Preview UAE Tour 2026 stage 2 - Britons Tarling and Hayter face Remco Evenepoel on flat time trial

From the 16th to the 22nd of February, the peloton will be in the Middle East for what is the second World Tour stage-race of the season: the UAE Tour. The race, characterized by its flat stages and hot weather, will once again host some of the world's very best. We preview stage 2, which is expected to start and finish at 10:05 and 12:40CET.

The race was only created in 2019, off the back of the success of other events such as the Abu Dhabi Tour and the Dubai Tour. The region, host to large financial capacity, hot weather in February, and its World Tour status, has managed to attract big figures on a yearly basis. Its first edition, in 2019, immediately saw Primoz Roglic take the overall win ahead of then World Champion Alejandro Valverde.

With the growth of UAE Team Emirates - XRG, the nation's own team, the importance it gained grew even bigger. Adam Yates won the race in 2020, and that gave way to then Pogacar's two consecutive victories ahead of the Briton in 2021 and 2022. Then World Champion Remco Evenepoel soared to victory in 2023; his compatriot Lennert van Eetvelt won in 2024; whilst in 2025 it was World Champion Tadej Pogacar who took a dominant victory, winning both traditional finished into Jebej Jais and Jebel Hafeet.

The second day of racing features the traiditonal Hudaryriryat time trial, 12 kilometers in length and without technical features or climbing of any sort to mention. It will be a day where the overall classification should open up, and create some small gaps ahead of the race's climbing challenges.

Some northwestern wind, but this is a loop time trial with constant changes of direction, meaning it won't have much of an influence.

Evenepoel, Tarling, Hayter, Cattaneo, Fisher-Black, Bissegger/Hoole, Cavagna, Shmidt, Milan, Milesi, Vernon, Durbridge, Politt,

Remco Evenepoel is the main favourite to win the stage and the key aspect of this day is the fight for the overall classification. The Belgian is set to gain time on his rivals; and here what this means is everyone else will be looking to limit losses. A few riders should do it quite successfully such as Ilan van Wilder, Pablo Castrillo, Antonio Tiberi, Luke Plapp and Derek Gee who are very good in the discipline. Isaac del Toro, the big rival to Evenepoel, is set to lose time, but I wouldn't expect anything dramatic above 20 seconds or so and I wouldn't say keeping the jersey is impossible; as the Mexican has both shown the quality and has the best technology behind him for such an effort.

Joshua Tarling is realistically the only rider who can battle with Evenepoel on this day, in regular conditions, but don't underestimate him. He is an incredibly strong time trialist, specially in this type of short and pan-flat effort. Ethan Hayter also won't be far likely, he has improved a lot in the discipline and it is also short enough for his liking.

Mattia Cattaneo, Finn Fisher-Black, Stefan Bissegger, Daan Hoole, Rémi Cavagna, Artem Shmidt, Lorenzo Milesi, Ethan Vernon, Luke Durbridge and Nils Politt are also all riders who will be looking for a result.

*** Remco Evenepoel, Joshua Tarling
** Ethan Hayter, Daan Hoole, Luke Plapp
* llan van Wilder, Antonio Tiberi, Isaac del Toro, Mattia Cattaneo, Finn Fisher-Black, Stefan Bissegger,Ethan Vernon, Luke Durbridge

Pick: Remco Evenepoel