Pogacar, Yates and Froome among riders confirmed for UAE Tour

Fresh from his Tour de France victory, 2020 runner-up Tadej Pogacar will again go head-to-head with UAE Tour winner Adam Yates. The first UCI WorldTour race of the 2021 season, the UAE Tour will take place over seven stages from 21st to 27th February

Time trial ace Filippo Ganna makes his UAE Tour debut and world-class sprinters return to the Emirates, including: Sam Bennett, Caleb Ewan, Pascal Ackermann and Fernando Gaviria. Route details and provisional entry list to follow.

Chris Froome plans to make his Israel Start-Up Nation debut at the UAE Tour next month. Four-time Tour de France winner Froome was previously due to begin his season at the Vuelta a San Juan but the Argentinian race, scheduled for next week, has been called off amid the coronavirus pandemic. Instead the 35-year-old will head to the United Arab Emirates for his first race since leaving the Ineos Grenadiers this winter.

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) has confirmed his participation too.

 All 19 UCI WorldTeams have committed to riding the one and only WorldTour race in the Middle East. Among those competing for the race leader’s Red Jersey will be UAE Team Emirates rider Tadej Pogacar, winner of the 2020 Tour de France.

Racing at the start of a breakout 2020 season, Pogacar finished second place in the previous edition of the UAE Tour, narrowly beaten by Red Jersey winner Adam Yates in the General Classification. The young Slovenian rider now returns for his second UAE Tour, hoping to better the stage victory and White Jersey he secured last time round.

Last year’s winner Adam Yates, who recently joined the British Ineos Grenadiers outfit, will again pit himself against Pogacar in his second consecutive appearance at the race. The previous year saw Yates take Stage 3 atop Jebel Hafeet, only for his Slovenian rival to win round two at the same summit finish two stages later. A close finale left just one minute and one second between the two riders in the General Classification.

Away from the GC fight, time trial ace Filippo Ganna makes his UAE Tour debut this February, following a sensational 2020 season in which he took four stage victories at the Giro d’Italia and an ITT World Champion’s Rainbow Jersey. Swiss rider Marc Hirschi will also ride the race for the first time. The 2020 Tour de France stage winner and Road World Championship Bronze medalist at Imola will be keen to impress after signing for UAE Team Emirates at the start of the new year.

The UAE Tour’s well-earned reputation as a sprinter’s ‘world championship’ has also attracted Lotto Soudal’s Caleb Ewan, who will ride the race for the third year in a row after taking the Green Jersey in 2020’s edition and two wins from two on the iconic Hatta Dam uphill finish. Racing alongside him at the first WorldTour event of the season will be UAE Tour stage victor and Tour de France Green Jersey winner Sam Bennett of Deceuninck – Quick-Step, also riding his third edition. Also confirmed is last year’s opening stage winner Pascal Ackermann (Bora – Hansgrohe), who will look to repeat his success as he returns for his second UAE Tour this February, and Colombian sprinter Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates), a stage winner in the race’s first edition.

Cycling fans worldwide can look forward to watching their favourite riders compete in the UAE Tour from 21st to 27th February. Courtesy of Velon, fans following the race will have access to rider’s wattage output, speed and cadence data on every stage, available online and via TV broadcasting.

Further details of the 2021 UAE Tour teams and riders will be announced in the coming weeks, closely followed by the announcement of the race route.

Details of the strict COVID-19 protocols designed to ensure the safety of all riders, staff and everyone involved in the race will also be released shortly.