Stage 1 of the AlUla Tour will be taking place on the 27th of January, with an estimated start and finish time at 10:45 and 14:05CET. The opening day of the race starts in a camel track, and at the start line will be Jonathan Milan of Lidl-Trek, who is the star of the startlist, and will begin the stage as the ultimate favourite to take the first leader's jersey.
The race starts off in a... Camel Track. Yes, Saudi Arabia always delivers when it comes to its start and finish locations, and once again the race begins in one of the most iconic places in pro cycling. The first stage of the race is suited to the sprinters, with a final circuit around the track which features a slightly uphill sprint to start off the race.
With 158 kilometers on the menu, the opening day of the race is going to be a relatively easy one, if of course the riders are able to comfortably withstand the heat and the wind which are a constant in the desert. The riders are going to face a flat profile however, in which there will be a slightly uphill sprint into the AlUla Camel Cup track.
Jonathan Milan is the man to beat, not only because of his sprinting power and credentials, but also due to the leadout he has brought to the Middle East, consisting of Simone Consonni, Edward Theuns and Jakob Söderqvist. Even if other teams bring their A-game to Saudi Arabia, it is always going to be hard to contest with what is widely considered to be the best leadout in the sport.
Stage 1: AlUla Camel Cup Track - AlUla Camel Cup Track
AlUla Camel Cup Track - AlUla Camel Cup Track, 158 kilometers
Prediction AlUla Tour 2026 stage 1:
*** Jonathan Milan
** Matteo Moschetti, Phil Bauhaus, Pascal Ackermann
* Matteo Malucelli, Milan Fretin, Fernando Gaviria, Jason Tesson, Fabio Jakobsen, Lorenzo Manzin
** Matteo Moschetti, Phil Bauhaus, Pascal Ackermann
* Matteo Malucelli, Milan Fretin, Fernando Gaviria, Jason Tesson, Fabio Jakobsen, Lorenzo Manzin
Pick: Jonathan Milan.
How: Regular bunch sprint.
Original: Rúben Silva
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
- I'm picking .... .... Never mind 🫥flyer07-11-2026
- If Tiberi has a better and more consistent 2027 I somehow doubt it will be because of this victorious warning. Unless his preparation has been off, cycling isn't football.flyer07-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment