Abu Dhabi: The eighth edition of the UAE Tour 2026, the only UCI WorldTour race in the Middle East, will start tomorrow in Al Dhafra Region, with the participation of 145 elite riders representing 21 international teams.

Organised by Abu Dhabi Sports Council and sponsored by AD Ports Group, the race will run over seven stages covering a total distance of 1,004.2 km and will continue until 22nd February.

Abu Dhabi Sports Council held a press conference at the Colnago Store on Al Hudayriyat Island, attended by Dr. Ahmed Abdullah Al Qubaisi, Assistant Secretary-General of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Talal Al Hashemi, Executive Director of the Events Sector at Abu Dhabi Sports Council, a large number of representatives of partners and sponsors, and five leading riders taking part in the tour, who spoke about their ambitions and readiness for the race.

Remco Evenepoel of Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe, Isaac del Toro of UAE Team XRG, regarded as one of the most prominent rising talents after winning the Tour de l’Avenir 2023 and joining UAE Team, Jonathan Milan of Lidl Trek, Joshua Tarling of Ineos Grenadiers, and Lennert Van Eetvelt of Lotto Intermarché, affirmed their readiness to compete in the eighth edition of the UAE Tour.

The seventh stages of the UAE Tour, sponsored by AD Ports Group, include varied routes featuring mountain climbs as well as desert and urban roads, passing new landmarks and scenic natural locations across the UAE, covering a total distance of 1,004.2 km. The first stage will run from Madinat Zayed Council in Al Dhafra Region to Liwa Fort over 144 km, sponsored by Bin Hamoodah Auto.

Stage 2 (individual time trial) will take place on Al Hudayriyat Island over 12.2 km, sponsored by Breitling. Stage 3 will run from Umm Al Qaiwain to Jebel Mobrah in Ras Al Khaimah over 183 km, sponsored by Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority. The Fujairah stage will cover 182 km, sponsored by Palms Sports.

Stage 5 will be held in Dubai, from Al Mamzar to Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University over 166 km, sponsored by Dubai Sports Council. The penultimate stage will be held in Al Ain, from Al Ain Museum to the summit of Jebel Hafeet over 168 km, sponsored by Burjeel Holdings. The UAE Tour 2026 will conclude in Abu Dhabi City, from Zayed National Museum to Breakwater over 149 km, sponsored by AD Ports Group.

The 21 participating teams are: Alpecin-Deceuninck (Belgium), Bahrain Victorious (Bahrain), Decathlon CMA CGM (France), EF Education-EasyPost (United States), Groupama-FDJ (France), Ineos Grenadiers (United Kingdom), Lidl-Trek (Germany), Lotto Intermarché (Belgium), Modern Adventure Pro (United States), Movistar (Spain), NSN (Switzerland), Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team (Switzerland), Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe (Germany), Soudal Quick-Step (Belgium), Jayco AlUla (Australia), Team Picnic PostNL (Netherlands), Team Visma | Lease a Bike (Netherlands), Tudor Pro Cycling Team (Switzerland), UAE Team XRG (United Arab Emirates), Uno-X Mobility (Norway), and XDS Astana Team (Kazakhstan).

The leader jerseys in the UAE Tour are: the Red Jersey for the overall leader, sponsored by AD Ports Group; the Green Jersey for the points classification leader, sponsored by Mubadala; the White Jersey for the best young rider (under 25), sponsored by Burjeel Holdings; and the Black Jersey for the intermediate sprints classification leader, sponsored by Aldar.

The Velon system is used to track rider data in real time, with devices installed on the bicycles transmitting speed, power and cadence information to the live broadcast and digital platforms. Velon also provides footage from cameras mounted on bicycles, in addition to an advanced tracking system that enhances rider safety by monitoring their locations and issuing instant alerts in the event of any emergency during the race.

Talal Al Hashemi confirmed full readiness for the launch of the global event from Abu Dhabi, with all forms of support provided by strategic partners to ensure the success of the current edition, thanking all work teams that continue their tasks on an ongoing basis under continuous follow-up.