)
KUDUS Merhawi (Eri)
RODRÍGUEZ Óscar (Esp)
GREGAARD Jonas (Den)
Bahrain-Mclaren – confirmed
CAVENDISH Mark (GBr)
POELS Wout (Ned)
VALLS Rafael (Esp)
HALLER Marco (Aut)
CAPECCHI Eros (Ita)
BATTAGLIN Enrico (Ita)
ARASHIRO Yukiya (Jpn)
Bora-Hansgrohe – confirmed
ACKERMANN Pascal (Ger)
BUCHMANN Emanuel (Ger)
MAJKA Rafał (Pol)
SCHWARZMANN Michael (Ger)
KONRAD Patrick (Aut)
MÜHLBERGER Gregor (Aut)
SELIG Rudiger (Ger)
CCC Team – confirmed
ZAKARIN Ilnur (Rus)
MARECZKO Jakub (Ita)
DE LA PARTE Victor (Esp)
VENTOSO Francisco (Esp)
HIRT Jan
KOCHETKOV Pavel (Rus)
GRADEK Kamil (Pol)
Deceuninck – Quick-Step – confirmed
BENNETT Sam (Irl)
KNOX James (GBr)
MØRKØV Michael (Den)
SERRY Pieter (Bel)
ARCHBOLD Shane (NZl)
CATTANEO Mattia (Ita)
STEELS Stijn (Bel)
Gazprom-RusVelo
STRAKHOV Dmitry (Rus)
Groupama – FDJ – confirmed
DÉMARE Arnaud (Fra)
GAUDU David (Fra)
GUARNIERI Jacopo (Ita)
ARMIRAIL Bruno (Fra)
KONOVALOVAS Ignatus (Lit)
SCOTSON Miles (Aus)
SINKELDAM Ramon (Ned)
Lotto Soudal – confirmed
EWAN Caleb (Aus)
DE BUYST Jasper (Bel)
HAGEN Carl Frederik (Nor)
VAN DER SANDE TOSH (Bel)
CRASH Steff (Bel)
HANSEN Adam (Aus)
MERTZ Rémi (Bel)
Mitchelton-Scott – confirmed
YATES Adam (GBr)
BAUER Jack (Nzl)
GRMAY Tsgabu (Eth)
GROVES Kaden (Aus)
HEPBURN Michael (Aus)
MEZGEC Luka (Slo)
SCOTSON Callum (Aus)
NTT Pro Cycling
CAMPENAERTS Victor (Bel)
POZZOVIVO Domenico (Ita)
Jumbo-Visma – confirmed
GROENEWEGEN Dylan (Ned)
MARTIN Tony (Ger)
DE PLUS Laurens (Bel)
VAN EMDEN Jos (Ned)
ROOSEN Timo (Ned)
PFINGSTEN Christoph (Ger)
BOUWMEN Koen (Ned)
Israel Start-Up Nation
BARBIER Rudy (Fra)
Team Ineos – confirmed
FROOME Chris (GBr)
AMADOR Andrey (Crc)
DUNBAR Eddie (Irl)
GOŁAŚ Michal (Pol)
KNEES Christian (Ger)
PUCCIO Salvatore (Ita)
RODRIGUEZ Carlos (Esp)
Sunweb – confirmed
KELDERMAN Wilco (Ned)
STORK Florian (Ger)
KANTER Max (Ger)
POWER Robert (Aus)
KRAGH ANDERSEN Asbjørn (Den)
DAINESE Albert (Ita)
HINDLEY Jai (Aus)
Trek – Segafredo – confirmed
CICCONE Giulio (Ita)
BRAMBILLA Gianluca (Ita)
EG Niklas (Den)
REIJNEN Kiel (USA)
CONCI Nicola (Ita)
CLARKE Will (Aus)
QUARTERMAN Charlie (GBr)
UAE Team Emirates – Confirmed
POGAČAR Tadej (Slo)
GAVIRIA Fernando (Col)
RICHEZE Max (Arg)
TROIA Oliveiro (Ita)
BYSTRØM Sven Erik (Nor)
ULISSI Diego (Ita)
FORMOLO Davide (Ita)
Cofidis – confirmed
HERRADA Jesús (Esp)
ATTILO Viviani (Ita)
HAAS Nathan (Aus)
BERHANE Natnael (Eri)
ROSSETTO Stephan (Fra)
HANSEN Jesper (Den)
HERRADA Jose (Esp)
