'The Remco Evenepoel Tour de France hype starts here': Everything you need to know about the UAE Tour 2026
There may be no Tadej Pogačar at UAE Team Emirates-XRG's home race, but there's plenty else to watch out for
Dates: Monday 16 - Sunday 22 February 2026
Distance: 978.2km
Stage | Start | Finish | Distance (km) |
1 | Madinat Zayed Majilis | Liwa Palace | 118 (shortened from 144 due to wind) |
2 | Hudayriyat Island | Hudayriyat Island | 12.2 (ITT) |
3 | Umm al Quwain | Jebel Mobrah | 183 |
4 | Fujairah | Fujairah | 182 |
5 | Dubai Al Mamzar Park | Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University | 166 |
6 | Al Ain Museum | Jebel Hafeet | 168 |
7 | Zayed National Museum | Abu Dhabi Breakwater | 149 |
2025 podium:
1. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
2. Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek)
3. Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious)
Five things to know about the race
The absence of Pogačar
There will be no defending champion at the UAE Tour this year as Tadej Pogačar has decided to forego his home team’s race, which opens it up for everyone else. Interestingly, his UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad has never won the event without the Slovenian, so Isaac del Toro has big shoes to fill as the team will be chasing yet more wins on their quest to 100.
Post-Remco Quick-Step
In all the excitement of Remco Evenepoel’s move to Red Bull the future, well present, of Soudal Quick-Step has been under-discussed. The team are yet to win in 2026, not that they have had many opportunities, but in Ilan Van Wilder they have a Belgian GC hope, and in Ethan Hayter they have stage-hunting power.
Evenepoel’s great record
With no Pogačar or Jonas Vingegaard, the latter due to illness, all eyes will be on Evenepoel. He is the rider here most likely to finish on the podium at the Tour de France, and so the UAE Tour will be ripe for speculation – while July is far off, the hype starts here.
Focus on: Jebel Hafeet
This climb has become an icon of the UAE Tour, being included every year since the race’s inception; it’s the Middle East’s answer to Willunga Hill. It’s located near the border with Oman, and the road climbs one of the UAE’s highest mountains. Jebel Hafeet means “empty mountain” in Arabic. It’s 9.2km at 7.2%, which might not compare with the long climbs of the Alps and Pyrenees, but is still a serious test, especially in February. Most years the winner atop the climb wins the whole race, and it is likely to be the same in 2026.
Who will be sprinting?
Two-time stage winner last year Tim Merlier will be absent, so therefore the favourite for the many bunch sprints will likely be Lidl-Trek’s Jonathan Milan. It will be interesting to see who his rivals will be, setting the narrative for bunch finishes this year – so far, Sam Welsford, Tobias Lund Andresen and Biniam Girmay have been the picks elsewhere.
American dreaming
The UAE Tour will be Modern Adventure Pro Cycling’s first ever WorldTour race, with the ProTeam run by George Hincapie in its debut year. Fresh out of the blocks, not much is expected by way of results, but a new American team on the world stage is something to be celebrated.
Five riders to watch
Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
Leading the home squad’s charge for glory will be the young Mexican, the breakout star of last season. The 22-year-old is yet to race this year, but finished 2026 with nine wins from September onwards, so shouldn’t be too rusty.
Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe)
It has been a dream start for Remco Evenepoel at Red Bull, with four wins in his first five days racing, but the UAE Tour will be a step up. It might not mean the toughest climbs, but the level of opposition will be the highest he has faced so far. A statement win will get people talking.
Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek)
Two wins at the AlUla Tour suggest that Milan has started the year in flying form, and who would bet against more success for the 25-year-old in the Middle East? He won two stages here last year, so knows what he is doing.
Ethan Hayter (Soudal Quick-Step)
Eyes will be on Evenepoel for the time trial on stage two of the UAE Tour, but the British champion is always impressive against the clock. With the ITT being 12.2km, his experience in the team pursuit could come in very handy.
Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM)
The brand new age at Decathlon CMA CGM has been a little delayed by injury to Olav Kooij, so taking up the mantle for wins at the UAE Tour will be Felix Gall. The Austrian finished in the top 10 at both the Tour de France and Vuelta a España last year.
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