UAE Tour explained

UAE Tour
Date:February
Region:United Arab Emirates
Discipline:Road
Competition:UCI World Tour
Type:Stage race
Organiser:RCS Sport
Number:6 (as of 2024)
Number Women:2 (as of 2024)

The UAE Tour (Arabic: جولة الإمارات) are road cycling stage races in the United Arab Emirates. A men's event was first held in 2019 as part of the UCI World Tour. It was created as a result of the merging of the Abu Dhabi Tour and the Dubai Tour. A women's event was first held in 2023 as part of the UCI Women's World Tour.

History

The Dubai Tour was first held in 2014, with the Abu Dhabi Tour first held in 2015. The Abu Dhabi Tour joined the UCI World Tour calendar in 2017.[1] In September 2018, the organisers of both races announced their intent to merge, resulting in the UAE Tour, a longer race that would use stages from both events.

The first edition of the race took place between 24 February and 2 March 2019 as part of the 2019 UCI World Tour.[2] The 2020 UAE Tour was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the last two stages cancelled and teams quarantined before being able to leave the country.[3]

Women's race

In January 2023, organisers announced that a women's race would be held for the first time, as part of the UCI Women's World Tour.[4] This was first staged over 4 days in early February 2023, prior to the men's race.[5]

Route

The race uses similar stages to that of the Abu Dhabi Tour and Dubai Tour - a combination of flat sprint stages and mountain stages using climbs such as Jebel Jais and Jebel Hafeet.[6] Stages in the open desert can be affected by crosswinds. A time trial is also usually part of the route, with the 2019 and 2023 editions featuring a team time trial.

The Jebel Jais climb is usually considered the queen stage of the Tour, with 20km (10miles) of climbing at 5%, with some 7% in the last 2km (01miles).[7] [8]

Winners

Elite Men

width=5% YearsGeneral classification
Points classification
Sprints classification
Young rider classification
Primož Roglič Elia Viviani not awarded David Gaudu
Adam Yates Caleb Ewan Veljko Stojnić Tadej Pogačar
2021[9] Tadej Pogačar David Dekker Tony Gallopin Tadej Pogačar
2022[10] Tadej Pogačar Jasper Philipsen Dmitry Strakhov Tadej Pogačar
2023[11] Remco Evenepoel Tim Merlier Edward Planckaert Remco Evenepoel
2024[12] Lennert Van Eetvelt Tim Merlier Mark Stewart Lennert Van Eetvelt

Wins per country

WinsCountry
3
2
1

Elite Women

YearsGeneral classification
Points classification
Sprints classification
Young rider classification
2023[13] Elisa Longo Borghini Charlotte Kool Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka Gaia Realini
2024[14] Lotte Kopecky Lorena Wiebes Lotte Kopecky Neve Bradbury

Wins per country

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 11 September 2018 . CyclingPub.com - Dubai Tour and Abu Dhabi Tour merge to create WorldTour race UAE Tour . 2023-04-06 . cyclingpub.com.
  2. Web site: UCI reveal WorldTour calendar for 2019 . 23 October 2018 . Cycling News. 15 June 2018 .
  3. Web site: 2020-02-27 . Final UAE Tour stages called off after two coronavirus cases confirmed . 2023-04-06 . cyclingnews.com . en.
  4. Web site: 4 January 2023 . UAE TOUR breaks new ground in the Middle East as Women's Race joins the UCI Women's Worldtour Calendar in 2023 . 2023-04-08 . en-US.
  5. Web site: 2023-02-20 . UAE Tour Women 2023 . 2023-04-06 . cyclingnews.com . en.
  6. Web site: Moultrie . James . 2023-02-16 . UAE Tour 2023 route . 2023-04-06 . cyclingnews.com . en.
  7. Web site: UAE Tour 2019: Leader Roglic Sprints to Queen Stage Win CyclingStage.com . cyclingstage.com/uae-tour-2019/stage-6-results-uae-2019/. 24 February 2019 .
  8. Web site: Ryan . Barry . UAE Tour: Tadej Pogacar wins stage 4 on Jebel Jais mountain finish CyclingStage.com . cyclingnews.com/races/uae-tour-2022/stage-4/results//. 23 February 2022 .
  9. Web site: Pogacar to make the UAE Tour his early-season standard . cyclingnews.com . 5 April 2022 . en . 27 February 2021.
  10. Web site: Goddard . Ben . Tadej Pogačar seals UAE Tour victory atop Jebel Hafeet . cyclingnews.com . 5 April 2022 . en . 26 February 2022.
  11. Web site: Ryan . Barry . Remco Evenepoel seals UAE Tour victory . cyclingnews.com . 26 February 2023 . en . 26 February 2023.
  12. Web site: LENNERT VAN EETVELT HAS TURNED THE TABLES . www.theuaetour.com . 25 February 2024 . en . 25 February 2024.
  13. Web site: 12 February 2023 . Longo Borghini seals historic UAE Tour Women win after Kool sprints to victory . 2023-04-08 . UAE Tour Women . en-US.
  14. Web site: 11 February 2024 . THE RAINBOW SHINES OVER THE UAE TOUR WOMEN . 2023-02-13 . UAE Tour Women . en-US.