PREVIEW | UAE Tour 2023 stage 1 - Cavendish, Ewan, Groenewegen, Merlier, Bennett, Gaviria, Kooij, Gaviria and Démare all favourites for first win
CyclingPreview. Stage 1 of the UAE Tour will be a day for the sprinters, where the first yellow jersey of the race is to be attributed to the fastest rider over the finish line in Al Mirfa.
Stage one from Al Dhafra Castle to Al Mirfa is 151 kilometers long and will be a completely flat day. It will be a day virtually in the desert, with no climbs or changes of landscape throughout the day. The flat plains will lead the riders into the final town of Al Mirfa by the sea.
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Stage 1: Al Dhafra Castle - Al Mirfa, 151 kilometers
The finale will be more technical than all others throughout the race. Although it is unsure how small, the finish straight will be quite short as the riders go back and forth through the same road - on opposite directions - in the final kilometers. A right-hander will be present shortly after the finish line, meaning a battle for that corner between the leadouts and the sprinters will take place before the final punch.

Stage 1 Finale
The Weather

UAE Tour 2023 stage 1 map
Strong northwestern wind. No excuses, no coverage, stage 1 will be wild and already test the GC riders to the maximum most likely. Not all sprinters will likely be able to contest for the win aswell. Big portions of the stage will have headwind, but in the finishing city there will be crosswinds. In the final sprint there seems to be a headwind until the final corner, where it switches to a cross-tailwind.
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There will be a very large list of contenders for this sprint, as will be the case every single flat day. With 4 opportunities it is no surprise that the teams have sent their fast men and leadouts to the UAE, where there will be plenty World Tour wins - and points - available. Onto the opening day, let's take a look at each sprinter and their leadout.
Sam Bennett - Danny van Poppel - Shane Archbold - Ryan Mullen - Patrick Gamper
Tim Merlier - Bert van Lerberghe - Mauro Schmid - Josef Cerny
Dylan Groenewegen - Luka Mezgec - Blake Quick - Michael Hepburn
Arnaud Démare - Bram Welten - Laurence Pithie
Caleb Ewan - Jacopo Guarnieri - Rüdiger Selig - Michael Schwarzmann - Jarrad Drizners
Fernando Gaviria - Albert Torres
Phil Bauhaus - Nikias Arndt - Johan Price-Pejtersen
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Gerben Thijssen - Boy van Poppel - Julius Johansen
Olav Kooij - Tosh van der Sande - TImo Roosen
Mark Cavendish - Cees Bol
Sam Welsford - Niklas Märkl - Alex Edmonson
Furthermore, the likes of Marijn van den Berg, Elia Viviani, Itamar Einhorn, Emils Liepins, Arvid de Kleijn and Juan Sebastián Molano will also have chances of being towards the front. It's a luxurious list in both quantity and quality when it comes to the sprinters.
This first day will also be a gauge to how well the leadouts will be functioning. It's not an easy task, specially in this field to make it work. Aditionally, luck will also have a meaningful role in this sprint, as with so many contenders many are bound to lose position and not be able to even see the front.
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Prediction UAE Tour 2023 stage 1:
*** S.Bennett, Groenewegen, Merlier
** Démare, Gaviria, Bauhaus, Kooij
* Ewan, Thijssen, Cavendish, Welsford, Liepins, de Kleijn, Molano
** Démare, Gaviria, Bauhaus, Kooij
* Ewan, Thijssen, Cavendish, Welsford, Liepins, de Kleijn, Molano
Pick: Sam Bennett

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.
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