Isaac del Toro will make his season debut at the UAE Tour. Photo courtesy of UAE Team Emirates-XRG.
Hi Subscribers,
The third men’s WorldTour race of the season, the UAE Tour, returns for its eighth edition with a reshaped route and a stacked start list.
Set against the striking landscapes of the United Arab Emirates, the seven-day race runs from Madinat Zayed Majlis on February 16 to the Abu Dhabi Breakwater on February 22, offering an early-season proving ground for some of the sport’s biggest names.
Following the traditional WorldTour curtain-raiser in Australia, the UAE Tour has quickly established itself as more than just a warm-weather stop on the calendar. Though one of the younger events on the WorldTour schedule, it has become a key battleground for general classification contenders looking to lay down an early marker.
This year’s edition shakes up expectations: fewer pan-flat sprint days and a greater emphasis on climbs and selective terrain promise a more dynamic fight for the overall title. The individual time trial, however, remains a decisive fixture.
Among the headline names, Isaac del Toro begins his season on his team’s home roads and will be targeting a statement victory. While illness has sidelined Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) arrives in strong form and stands ready to mount a serious challenge for the general classification.
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