The UAE Tour Women returns in early February as one of the first major Women’s WorldTour stage races of the season, and it remains a race defined by two clear realities. The first is exposure, with long, open roads that can turn a calm day into a nervous fight for position if the wind lifts. The second is Jebel Hafeet, the summit finish that consistently provides the most reliable general classification gaps, and the moment when pure sprinters, all-rounders, and climbers finally separate into their natural order.
The race has developed quickly since its first edition, and it already has a recognisable identity. Early stages tend to reward sprint organisation and composure in high-speed finales, but those same days can also become tactical traps if crosswinds encourage teams to split the field. Then the final day arrives with the decisive climb, where pacing and team control matter as much as raw climbing strength. In 2026, the structure is familiar again, three stages that can end in fast finishes, before the closing test on Jebel Hafeet shapes the overall winner.
Photo Credit: Sprint Cycling AgencyThis year’s route runs from Al Mirfa to Madinat Zayed on Stage 1, then moves to Dubai for Stage 2, before a third day in Abu Dhabi. The finale is the classic climb from Al Ain to Jebel Hafeet on Stage 4. On paper, it is a balanced four-day race, but in practice, it is a stage race that can be decided by a single climbing performance, unless the wind turns the opening days into something more chaotic.
The recent winners list underlines that pattern. Elisa Longo Borghini won overall in 2025, while Lotte Kopecky took the title in 2024, showing how the race can favour different rider types depending on how the flat stages are controlled and how hard the finale is raced. The key question in 2026 will be whether teams keep the race together until Jebel Hafeet, or whether the flat stages provide a springboard for time gaps that carry all the way to the final day.
Previous Winners
2025
Elisa Longo Borghini
2024
Lotte Kopecky
2023
Elisa Longo Borghini
2026 UAE Tour Women Stage Profiles
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4
2026 UAE Tour Women live TV coverage
Race Dates: Thursday 5th February – Sunday 8th February 2026
United Kingdom
Live on Discovery+, Max and TNT Sports
- Stage 1 – Thursday 5th February: approx. 05:55–09:30 GMT
- Stage 2 – Friday 6th February: approx. 04:55–09:30 GMT
- Stage 3 – Saturday 7th February: approx. 06:40–09:30 GMT
- Stage 4 – Sunday 8th February: approx. 04:30–09:30 GMT
International broadcasters
In Europe, live coverage is available via Discovery+ and Max. In the United States, the race is shown live on FloBikes. In Australia, stages are available via SBS on streaming and broadcast platforms.
2026 UAE Tour Women startlist
2026 UAE Tour Women Contenders
A deep GC hand sits with UAE Team ADQ, built around Elisa Longo Borghini as the key climbing reference for Jebel Hafeet. The strength of this line-up is that it does not have to choose between defending and attacking across the week, because Silvia Persico gives a second GC option who can survive selective racing, while Lara Gillespie and Megan Jastrab offer stage-winning speed on the sprint days. If the wind turns one of the flat stages into a front group selection, riders like Karlijn Swinkels and Dominika Wlodarczyk matter because they help ensure the team is in the right split rather than chasing it.
The sprint conversation starts with SD Worx-Protime because a three-sprint race plays directly into the strengths of Lorena Wiebes, who already has six UAE Tour Women stage wins. If the bunch finishes are clean and predictable, she is the most reliable pick to convert them. The other angle is what happens on Jebel Hafeet, where Anna van der Breggen can make the overall relevant for this team if she targets it, giving SD Worx a second storyline beyond pure stage hunting.
Photo Credit: GettyCrosswind survival and a paced summit finish make Movistar dangerous even in a race with three sprint stages, because Marlen Reusser is exactly the kind of rider who can hold position, stay calm, and then turn Jebel Hafeet into a sustained effort rather than a gamble. The flat stages also give them a clear finisher in Arlenis Sierra, especially if the sprint becomes messy and riders are launching from imperfect positions rather than ideal lead-outs.
A split focus is possible for Canyon SRAM, because they have a strong sprint card and two riders who can turn the final climb into a decisive moment. The sprint stages point to Chiara Consonni, while the GC ambition sits with Neve Bradbury and Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney, both of whom should be in the mix when the race hits Jebel Hafeet if they reach it without time losses from wind splits.
There is a clean sprint to chase for AG Insurance-Soudal through Gladys Verhulst-Wild, with Alexandra Manly offering another finishing option if the group is reduced or the sprint becomes chaotic. The GC route is led by Kim Le Court, a rider who can make this kind of short stage race work through consistency and resilience, then rely on Jebel Hafeet to confirm the final order. If the climb becomes the true separator, Justine Ghekiere is the most relevant climbing support in this group.
Stage wins are a realistic objective for Human Powered Health because the line-up gives them multiple sprint options and one rider who will race the climb aggressively. The sprint stages suit Daria Pikulik and Maggie Coles-Lyster, with Coles-Lyster particularly relevant if the wind thins the group and the finish becomes more selective. On Jebel Hafeet, Petra Stiasny is likely to make her presence felt by attacking the climb, even if the trade-off is that she can struggle when the week turns into a positioning battle in the wind.
A GC leader is clearly defined for Liv AlUla Jayco, with Monica Trinca Colonel set to target the overall and make Jebel Hafeet her key day. The sprint stages still give them a practical route to results through Georgia Baker, especially on the flatter days, where timing and positioning decide who can launch. The other name to keep an eye on is Quinty Ton, who can stay present when the racing turns hard and selective and help keep the GC plan intact.
The most balanced threat within Team Picnic PostNL is that they can chase sprint results and still aim high in the overall. The sprint stages run through Rachele Barbieri, while the GC story centres on Eleonora Ciabocco, who should be pushing towards the top five if she gets to the final climb without wind damage. Pfeiffer Georgi is the rider who can keep that plan stable on the exposed stages, where the race can split long before the sprint is even visible.
A sprint-focused approach is the natural play for FDJ United-SUEZ, with Vittoria Guazzini the standout name for strength and speed in flat finishes, particularly when the run-in is nervous, and the sprint is not perfectly controlled. The GC favourite within this group is Juliette Berthet, who should be one of the most credible climbers for Jebel Hafeet and one of the riders most likely to use that single summit finish to shape the overall.
For Cofidis, the clearest opportunity comes on the sprint stages, where Martina Alzini is the rider most likely to contest the flat finishes if she is delivered into position. The rest of the week is about surviving the exposed days without losing time through splits, then getting through Jebel Hafeet with as little damage as possible.
Top 3 Prediction
⦿ Elisa Longo Borghini
⦿ Marlen Reusser
⦿ Kasia Niewiadoma
