Preview UAE Tour 2026 stage 6 - Can Isaac del Toro dethrone Antonio Tiberi on Jebel Hafeet? Can Remco Evenepoel make a resurgence?

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 6, which is expected to start and finish at 10:00 and 14:00CET.

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 race will end in Abu Dhabi, with another pan-flat stage which is certain to end in a bunch sprint. It's not a stage where the wind is expected to have a role, instead a calm 149 kilometers on the bike will take the riders towards the final sprint of the race, with another straight line finale in store.

The heat will be present and this time around, the riders may find a tailwind on the final climb. Makes it harder to have big cracks, and at the same time, it is favourable for early attackers. It will stir up the GC whilst the heat at the same time brings the unexpected factor onto the table.

Antonio Tiberi - The Italian just has to do what he's done so far. It is, in words, that simple. But in the legs, of course a brutal effort. Jebel Mobrah was brutal and in no way tactical, it was a pure W/Kg effort, whilst here he mostly just has to resist the first two thirds of the climb, because then there are a few zones where he can recover if behind a rival. Now, Tiberi is not unbeatable here let's not pretend, even on peak form. He is still going to have a tough mission and will have to follow Isaac del Toro in order to win GC, but what he's shown earlier this week seems to be his best-ever level and I think he can do it. If on a good day, both Damiano Caruso and Afonso Eulálio can be of good support.

Isaac del Toro - Del Toro was conservative on Jebel Mobrah, a tactic I applauded in climb that brutal, where riders could easily go over the limit very early. Whilst it is a good tactic, he cannot replicate it, because on Jebel Hafeet he has to make the difference and he should make it early too. It's a climb that's quite hard and where he can make the difference, but it isn't as easy. UAE will have to do some good work, will likely be the team setting it up, and Adam Yates will lead him out for an attack. Whether he can distance Tiberi or not will decide on whether he wins the GC. For the stage win, I do consider him the main favourite, he packs a very strong sprint and him being dropped on the climb will be hard.

Remco Evenepoel - Why not. Evenepoel truly had a bad day at Jebel Mobrah, but I believe he can bounce back from it, his level is better and the last two stages have been very easy. If he does have his best level, he can certainly go for the stage win here, and perhaps will be the main favourite. One because he can climb as well as anyone here, two because the time behind Tiberi and Del Toro means he won't necessarily covered by him, and three because he can very well attack on the flat transitional sections and then be impossible to catch. Even in a sprint, if he can follow the best men, he then packs a good punch and chance to win the stage.

The stage will see plenty others in the mix, and I think Lennert van Eetvelt is likely the most important rider to mention, third on the queen stage and a rider who is very explosive. He can be up there on this climb I don't doubt, but otherwise, it will be hard for the rest - and it will be a pure GC fight between them.

Harold Tejada, Derek Gee, Felix Gall, Tobias Johannessen, Jorgen Nordhagen, Ilan van Wilder, Luke Plapp, Mathys Rondel, Michael Storer, Byron Munton... A few other riders, with a better day, can also be in the mix... But these are the main figures that will be filling up the Top10.

*** Isaac del Toro, Remco Evenepoel
** Antonio Tiberi, Lennert van Eetvelt
* Felix Gall, Harold Tejada, Derek Gee, Tobias Johannessen, Ilan van Wilder, Luke Plapp, Michael Storer

Pick: Isaac del Toro

How: Small group sprint.