The AlUla Tour will be the second stage-race of the season, and the first outside of Australia for the men's peloton. Saudi Arabia's most important race in the calendar attracts a few good names every year, with an interesting route that will be raced from the 28th January to the 1st of Feburary. We take a look at it's profiles.
The race consists of five stages, three of them well suited to the sprinters, something which has attracted many fast men to the event. Two hilly days will be decisive for the overall classification, counting on particularly steep ascents.
Stage 1: Al Manshiyah Train Station - Al Manshiyah Train Station, 142.5Kms
The race starts off in the city of Al Manshiyah where the first stage will have it's start and finish. A pan-flat day well suited to the sprinters, where we should have the first star-studded sprint of the year.
Stage 2: AlUla - Bir Jaydah Mountain Wirkah, 159.5Kms
The AlUla Tour will provide the lovers of steep climbs with a big treat. Stage 2 may be the most important day of the race, where the riders will on two occasions climb to Bir Jaydah, a climb that is 1.6 kilometers at 12% but where the riders face a very long 15% section, with a summit finish.
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Stage 3: Hegra - Tayma Fort, 179 kilometers
Stage 3 takes place from Hegra to the Tayma Fort, another flat and exposed day where a sprint is virtually certain but crosswinds can also shape up the race and the overall classification quite a lot.
Stage 4: Maraya - Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid, 140.6Kms
Stage 4 is completely flat until the final ascent to the Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid. It is 2.5 kilometers at 12% average gradient and a maximum of... 22%. In the desert and which such gradients, we can certainly expect explosive racing - with the final flat 8.5 kilometers providing a tactical aspect to this day.
Stage 5: AlUla Camel Cup Track - AlUla Camel Cup Track, 167.2Kms
The race finishes in the city of AlUla, whom the race is named after, and it will have both it's start and finish on... A camel track. Can't say the race is afraid to inovate, on a final day that suits the sprinters.
استعدوا #طواف_العلا ينطلق!!
— طواف العلا | ALULATOUR (@thealulatour) January 24, 2025
عجلات الإنجاز والفوز تقترب!!#الرحلة_تستمر 🧡🚴♂️✨
Get ready! 🚴♂️✨#AlUlaTour is about to begin!!
The wheels of achievement and victory are drawing near!#The_Journey_Continues🧡🚴♂️✨ pic.twitter.com/ynJpF6HyKO
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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- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
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- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
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- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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