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PREVIEW | UAE Tour 2023 stage 7 - Remco Evenepoel in pole position ahead of queen stage to Jebel Hafeet
CyclingSunday, 26 February 2023 at 12:35
Preview. Stage 7 of the UAE Tour is the queen stage of the race, as the riders face the explosive and traditional summit finish to Jebel Hafeet.
At last the riders face a climb. After three days of no climbing whatsoever, they will have a fourth day of racing in such roads, but will encounter the second and final mountaintop finish of the race. The queen stage, it will be the ascent to Jebel Hafeet - 10.8 kilometers at 6.6% - that will decide the race.
Start Time: 09:45CET
Finish Time: 13:30CET
Stage 7: Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium - Jebel Hafeet, 153 kilometers
Aside from winds there is nothing to fear from the day. It's a short day on the bike with only 153 kilometers on the menu, but the final ascent dictates this to be the queen stage most likely. The numbers aren't brutal, but very often very big differences are created in the slopes of Jebel Hafeet. 10.8 kilometers at 6.6% are the official details, but the gradients aren't as consistent as Jebel Jais.
In it's middle 7 kilometers the grades average 8% consistently, reaching as high as 11% with some steep hairpins included. Usually the main moves happen there, in what is a wide, completely exposed road which adds to the difficulty. The final kilometers have a couple of flat and even downhill sections, with some steep ramps inbetween. The final sprint will be uphill, although the late final corner has in the past seen crashes so caution must be had.
Jebel Jais: 10.8 kilometers, 6.6%
The Weather
UAE Tour 2023 stage 7 map
There will be searing heat as the temperatures go above 30 degrees. In the middle of a desert with full exposure, not a single tree and a wide highway this is an absolute killer. There will be some wind as well which will calm down during the afternoon but it may come as a bit of a headwind throughout the final ascent, not ideal for those looking to attack.
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The Favourites
Remco Evenepoel - Evenepoel must protect the lead, that is his goal. If the stage goes that won't be too bad, he must eye Plapp and Bilbao with the most attention. How his climbing legs will be isn't fully known but Jebel Jais showed good signs, and the World Champion as thrived in the first two days of the road.
Adam Yates - Yates thrives in the heat, and on this climb too. He's won the UAE Tour in the past and over the past two seasons he was the one to rival Pogacar. The only question would be his form, but having sprinted to third at Jebel Jais was a good argument that the Briton is ready to win for the first time in UAE colours.
Luke Plapp - Plapp is a great climber, however I think this ascent with the steep gradients will be tougher on him. It doesn't mean he can't be up there, but it's hard to imagine him attacking Evenepoel. Having led the race already I think he will want to protect his place on the podium.
Pello Bilbao - On the podium of the race last year Bilbao can be confident that the gradients of Jebel Hafeet suit him. The Basque is a consistent figure but not often is he a winner in this type of field. He hasn't looked the brightest this week, but that may change in this climb and Bilbao is within range of the GC win.
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Einer Rubio - The wildcard. He's already won a stage so the pressure won't be on the Colombian. In Jebel Jais many riders raced conservatively, but it can't be argued that the victory was out of luck, Rubio showed serious form and power. In these steep gradients he should feel even better and he's shown in San Juan aswell to be at the level close to the best.
Several other riders have resisted in the front group on the ascent to Jebel Jais. Here it is a completely different deal however as slipstreaming will be of much less advantage throughout a lot of the climb. The likes of Alexey Lutsenko and Harm Vanhoucke have looked good in the former summit finish and may find themselves performing at a very strong level.
You've got pure climbers such as Sepp Kuss, Emanuel Buchmann and Louis Meintjes who will have better chances of performing on these gradients and having kept their powder dry in the only climb of the race you can wonder how they'll do. Thomas Gloag and Rein Taaramäe are two other interesting outsiders for the day.
Prediction UAE Tour 2023 stage 7:
*** Remco Evenepoel, Adam Yates
** Luke Plapp, Pello Bilbao, Einer Rubio
* Alexey Lutsenko, Harm Vanhoucke, Sepp Kuss, Thomas Gloag, Louis Meintjes
Pick: Adam Yates
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