UAE Tour 2020: Stunning scenery and tricky hills, an in-depth look at the Tour's seven stages

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  • The Emirates is gearing up for the second edition of the UAE Tour – the one and only UCI WorldTour event in the Middle East – which will welcome some of the world’s top cyclists when it gets under way in Dubai on February 23.

    The Tour will boast an enviable line-up of cycling’s top superstars as 18 UCI WorldTour teams and two UCI ProTeams have committed their best riders to the race, which will visit all seven emirates.

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

    STAGE 1: The Pointe – Dubai Silicon Oasis (148km)
    Sunday, February 23

    The opening time trial stage features a fast course perfect for the sprinters. Starting at The Pointe on Palm Jumeirah, the riders will continue towards Al Qudra and finish at Silicon Oasis. In last year’s race, there were four sprint finishes. No rider managed a double win, with Fernando Gaviria, Caleb Ewan, Elia Viviani and Sam Bennett clinching one stage victory each. It’s ridden on wide, well-paved roads, with the potential for sand in windy conditions.

    STAGE 2: Hatta – Hatta Dam (168km)
    Monday, February 24

    The stage starts from Hatta Heritage Village and crosses the Hajar Mountains. After turning into Fujairah, the route returns towards Hatta. In 2019, Caleb Ewan navigated the steep ramps of Hatta Dam as if it was a sprint to win by a bike length ahead of Matteo Moschetti. In the final frenetic kilometres, the last hills from the gates of Hatta peak towards Hatta Dam has steep gradients of 17 per cent.

    STAGE 3: Al Qudra Cycle Track – Jebel Hafeet (184km)
    Tuesday, February 25

    The longest stage of the race. A stage that connects Dubai with Abu Dhabi. At 184km, the peloton leaves Al Qudra for Jebel Hafeet, where it passes many of the city’s symbolic places, including some sections in common with Stage 5. The route continues up to Green Mubazzarah to begin the final ascent of Jebel Hafeet, with its 10km and slopes that peak at 11 per cent around 3km from the finish.

    STAGE 4: Zabeel Park – Dubai City Walk (173km)
    Wednesday, February 26

    The UAE Tour returns to a sprint finish on stage four, with the riders travelling from Zabeel Park to City Walk. With its flat route, the peloton will pass Mushrif Park and Motor City before finishing in one of Dubai’s popular walkway. City Walk was the venue for the first sprint in 2017 when Marcel Kittel powered to victory in the Dubai Tour. This is a stage for the fastest wheels.

    STAGE 5: Al Ain – Jebel Hafeet (162km)
    Thursday, February 27

    The second 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. It then 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 stage is decisive, kicking up to 11 per cent gradient with just under three kilometres remaining. In last year’s UAE Tour, Alejandro Valverde outgunned Primoz Roglic in a two-up sprint.

    STAGE 6: Al Ruwais – Al Mirfa (160km)
    Friday, February 28

    The riders clip into their pedals in Al Ruwais, a town 240 kilometres west of Abu Dhabi, and home to one of the most modern industrial complexes in the Emirates. The finish is in Al Marfa, a quiet coastal village 120km from the capital. The first part of the route is practically straight for almost 60km before entering the final 18.9km circuit of Al Mirfa which is to be completed three times.

    STAGE 7: Al Maryah Island – Abu Dhabi Breakwater (127km)
    Saturday, February 29

    The final stage of the UAE Tour is played out on a pan-flat course. The start is on Al Maryah Island and the finish in Abu Dhabi City. The race sets off from Al Maryah Island, which lies to the north east of Abu Dhabi. The course takes in Yas Marina Circuit, Al Raha, the Grand Mosque and returns through Khalifa City to Yas Marina. Other notable attractions include the Saadiyat Island, the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Corniche. The roads are wide and flat, so the sprinters should have it their way in the last stage. In the 2019 edition, UAE Team Emirates star Fernando Gaviria edged to victory ahead of Elia Viviani.

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