Remco Evenepoel headlines Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe squad for high-stakes desert clash at UAE Tour

Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe has confirmed its seven-man roster for the upcoming UAE Tour, leaving no doubt about their ambitions for the second WorldTour stage race of the season. The German team is sending a squad entirely built around Remco Evenepoel, who arrives in the Emirates with the clear objective of taking home the red jersey.

The Belgian superstar enters the race as the heavy favorite for the general classification. After a winter of careful preparation and significant changes within the team structure following the full Red Bull rebranding, Evenepoel has already shown absolute dominance in Spain, amassing six wins. Even if his main goals lie in July, Evenepoel has made it clear that he intends to race to win every race he participates in.

To support Evenepoel on the exposed desert roads, the team has selected a well-balanced team. Mattia Cattaneo will act as the team’s road captain and primary lieutenant. The Italian veteran will be crucial for guiding Evenepoel through the chaotic crosswind sections that often define the early stages of this race.

Perhaps the most interesting selection is Finn Fisher-Black. The Kiwi climber, formerly of UAE Team Emirates, knows these roads better than anyone in the squad, and he is arguably the strongest climber domestique Evenepoel will have there. Gianni Moscon adds another layer of security on the flats, and his main role will be to act as a bodyguard for Evenepoel, keeping him out of the wind.

The roster is rounded out by a trio of young talents: Jarrad Drizners, Emil Herzog, and Callum Thornley. While they are less experienced, their job will be straightforward: control the early breakaways, and ensure Evenepoel arrives at the key moments as fresh as possible.

The 2026 route definitely suits Evenepoel's abilities. The race will likely be decided by two key factors: the individual time trial and the two summit finishes. The time trial stage gives Evenepoel a massive advantage over his main rivals, as he is the best in the world in that domain. This is the stage marked in red for the Belgian, since it is where he will look to build a buffer that forces his rivals to attack him on the slopes of Jebel Hafeet and Jebel Jais.

However, the race will not be a procession. The primary threat comes from the home team, UAE Team Emirates - XRG, and specifically their rising star Isaac del Toro. The Mexican prodigy is making his season debut in UAE and will lead the Emirati squad. Jonas Vingegaard was also set to race, but an unfortunate crash and subsequent illness forced him to skip it.