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United Arab Emirates 05 Feb – 08 Feb 2026 Class 2.WWT – Stages – UCI Women’s WorldTour
Website https://www.theuaetourwomen.com/
Data powered by FirstCycling.com
The 2026 UAE Tour Women is currently underway, marking the fourth edition of this UCI Women’s WorldTour event. The race runs from February 5 to February 8, 2026, and consists of four stages across the United Arab Emirates.
Current Status: Stage 1 Results
The first stage took place today, February 5, covering 111 km from Al Mirfa to Madinat Zayed.
- Winner: Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx – Protime) took the victory in a characteristic bunch sprint.
- Top 3:
- Lorena Wiebes (Netherlands)
- Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy)
- Kimberley (Le Court) Pienaar (Mauritius)
- General Classification: Lorena Wiebes will wear the first Red Jersey of the race heading into Stage 2.
The 2026 Route & Schedule
The race features three stages tailored for sprinters and a final, decisive mountain finish to crown the overall winner.
| Stage | Date | Route | Distance | Type |
| 1 | Feb 5 | Al Mirfa → Madinat Zayed | 111 km | Flat (Sprint) |
| 2 | Feb 6 | Dubai Police Academy → Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University | 145 km | Flat (Sprint) |
| 3 | Feb 7 | Abu Dhabi TeamLab Phenomena → Abu Dhabi Breakwater | 121 km | Flat (Sprint) |
| 4 | Feb 8 | Al Ain (Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium) → Jebel Hafeet | 156 km | Mountain Finish |
Key Storylines to Watch
Star Debuts: This year marks the UAE Tour debut for Tour de France Femmes winner Kasia Niewiadoma, who will likely be the primary challenger to Longo Borghini on the slopes of Jebel Hafeet.
The Queen of Jebel Hafeet: Defending champion Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) is the favorite for the final climb, but her strong second-place finish in today’s sprint shows she is in top form and hungry for bonus seconds.
Sprint Dominance: Lorena Wiebes is looking to add to her record-breaking tally of stage wins in the UAE. Her main rivals include Charlotte Kool and Chiara Consonni.
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
The UAE Tour Women is a relatively young but prestigious event on the professional cycling calendar. It was established as the only UCI Women’s WorldTour race in the Middle East, serving as a counterpart to the long-standing men’s UAE Tour.
Despite its short history, it has quickly become a defining early-season race for both the world’s best sprinters and elite climbers.
1. Origin and Launch (2023)
The race was first announced in January 2023 by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and RCS Sport (the organizers of the Giro d’Italia). It was created to bridge the gap in top-tier women’s racing in the region and to leverage the infrastructure already in place for the men’s event.
- Inaugural Winner: Elisa Longo Borghini (then riding for Trek–Segafredo) made history by winning the first-ever edition.
- Immediate Impact: The race was granted WorldTour status from its very first year, ensuring that all 15 top-tier professional teams were in attendance.
2. Race Identity: Sprints and the “Queen Stage”
The history of the race is defined by a very specific and consistent four-stage structure:
- The Sprinters’ Paradise: Three of the four stages are typically pancake-flat, winding through the desert or cityscapes like Dubai and Abu Dhabi. This has led to a fierce rivalry between the world’s fastest women, most notably Lorena Wiebes (who holds the record for most stage wins) and Charlotte Kool.
- The Jebel Hafeet Decider: Every edition of the race has been decided on the slopes of Jebel Hafeet, a 10 km climb with an average gradient of 8-9%. Historically, whoever wins this stage almost always wins the Red Jersey (General Classification).
3. Past Winners & Key Records
The race has been dominated by the heavyweights of the peloton:
| Year | Winner (Red Jersey) | Key Milestone |
| 2023 | Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA) | Inaugural winner; Italian dominance on Jebel Hafeet. |
| 2024 | Lotte Kopecky (BEL) | The reigning World Champion showcased her climbing versatility to win. |
| 2025 | Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA) | Became the first two-time winner; Stage 2 was the fastest in WWT history (48.4 km/h). |
| 2026 | Ongoing | Currently underway (Feb 5–8). |
4. Historical “Firsts”
- Fastest Stage: In 2025, Stage 2 from Al Dhafra Fort to Al Mirfa set a record for the fastest-ever UCI Women’s WorldTour stage due to extreme tailwinds and echelons, averaging 48.4 km/h.
- Echelon Drama: The race is historically famous for “crosswinds.” Because the roads are so exposed in the desert, teams often use the wind to “split” the peloton into echelons, often ending the GC hopes of favorites before they even reach the mountains.
