Results UAE Tour 2026 Stage 4 | Jonathan Milan powers to victory as break finally caught in frantic Fujairah finale

Stage 4 of the UAE Tour delivered exactly the tension it had promised. After a day of relentless pace across 2,360 vertical metres, the outcome hung in the balance until the final kilometre before Jonathan Milan imposed order with a dominant sprint in Fujairah.

The Italian timed his move perfectly, launching from distance to sweep past the remnants of the breakaway and hold off the fast-finishing peloton behind. It was a victory built on sustained team control and late-race composure after a finale that had briefly threatened to slip away.

The early break of Georg Steinhauser, Stefan De Bod, Lorenzo Milesi, Patrick Gamper and James Knox formed after an aggressive opening hour and was allowed a controlled advantage.

With over 2,300 metres of climbing spread across rolling terrain rather than steep gradients, the stage was ridden at exceptional speed. Lidl-Trek assumed primary responsibility in the peloton, with Bahrain - Victorious contributing in defence of race leader Antonio Tiberi.

Gamper swept both intermediate sprints, ensuring no bonus seconds entered the general classification equation. Behind, the rhythm remained steady, the gap hovering between one and two minutes for much of the afternoon.

The complexion changed inside the final 30 kilometres when multiple sprint teams committed fully to the chase.

With just over 30 kilometres remaining, a crash in the rear of the peloton disrupted several trains. Fabio Jakobsen, Robbe Ghys, Daan Hoole and Ethan Hayter were involved.

Jakobsen and Hoole were able to remount, but Ghys was later confirmed as a non-finisher after leaving the race holding his left arm in a position strongly suggestive of a collarbone injury.

Despite the disruption, the sprint machinery reassembled quickly. Lidl-Trek, INEOS Grenadiers and others resumed the chase, dragging the gap down steadily.

Inside the final 10 kilometres, the four remaining escapees still held 25 seconds. The wide roads of Fujairah allowed the peloton to see them ahead, yet the margin proved stubborn. At 5 km to go, 20 seconds remained.

The speed in the bunch approached 60 km/h, but the headwind and the leaders’ cooperation briefly raised doubt. At 3 km to go the difference was down to 12 seconds. At 1.5 km, just 10 seconds separated the groups.

The catch finally came inside the final kilometre.

Stefan De Bod attempted to launch early as the break disintegrated, but the effort only served to string the field out. The moment the attackers hesitated, the sprint trains surged through.

Milan struck decisively, launching from distance and overwhelming both the remnants of the break and the pure sprinters arriving behind. None were able to come around him.

Behind the sprint battle, the general classification remained unchanged. Tiberi finished safely in the peloton, preserving the red jersey.

One day after his collapse on Jebel Mobrah, Remco Evenepoel rode conservatively throughout, prioritising recovery ahead of the upcoming mountain stage rather than risking involvement in a chaotic finale.