Preview stage 1 AlUla Tour 2026 - Can anyone beat Jonathan Milan in his terrain?

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.

*** Jonathan Milan
** 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.