Lorena Wiebes has dominated the sprints for years; could that change this season?
Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx-Protime) wins stage 3 of the UAE Tour Women ahead of Lara Gillespie (Team UAE ADQ) on February 07, 2026 (Photo: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Updated February 7, 2026 07:38AM
Lorena Wiebes clocked up the 121st victory of her career on Saturday, but it was her closest call in ages.
The sprint supremo was pushed all the way to the line in Abu Dhabi, edging her third successive triumph at the UAE Tour Women by just half a bike length over Lara Gillespie.
The Irish UAE Team ADQ rider momentarily rubbed shoulders with former world champion Amalie Dideriksen (Cofidis Women Team) as the sprint opened up and had to back off momentarily. Gillespie got going again and was clawing her way up Wiebes’ right but ran out of road, lunging for the line yet missing out on the victory.
Wiebes had taken stage one and two by several bike lengths over her rivals, but things were less dominant this time around.
She explained afterwards that things didn’t quite go to plan in the run up to the sprint.
“I lost Barbara [leadout woman Barbara Guarischi] a bit, so I needed to find my way by myself a bit more,” the Team SD Worx – Protime rider said. “I went quite a lot through the wind before I could start my sprint, so it was quite a hard one. The team did an amazing job all day long to chase the breakaway. We had to finish it off again, and again it was a chaotic sprint.”
A big change for the final stage
Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) competes during the 4th UAE Tour Women 2026, Stage 3 a 145km stage from Abu Dhabi TeamLab Phenomena to Abu Dhabi Breakwater on February 07, 2026 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Gillespie is two years younger than Wiebes and determined to get the better of her this year. Right now there is a significant gulf between them—seven career wins, as compared to 121—but she gave it her all and was much nearer than she was when she was runner-up on stage one.
“We are getting closer,” the 24 year old smiled. “The hope is there and the belief is there. We had really good teamwork again today and we are in control. We go in tomorrow strong again.”
Tomorrow is, however, a very different stage altogether. There is a 10.7km climb to the summit of Jebel Hafeet and given their physical characteristics, there is next to no chance for Wiebes and Gillespie to be in contention again.
Instead, look for the climbers on their teams to represent each squad’s hopes for the stage win and the final overall classification.
For SD Worx Protime that will be an opportunity for Anna van der Breggen. For UAE Team ADQ it will be Elisa Longo Borghini. The latter triumphed in 2024 and again last year, and looks to make it a third successive GC triumph on Sunday.
Van der Breggen will do what she can to spoil the part. How does Wiebes see her chances?
“We have to see. For our team here, it is the first climbing stage so we need to see how the legs are,” she said. “I think it will be a nice battle tomorrow.”
Other riders likely to figure are Kasi Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM Zondacrypto), Niamh Fisher Black (Lidl-Trek) and Monica Trinca Colonel (Liv AlUla Jayco).