“Bonus seconds always play a role here” – Remco Evenepoel forced onto the chase after Isaac del Toro’s surprise UAE Tour opener
Cycling
Stage 1 of the 2026 UAE Tour was meant to be procedural for the general classification contenders. Instead, it handed Remco Evenepoel an immediate deficit and reframed the opening days around damage control and response.
The Belgian stayed deliberately out of the late chaos, prioritising safety on a wind-disrupted day that grew increasingly nervous as the finish approached. That caution proved costly on the stopwatch. A punchy acceleration from Isaac del Toro on the uphill drag to the line delivered not just the stage win but ten bonus seconds, instantly forcing Evenepoel into chase mode far earlier than planned.
For Evenepoel, the implications were clear as soon as the result filtered through.
“The aim has to be to ride that deficit back tomorrow already,” he said afterwards in conversation with Sporza, setting his focus squarely on the race’s first real control point.
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Bonus seconds, not panic
Despite conceding time, Evenepoel was quick to place the situation in context. He admitted he had not even realised Del Toro had taken the stage until after the finish, underlining just how detached he was from the finale itself.
“That’s very nice for him and for his team,” he said. “Bonus seconds always play a role here.”
Rather than treating the loss as a setback, Evenepoel framed it as a familiar element of the UAE Tour, pointing back to his own experience of exploiting uphill finishes during his overall victory in 2023. The message was clear: time lost to bonuses is time designed to be taken back elsewhere.
“This ultimately changes nothing about the tactics or the mindset for tomorrow,” he said.
Remco Evenepoel celebrating a victory for Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe
Why Stage 1 turned tactical
The opener was reshaped long before the finish line. Strong winds forced organisers to shorten the route during the stage itself, removing a demanding section and compressing the race into a tense, high-speed finale. That compression contributed to a late crash and disrupted several sprint trains, creating the space Del Toro needed to attack rather than wait for a conventional sprint.
For riders like Evenepoel, who had no interest in contesting the finish, the priority was staying upright rather than gambling for seconds on unfamiliar terrain.
“Apparently, there was a lot of sand on the section we didn’t do,” he explained. “That did make the race a bit easier. We didn’t have to ride a fairly difficult part of the course.”
All eyes on the time trial
With the opening day done, the narrative now pivots immediately to the 12-kilometre individual time trial, a stage long earmarked as Evenepoel’s first real opportunity to assert control.
“Hopefully, that has to be the intention,” he said of reclaiming the time. “Or at least to take back as much as possible. The flat time trial tomorrow should suit me.”
Del Toro’s advantage may be real, but it is also exposed. Evenepoel made clear he expects his rival to arrive highly motivated and ready to defend. “He is someone who is very strong and will be highly motivated,” he said. “My goal has to be to win the time trial and try to take over the leader’s jersey.”
After one stage, the UAE Tour already has its defining pressure point. For Evenepoel, the chase has started early, but on terrain that plays directly to his strengths.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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