UAE Tour 2019: Seven key stages to look out for in the Emirates

David Cooper - Writer 12:00 20/02/2019
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  • The Emirates is gearing up for the inaugural UAE Tour – the only Middle East event on the UCI’s WorldTour calendar – which will welcome some of the world’s top cyclists when it gets under way in Abu Dhabi on February 24.

    The Tour – which sees the Abu Dhabi Tour and Dubai Tour combine into one week-long event – will boast an enviable line-up of cycling’s top superstars as all 18 UCI WorldTour teams have committed their best riders to the race, which will visit all seven emirates.

    Here, we look at the key stages ahead of the race.

    STAGE ONE – Al Hudayriat Island (TT)
    Sunday, February 24

    The opening time trial stage features a fast course combining the two different cycle path loops of 5 and 10km, with straights punctuated only by two U-turns around kilometre three. The road is perfectly flat and wide at Al Hudayriat Island and with wide-angle turns that will enable the teams to keep a high speed. Expected speed averages are over 55km/h. The riders will encounter strong winds with the main landmarks of Abu Dhabi as their background. Only the first man of the fastest team across the finish line will wear the Red Jersey, the leader classification jersey.

    STAGE TWO – Yas Mall to Abu Dhabi (184km)
    Monday, February 25

    Raced around the streets of the city of Abu Dhabi, Stage 2 follows one of the classic Abu Dhabi Tour stages. For three years in a row the race ended at the Big Flag. This year, the stage will start from Yas Mall with the first part of the route in the northeast part of the city heading towards Khalifa Port, where there is a U-turn on the pier. The riders return to the city along Channel Street and then ride through from Yas Island to Saadiyat Island, past the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Corniche until the reaching the finish line at Abu Dhabi Breakwater for what is expected to be the first sprint of the 2019 race.

    STAGE THREE – Al Ain to Jebel Hafeet (179km)
    Tuesday, February 26

    The first of the UAE Tour’s mountain stages follows a course familiar from the Abu Dhabi Tour. The route around Al Ain takes in many of the landmarks – including Al Ain Zoo, Al Qattara, Al Hili and Al Ain Oasis – goes up to Green Mubazzarah where the final climb of Jebel Hafeet begins, with its 10km that are set to make the first real selection of the race. This is the route of the decisive stages for all five editions of the Abu Dhabi Tour, with memorable victories by Esteban Chaves, Tanel Kangert, Rui Costa and Alejandro Valverde – who all won the General Classification in previous years. Jebel Hafeet could be the first stage to set the tone for the GC, and determine who can fight for the podium.

    STAGE FOUR – Dubai to Hatta Dam (205km)
    Wednesday, February 27

    The longest stage of the UAE Tour, this is another classic Emirates route, having been raced before as the most difficult stage of the Dubai Tour, and having remained virtually unchanged since the first edition of that race. Strong riders like John Degenkolb, Juan José Lobato and Sonny Colbrelli have won at Hatta Dam. In 2019 only the start has been modified, departing from The Pointe, the relaxed retail and entertainment destination at the tip of Palm Jumeirah, just across the bay from Atlantis. The start is in front of the Atlantis – where several Dubai Tour sprint stages have ended. After the first part through the desert the route hits the Hajar Mountains. Here, the last hills from the gates of Hatta peak at the suffocating final tier of the Hatta Dam with its gradients that touch 17%.

    STAGE FIVE – Sharjah to Khor Fakkan (181km)
    Thursday, February 28

    This stage, that connects the Arabian Gulf with the Indian Ocean, is another opportunity for the sprinters. The start is new, with the riders moving from Flag Island and passing through the University of Sharjah towards the desert and the Fossil Rock. Then the route hits the Hajar Mountains before reaching Kalba, and the peloton will follow the coast north through Fujairah, up to the finish line in Khor Fakkan, where a bunch sprint is expected. A similar route made for thrilling racing during the Dubai Tour years. In 2018, Fujairah witnessed Mark Cavendish’s only win of the season, ahead of Nacer Bouhanni and Marcel Kittel.

    STAGE SIX – Ajman to Jebel Jais (180km)
    Friday, March 1

    For the first time a Middle Eastern cycling race will include Jebel Jais, the highest peak in the UAE. Part of the Hajar Mountains range, Jebel Jais is famous for the abundance of wadis, hiking and mountain bike trails – and more recently because it’s home to the world’s longest zipline. Stage 6 has a profile technically similar to Stage 3, being divided into two distinct parts. The first is a flat approach to the final climb, and the second is about 20km of continuous ascent until the finish line. After departure from Ajman, the route crosses Umm-al-Quwain heading towards Ras Al Khaimah, through Al Marjan Island and Mina Al Arab, as the race heads directly to Jebel Jais Mountain. The final 20km climb averages at 5% and is generally constant with only slightly higher gradients of around 7% in the last 2km.

    STAGE SEVEN – Dubai Safari Park to Dubai City Walk (145km)
    Saturday, March 2

    The UAE Tour’s final showdown is through the streets of Dubai, based closely on one of the most popular features of the Dubai Tour. Marcel Kittel and Elia Viviani clinched victory in Dubai in 2017 and 2018 respectively, before receiving the Circle of Stars on the final podium. After starting from the Dubai Safari Park, the route then grafts on to the familiar course through the Dubai Design District, Mushrif Park, Al Mamzar Beach, Deira and Rashid Port to reach Jumeirah Road and finish in Citywalk. The final stage is definitely one for the fastest wheels.

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