UAE Tour

UAE Tour 2025: Key details

Now in its seventh edition, the UAE Tour 2025 is a seven-day stage race running from 17-23 February this year. It is the result of a merger between the Abu Dhabi Tour and the Dubai Tour, and is one of the first events on the year's UCI WorldTour calendar. 

Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) won the inaugural UAE Tour in 2019, with Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) claiming the 2020 title. In 2021 and 2022, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) took back-to-back victories in the desert, before a Belgian double: 2023 was won by Remco Evenepoel of Soudal–Quick-Step and in 2024 Lennert van Eetvelt (Lotto-Dstny) won by a tiny two-second margin over Ben O'Connor. 

The young Belgian nicked the title on the final day purely thanks to time bonuses at the finish line, and ousted Brandon McNulty, who was dropped earlier on the mountainous final stage.

Previous champions of the Dubai Tour include Mark Cavendish, Elia Viviani and Marcel Kittel, with the event predominantly favouring sprinters. Comparatively, the Abu Dhabi Tour was more one for the climbers, thanks to the pivotal climb of the 10.8 kilometre Jebel Hafeet. The merged tour tends to favour classic GC contenders.

This year the UAE Tour can boast of having Tadej Pogačar, of course riding for UAE Team Emirates-XRG, on the start line - in very bad news for all the other GC contenders.

Route page | Where to watch | Start list (2025 details to be confirmed)

UAE Tour 2025: The route

The UAE Tour 2025 begins at the Madinat Zayed Shams Solar Park with a flat stage among the sand dunes of the desert, followed by a fast, flat time trial on sweeping roads on Al Hudayriyat Island.

Expect the GC battles to kick off on Stage 3, which begins with a long, flat ride through the desert to build up to 20km of continuous climbing up to Jebel Jais. This one has a sting in the tail, with the regular 5% gradients kicking up to 7% in the final 2km.

From there, the route features another three completely pan-flat stages, before the final stage - again totally flat - kicks up to the Jebel Hafeet climb. At 10km long with gradients around 8-9%, and a peak of 11% with 3km to go, the Hafeet climb will likely be key in determining who lifts the trophy at the end of the day. 

UAE Tour 2025: Stage-by-stage

UAE Tour 2025: The Jerseys

General Classification/Leader's: Red

General points: Green

Intermediate sprint: Black

Young rider's: White

UAE Tour: Recent winners

2024: Lennert van Eetvelt (Lotto-Dstny)

2023: Remco Evenepoel (Soudal–Quick-Step)

2022: Tadej Pogačar (UAE-Team Emirates)

2021: Tadej Pogačar (UAE-Team Emirates)

2020: Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott)

2019: Primož Roglič (Team Jumbo-Visma)

Abu Dhabi Tour: Recent winners

2018: Alejandro Valverde (Movistar Team)

2017: Rui Costa (UAE Team Emirates)

2016: Tanel Kangert (Astana Pro Team)

2015: Esteban Chaves (Orica–GreenEDGE)

Dubai Tour: Recent winners

2018: Elia Viviani (Quick-Step Floors)

2017: Marcel Kittel (Quick-Step Floors)

2016: Marcel Kittel (Etixx–Quick-Step)

2015: Mark Cavendish (Etixx–Quick-Step)

2014: Taylor Phinney (BMC Racing Team)

Official race links

UAE Tour official website

UAE Tour official Twitter feed