The official route, jerseys and sponsors for the 3rd edition of the UAE Tour have been announced 

Four stages dedicated to sprinters, two for the climbers and one individual time trial make up the 2021 UAE Tour. All 19 UCI WorldTeams are set to start, with big names competing including Pogacar, Yates, Froome, Van der Poel, Ganna, Bennett and Ewan to name just a few from February 21 - 27, 2021

 The Red, Green, White and Black jerseys are sponsored by ADNOC, Etisalat, Nakheel and Abu Dhabi Aviation. The official race jerseys and official car will be provided by Alé and Audi Al Nabooda respectively with luxury Swiss watch maker Breitling, as Official Timekeeper. As the Official Timekeeper, Breitling will be awarding the winners of each stage and the overall winner with the new Breitling Endurance Pro. 

The UAE Tour race organisers, Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Dubai Sports Council and RCS Sport are pleased to confirm that this year’s edition of the race will feature four sprinters’ stages, two stages best suited to the peloton’s climbers and a 13km long, high-speed individual time trial.

The one and only WorldTour race in the Middle East, the UAE Tour, will take place from 21st to 27th February and cover a total of 1045km, with a significant elevation gain of around 3500m metres, mostly concentrated into Stages 3 and 5. The route will cross five of the seven independent city-states that form the United Arab Emirates, with Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Umm al-Quwain, Fujairah and Ras al-Khaimah all playing host to the race.

Stage 1 (177km), will begin in the town of Al Ruwais, then make its way through the Abu Dhabi region before reaching the coastal city of Al Mirfa where an exciting bunch sprint finish is expected. The following day, the riders will compete over a short and fast-paced individual time trial on Stage 2 (13km) that starts and finishes on the beautiful Al Hudyriat Island. Though brief, the time trial will no doubt provide an opportunity for early time gains in the closely-fought General Classification.

Stage 3 (162KM) remains in Abu Dhabi and begins from the headquarters of Strata Manufacturing, located in Al Ain international airport, before tackling Jebel Hafeet to finish – a 10km long ascent that peaks over 1000m above sea level. Cycling fans can expect to witness a battle for the Red Jersey on the mountain pass as the race’s strongest climbers will look to press home their advantage.

Stage 4 (204km) starts and finishes on Al Marjan Island and takes place within Ras al-Khaimah, visiting its neighboring emirate Umm Al-Quwain along the way. The longest day in the saddle by quite some margin, the race’s fourth stage will be best suited to the fast wheels of the peloton thanks to its flat finish. The next day is the tour’s most challenging:

Stage 5 (170km) begins in Fujairah city and makes its way north before finishing with the punishing Jebel Jais climb that tops out at 1491m above sea level. The time won and lost on the long and relentless 20km-plus ascent will most likely prove to be decisive in the General Classification.

Stage 6 (168 km) will see the riders race on a mostly flat route from the Deira Islands, Dubai, and finish at the iconic Palm Jumeirah. Around 60km into the route, the peloton will join the Al-Qudra Cycle Track – an 86km long pristine tarmac path that traverses the Dubai desert – before heading back to the city.

Stage 7 (147 km) starts at Yas Mall and follows a flat route that takes in the sights of the UAE’s captial , Abu Dhabi, before a final sprint along the city’s breakwater – where the winner of the 3rd edition of the UAE Tour will be crowned.

Cycling fans can look forward to watching an exceptionally strong field of riders compete this year, with a series of big names already announced that includes 2020 Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar, last year’s UAE Tour Red Jersey Adam Yates and multiple Grand Tour victor Chris Froome. ITT World Champion Filippo Ganna and Mathieu van der Poel have also confirmed their attendance, alongside a host of world-class sprinters made up of Tour de France Green Jersey winner Sam Bennett, Caleb Ewan, Pascal Ackermann and Fernando Gaviria among others.

Tadej Pogacar, who attended the UAE Tour route presentation said: “I’m very pleased to be kicking-off my season at the UAE Tour. We just had our pre-season camp in the UAE and got to do some excellent training, especially on the Jebel Hafeet, which was great. I’m feeling good and motivated to race. After the stage win last year I’m coming back hungry for more. This is a huge event for myself and all the team and we will be here to fight for victories at our home race.” 

Leader Jerseys

The UAE Tour leader jerseys will be four: the Red Jersey for the general classification, the Green Jersey worn daily by the fastest sprinter, the White Jersey dedicated to the best young rider and the Black Jersey worn daily by the rider who has gained more intermediate sprint points than any other.