The stage races are coming thick and fast with the men’s UAE Tour next, which runs from 16th to 22nd February and packs in a time-trial and two big summit finishes.
Last year’s edition was won by Tadej Pogačar for UAE Team Emirates XRG ahead of Lidl-Trek’s Giulio Ciccone and Bahrain Victorious’s Pello Bilbao. Pogačar is not here this year, instead focussing on the Classics, but it’s set to be a tasty showdown between his teammates Isaac del Toro and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe’s Remco Evenepoel. The regular climb up Jebel Jais has been sidelined this year for a brutal new summit finish on Jebel Mobrah, which is almost 15km in length with an average gradient of 8.6% but a brutal maximum of 17%.
It’s not all GC action though. As usual there are plenty of pan-flat stages for sprinters. Last year, Tim Merlier and Jonathan Milan won two stages apiece. Milan will be looking to sweep up during this edition given Merlier is out of action with a knee injury, so he only has to deal with the likes of Sam Welsford for Ineos Grenadiers, Sebastián Molano for UAE Team Emirates XRG, Merlier’s new understudy at Soudal-QuickStep, Alberto Dainese, and XDS-Astana’s Matteo Malucelli, who beat Milan in one of the AlUla Tour sprints a couple of weeks ago.
There’s also a 12km individual time-trial on Stage 2, which will cause some GC splits but also gives the likes of Josh Tarling, Ethan Hayter, Stefan Bissegger and Daan Hoole a first run-out against the clock of 2026.
UAE Tour 2026 key information
- Date: Monday 16th-Sunday 22nd February 2026
- Start: Madinat Zayed Majlis
- Finish: Abu Dhabi Breakwater
- Stages: 7
- Distance: 1,004.2km
- 2025 winner: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
- Live television coverage: Discovery+, TNT Sports 1, SBS, FloBikes
UAE Tour 2026 route and stage-by-stage preview
As has become typical for the UAE Tour, one of the newest stage races on the WorldTour calendar, the race will be mostly flat, with two mountain-top finishes. While Jebel Hafeet on Stage 6 is familiar territory, Jebel Mobrah on Stage 3 is new ground, and a much bigger opportunity to split the field. There could also be a GC shake-up on Stage 2’s 12km time-trial or even on the flat stages with a potential for crosswinds in the desert.
Stage 1, Monday 16th February: Madinat Zayed Majlis – Liwa Palace, 144km
The opening stage kicks off with a ride south towards two laps of a 18km circuit before the peloton turns back on themselves to finish at Liwa. It’s a first opportunity to shine for the sprinters, though the final kilometre is slightly uphill, around 5%, which won’t help Jonathan Milan.
Stage 2, Tuesday 17th February: Al Hudayriyat Island – Al Hudayriyat Island, 12.2km (ITT)
Stage 2 takes place entirely on Al Hudayriyat Island for an individual time-trial over 12km. It’s a copy and paste of last year’s Stage 2, which saw Josh Tarling beat Decathlon’s Stefan Bissegger and the UAE duo of Pogačar and Jay Vine. It’s set to be a good competition here, and because it’s only short it’s anyone’s game.
Stage 3, Wednesday 18th February: Umm Al Quwain – Jebel Mobrah, 183km
GC contenders will be eyeing the latter half of this stage as the race heads to Jebel Mobrah. The climb is split in two, hitting an average of 7% in the first 6.5km before spending the next 2km heading downhill. From there, the main test begins as riders are immediately confronted with a 17% gradient, which then peters out for an average of 12% in the last 5km.
Stage 4, Thursday 19th February: Fujairah – Fujairah, 182km
Stage 4 begins on the coast in Fujairah, heading inland for a loop around Masfut. Then it’s back to where they started for what should be another sprint opportunity.
Stage 5, Friday 20th February: Dubai Al Mamzar Park – Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University, 166km
A typical sprint stage in Dubai. Will someone upset the applecart or is it a win for Milan?
Stage 6, Saturday 21st February: Al Ain Museum – Jebel Hafeet, 168km
The last day takes the peloton up the 10km Jebel Hafeet, which has an average of 6.9% – a welcome sight after Stage 3. It should be high octane with riders fresh from a completely flat ride to the foot of the climb.
Stage 7, Sunday 22nd February: Zayed National Museum – Abu Dhabi Breakwater, 149km
The 2026 UAE Tour culminates with one final sprint stage towards Abu Dhabi Breakwater. It’s been a constant finishing point in the past five editions, with Tim Merlier (2025, 2024, 2023), Mark Cavendish (2022) and Caleb Ewan (2021) all coming out victorious.
UAE Tour 2026 favourites
The absence of Tadej Pogačar sets the scene for a mouthwatering clash between Remco Evenepoel and the UAE duo of Isaac del Toro and Adam Yates. Evenepoel has been on fire early this season, victorious in his first three one-day races in Spain and his first stage race at the Volta Comunitat Valenciana, where he won the time-trial and the queen stage.
Del Toro has not raced yet in 2026 but comes off a breakthrough season that saw the him come close to a spectacular Giro d’Italia victory. He swept up 14 wins in addition to GC triumphs at the Vuelta a Burgos and Tour of Austria as well as national titles in both the road race and time-trial.
The pair haven’t raced against each other much. Since Del Toro’s breakthrough last year they’ve only ridden three of the same races, at the World Championships and Il Lombardia, and the Belgian finished better at all three, but it’s tough to compare those to what’s on offer here.
Yates is arriving off the back of a disappointing podium finish at the Tour of Oman. He’s won the GC here before in 2020 and claimed the Jebel Hafeet stage in 2023.
There’s still a handful of other strong riders all vying for a podium. Decathlon CMA CGM bring Felix Gall, who had a strong Vuelta a España for a eighth place finish last year, as Ilan van Wilder (Soudal-QuickStep), Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) and Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling) will all hope to feature.
Cyclist’s GC ratings
- ★★★★★: Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
- ★★★★: Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
- ★★★: Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious), Felix Gall (Decathlon-CMA CGM)
- ★★: Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling), , Ilan Van Wilder (Soudal-QuickStep)
- ★: Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility), Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious), Finn Fisher-Black (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Pablo Castrillo (Movistar)
How to watch the UAE Tour 2026
The UAE Tour 2026 will be available to watch in the UK on Discovery+ and on the TV channel with TNT Sports 1. In the USA and Canada, action is covered on FloBikes, while in Australia it’s on SBS.
If it’s not being shown in your country, you may be able to watch coverage using a VPN – Virtual Private Network – which allows users to mask their IP address and watch geo-blocked content, provided they don’t need to pay for a subscription. This is also helpful for watching paid-for coverage while travelling abroad in countries without access.
Stage 1, Monday 16th February
Discovery+: 10:45 – 12:45
TNT Sports 1: 10:45 – 12:45
Stage 2: Tuesday 17th February
Discovery+: 09:45 – 11:45
TNT Sports 1: 09:45 – 11:45
Stage 3, Wednesday 18th February
Discovery+: 11:25 – 13:00
TNT Sports 1: 11:30 – 13:00
Stage 4, Thursday 19th February
Discovery+: 11:25 – 13:00
TNT Sports 1: 11:30 – 13:00
Stage 5, Friday 20th February
Discovery+: 11:25 – 13:00
TNT Sports 1: 11:30 – 13:00
Stage 6, Saturday 21st February
Discovery+: 11:15 – 13:00
TNT Sports 1: 11:15 – 13:00
Stage 7, Sunday 22nd February
Discovery+: 10:45 – 12:45
TNT Sports 1: 10:45 – 12:45
UAE Tour 2026 start list
UAE Tour 2025 Jebel Hafeet stage highlights
