Preview of the 2024 UAE Tour | Yates and his team have high expectations, sprinters are eager for victory, and Bart Lemmen gets another chance!

The WorldTour is kicking off again! The excitement begins in Europe with the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad this weekend, but first up is the UAE Tour, which is gaining popularity every year. The Middle East will host seven days of thrilling races, and IDLProCycling.com is here to cover all the action for you!

The UAE Tour was established in 2019, combining the previously separate Abu Dhabi Tour and Dubai Tour into the most prestigious race in the Asian region overnight. It now marks the end of a series that also includes the AlUla Tour and the Tour of Oman, both organized by ASO, and is categorized as an RCS event.

Primoz Roglic, representing Jumbo-Visma, clinched the first edition in 2019. The following year, Adam Yates threw a wrench in the works for the UAE-Team Emirates by defeating Tadej Pogacar. The double Tour de France champion did manage to win the next two editions, before passing the baton to Remco Evenepoel, adding his name to the distinguished list of winners.

Recent winners of the UAE Tour 2024

2023 Remco Evenepoel
2022 Tadej Pogacar
2021 Tadej Pogacar
2020 Adam Yates
2019 Primoz Roglic

UAE Tour 2024: Overview of the course, favorites for stage victories and schedule

Stage 1, Monday, February 19: From Al Dhafra Walk Madinat Zayed to Liwa Palace (143.0 km)

The UAE Tour kicks off with a relatively short stage from Madinat Zayed to Liwa Palace, covering 143 kilometers. The first part is ridden in echelon formation with the wind fully from the side through the desert, but ultimately, the route reaches the Liwa Palace. There, the final five hundred meters steeply incline, at more than five percent.

Climbs
None

Times
Start: 1:10 PM (10:10 AM CET)
Finish: 4:30 PM (1:30 PM CET)

Stage 2, Tuesday, February 20: Al Hudayrirat - Al Hudayrirat (12.1 km)

On day two, it's time for the annual time trial in the UAE Tour, this time around the island of Al Hudayriay. The riders have to power through just over twelve kilometers on completely flat roads, which include one technical zone.

Climbs
None.

Favorites
Brandon McNulty (UAE-Team Emirates)
Tobias Foss (INEOS Grenadiers)
Rémi Cavagna (Movistar)

Times
Start: To be announced.
Finish: To be announced.

Stage 3, Wednesday, February 21: Al Marjan Island - Jebel Jais (176.0 km)

The third stage takes the peloton to the top of Jebel Jais, a long-standing decisive factor in this race. With its 19 kilometers at 5.6 percent and wide roads, it is generally considered a gradual climb. As a result, the selection in the field often turns out to be moderate.

Climbs
176.0 km: Jebel Jais (19.0 km at 5.6%)

Favorites
Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious)
Adam Yates (UAE-Team Emirates)
Ilan Van Wilder (Soudal Quick-Step)

Times
Start: 11:55 AM (8:55 AM CET)
Finish: 4:30 PM (1:30 PM CET)

Stage 4, Thursday, February 22: Dubai Police Officers Club - Dubai Harbour (173.0 km)

The fourth stage of the UAE Tour mainly takes place in and around Dubai, so you can expect the classic images of tourist attractions. The finish is at the harbor, where the sprinters are likely to battle for the stage win.

Climbs
None.

Favorites
Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step)
Fabio Jakobsen (dsm-firmenich PostNL)
Sam Welsford (BORA-hansgrohe)

Times
Start: 12:35 PM (9:35 AM CET)
Finish: 4:30 PM (1:30 PM CET)

Stage 5, Friday, February 23: Al Aqah - Umm Al Quwain (182.0 km)

The sprinters are really in focus now. In the fifth stage of the race through the Middle East, they are likely to come into play again, as there are hardly any elevation gains to note in the 182-kilometer-long course. However, the wind could become a factor.

Climbs
None.

Favorites
Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE-Team Emirates)
Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious)
Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan Team)

Times
Start: 12:20 PM (9:20 AM CET)
Finish: 4:30 PM (1:30 PM CET)

Stage 6, Saturday, February 24: Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum - Abu Dhabi Breakwater (138.0 km)

What the fourth stage is for Dubai, the sixth stage is for the other major city in the United Arab Emirates: Abu Dhabi. Over 138 kilometers of racing, we can expect a glorified criterium, with a spectacular finish. The sprinters are up again.

Climbs
None.

Favorites
Olav Kooij (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step)
Fabio Jakobsen (dsm-firmenich PostNL)

Times
Start: 1:30 PM (10:30 AM CET)
Finish: 4:30 PM (1:30 PM CET)

Stage 7, Sunday, February 25: Al Ain Mohammed Bin Khalifa - Jebel Hafeet (161.0 km)

After Jebel Jais comes... a series of sprint stages and ultimately the pivotal stage to the second well-known climb in the Middle East: Jebel Hafeet, with its eleven kilometers at nearly seven percent, significantly more challenging. For years, this climb has been the setting for the stage that can determine the general classification.

Climbs
161.0 km: Jebel Hafeet (10.9 km at 6.7%)

Favorites
Adam Yates (UAE-Team Emirates)
Ben O'Connor (Decathlon AG2R)
Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto-Dstny)

Times
Start: 12:30 PM (9:30 AM CET)
Finish: 4:30 PM (1:30 PM CET)

Favorites for the general classification of the UAE Tour 2024

Note: the participant list is not yet complete. Adjustments may still be made.

The UAE Tour is, of course, the national pride of UAE-Team Emirates, which year after year sends a top team to the race. For the second year in a row, Tadej Pogacar will not be participating, but with replacement Adam Yates and, by extension, Brandon McNulty and Jay Vine, the team has three excellent contenders for the home race.

There are still contenders to watch out for. Luke Plapp, who finished second last year, is coming over from Australia with his new team, Jayco AlUla. He suffered a hard fall in the Tour Down Under, which forced the Aussie to abandon the race. Pello Bilbao, who finished fourth in the UAE Tour last season, is also back. He serves as the team leader for Bahrain Victorious.

Ben O'Connor represents the colors of Decathlon AG2R. The Australian climber has raced only once so far this season and won it: the Tour of Murcia. Soudal Quick-Step sends two strong climbers with Ilan Van Wilder and Jan Hirt, where the former can also count on a good time trial and a strong finish. Lotto-Dstny has a similar rider in Lennert Van Eetvelt.

Visma | Lease a Bike might not be sending their top GC contenders, but they are bringing Tour Down Under sensation Bart Lemmen and Attila Valter. Meanwhile, dsm-firmenich PostNL is banking on British rider Max Poole, who last year made his mark at the top level. Other riders to watch for a strong general classification include Tobias Foss (INEOS Grenadiers), Simon Carr (EF Education-EasyPost), Louis Meintjes (Intermarché-Wanty), Eddie Dunbar (Jayco AlUla), and Einer Rubio (Movistar), who last season took a victory on Jebel Jais.

According to IDLProCycling.com, who are the favorites for the general classification of the UAE Tour 2024?

Top favorites:Adam Yates and Brandon McNulty (UAE-Team Emirates)
Outsiders:Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious), Ben O'Connor (Decathlon AG2R), Ilan Van Wilder (Soudal Quick-Step) and Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla)
Long shots: Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto-Dstny), Bart Lemmen, Attila Valter (Visma | Lease a Bike), Tobias Foss (INEOS Grenadiers), Simon Carr (EF Education-EasyPost), Max Poole (dsm-firmenich PostNL), Jay Vine (UAE-Team Emirates) and Einer Rubio (Movistar)

UAE Tour 2024 on TV

The UAE Tour can traditionally be followed on Eurosport this week, both on the main channel and online platforms. The finish is most often scheduled around 1:30 PM CET.