The 2026 AlUla Tour will be taking place from the 27th to the 31st of January and will open up the action on the Asia Tour. In Saudi Arabia, the young race will host some top sprinters and several other riders throughout its five stages. We take a look at its profiles and route; as well as an overall preview of the race.
The AlUla Tour has rapidly grown into one of the Middle East’s most prestigious early-season professional cycling stage races, being held right before the Tour of Oman and UAE Tour to form a series of races in the region. The race was first held in 1999 but was short-lived. In 2002 it had its last edition in years, and returned finally in 2020 with a different image and status.
Promoted by the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) — the same organisers behind the Tour de France — it has gained a strong reputation and leverage to bring in big names. Former race winners include Phil Bauhaus, Ruben Guerreiro... And in its two most recent editions none other than Simon Yates and Tom Pidcock. However its pan-flat stages, combined with the hot weather, provides ideal chances for the sprinters to open up their season with a win.
Stage 1: AlUla Camel Cup Track - AlUla Camel Cup Track
AlUla Camel Cup Track - AlUla Camel Cup Track, 158 kilometers
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.
Stage 2: Almansihiyah Train Station - Almansihiyah Train Station
Almansihiyah Train Station - Almansihiyah Train Station, 152 kilometers
Like stage 1, the second day of racing starts and finishes on the same location - in this case the Almansihiyah Train Station - whilst having a loop through the desert and then a small circuit finish. This one however, will be much flatter and suited to a pure sprint.
Stage 3: Winter Park - Bir Jaydah Mountain Wirkah
Winter Park - Bir Jaydah Mountain Wirkah, 142.1 kilometers
Stage 3 will be an important day in the race, the one with the most climbing and the only stage with a summit finish. The rider start off in the 'winter park' and go on to finish in the Bir Jaydah Mountain Wirkah.
The final ascent is going to be 4.9 kilometers long at 5.8%, however it is a climb that gradually becomes steeper as the riders ascend. The final kilometers averages almost 10%, making it quite possible to open up meaningful gaps, whilst the climbers also stand a chance to take out the puncheurs if the ascent is ridden all-out right from the base.
Stage 4: Winter Park - Shalal Sijlyat Rocks
Winter Park - Shalal Sijlyat Rocks, 184 kilometers
Stage 4 of the race sees a return to the pure sprint stages. This is the only one that does not have a circuit finish, however there won't be any climbing throughout the day to disrupt the chances of the fast finishers into Shalal Sijlyat Rocks.
Stage 5: AlUla Old Town - Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid
AlUla Old Town - Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid, 163.9 kilometers
The queen stage is the now-famous finale into Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid. This is a stage that is almost completely flat, until the riders face an absolute 'wall' in the desert.
The final ascent, which ends with 8.5 kilometers to go, is 2.9 kilometers long at 12%, and features gradients up to 20%. This climb is made even harder by the fact that it is ridden in a wide road and fully exposed to the desert sun. The flat finale opens up possibilities of there being some tactical racing before the riders reach the finish line.
Prediction AlUla Tour 2026 overall classification:
*** Jan Christen, Afonso Eulálio, Paul Double
** Eddie Dunbar, Kevin Vermaerke
* Rainer Kepplinger, Mauri Vansevenant, Gianmarco Garofoli, Alan Hatherly, Henok Mulubrhan, Alberto Bettiol, Byron Munton
** Eddie Dunbar, Kevin Vermaerke
* Rainer Kepplinger, Mauri Vansevenant, Gianmarco Garofoli, Alan Hatherly, Henok Mulubrhan, Alberto Bettiol, Byron Munton
Pick: Jan Christen
Original: Rúben Silva
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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- He lives in Monaco
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - It's also highly significant for Lorenzo Finn as he won there last year. Also Mateo Ramírez and Henrique Bravo if they goRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- This is a phenomenal course design. I do wish that they'd stretch these tours for the women to at least 2 weeks.RidesHills03-11-2026
- This is an amazing route, honestly. Let's hope that it attracts riders to make it a compelling and competitive race. Side bar amusement: going to Slovenia and passing pretty close to Pogačar's house. I wonder if they were tempting him to get all 3 jerseys at once after winning the Tour and Vuelta. After all, only a very few have ever had all three at the same time (Froome being the last).RidesHills03-11-2026
- He was a child two years agoRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- A great route aswell. Col d'Arpy is a toughieRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- Let Torito have a shot at itRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- A great route, much more exciting than the Tour de France. Monte Livata is an interesting one, because they experimented with it at the 2026 Baby Giro, and it was fantastic. 4 km at 10%, then 10 km at 6.5% made for a great spectacle. The stage 16 is horrible. Montaner is also used in the U23s, in Giro del BelvedereRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- I remember when Mark went through that. He was really experiencing lows and thought about quiting many times. It took him a long time to recover. I, like many others were overjoyed when he came back. I hope Lafay has been tested. I wish him the best.Paggss03-11-2026
- That sucks for him. I've always wondered what guys like him do after retiring from cycling - go back to uni? He's still a very young manCrashjames03-11-2026
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