United Arab Emirates 05 Feb – 08 Feb 2026 Class 2.WWT – Stages – UCI Women’s WorldTour
Website https://www.theuaetourwomen.com/
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The 2026 UAE Tour Women is currently underway, marking the fourth edition of this UCI Women’s WorldTour event. The race runs from February 5 to February 8, 2026, and consists of four stages across the United Arab Emirates.
Current Status: Stage 1 Results
The first stage took place today, February 5, covering 111 km from Al Mirfa to Madinat Zayed.
- Winner: Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx – Protime) took the victory in a characteristic bunch sprint.
- Top 3:
- Lorena Wiebes (Netherlands)
- Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy)
- Kimberley (Le Court) Pienaar (Mauritius)
- General Classification: Lorena Wiebes will wear the first Red Jersey of the race heading into Stage 2.
The 2026 Route & Schedule
The race features three stages tailored for sprinters and a final, decisive mountain finish to crown the overall winner.
| Stage | Date | Route | Distance | Type |
| 1 | Feb 5 | Al Mirfa → Madinat Zayed | 111 km | Flat (Sprint) |
| 2 | Feb 6 | Dubai Police Academy → Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University | 145 km | Flat (Sprint) |
| 3 | Feb 7 | Abu Dhabi TeamLab Phenomena → Abu Dhabi Breakwater | 121 km | Flat (Sprint) |
| 4 | Feb 8 | Al Ain (Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium) → Jebel Hafeet | 156 km | Mountain Finish |
Key Storylines to Watch
Star Debuts: This year marks the UAE Tour debut for Tour de France Femmes winner Kasia Niewiadoma, who will likely be the primary challenger to Longo Borghini on the slopes of Jebel Hafeet.
The Queen of Jebel Hafeet: Defending champion Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) is the favorite for the final climb, but her strong second-place finish in today’s sprint shows she is in top form and hungry for bonus seconds.
Sprint Dominance: Lorena Wiebes is looking to add to her record-breaking tally of stage wins in the UAE. Her main rivals include Charlotte Kool and Chiara Consonni.
Nina Berton is a 24-year-old professional cyclist from Luxembourg, born August 3rd 2001. She rides for EF Education-Oatly, a UCI Women WorldTeam. She has won 2 UCI races.
That is an excellent summary of Nina Berton’s profile! She has indeed become a key figure for EF Education-Oatly (formerly EF Education-Cannondale/EasyPost) and is currently making her mark in the 2026 UAE Tour Women.
Here is some additional context regarding her recent performance and those two UCI victories:
Recent Activity: 2026 UAE Tour Women
Nina Berton has been very active in the current race. During Stage 1 (February 5, 2026), she was a primary protagonist in the day’s main breakaway:
- The Breakaway: She escaped early alongside Gaia Segato and Monica Castagna.
- Aggressive Riding: While the flat desert roads eventually favored the sprinters (leading to Lorena Wiebes’ win), Berton’s presence in the break highlighted her role as a versatile “engine” for EF Education-Oatly, often used to force other teams to chase.
Career Highlights & UCI Wins
As you mentioned, she has 2 professional UCI wins, which are significant milestones for a rider of her age in the WorldTour peloton. Her victories often stem from her dominance in her home country and her strength in time trials and undulating terrain.
- Luxembourg National Championships – Road Race (U23): A key UCI-categorized victory that established her as the top young talent in Luxembourg.
- Luxembourg National Championships – Time Trial (U23): Further showcasing her “rouleur” abilities, allowing her to hold high speeds over long distances.
Rider Profile: The “Swiss Army Knife”
At 24, Berton is transitioning from a “promising talent” to a reliable Classics specialist.
- Strengths: She excels on cobbles and short, punchy hills (Hellingen).
- 2024 Breakthrough: Before joining EF, she had a standout 2024 season with Ceratizit-WNT, finishing 19th at the Tour of Flanders—a massive result for a young rider in one of cycling’s hardest “Monuments.”
- Role: In races like the UAE Tour, she often acts as a bridge for her teammates or a breakaway threat, while in the upcoming Spring Classics, she will likely be a protected rider for EF.
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
The UAE Tour Women is a relatively young but prestigious event on the professional cycling calendar. It was established as the only UCI Women’s WorldTour race in the Middle East, serving as a counterpart to the long-standing men’s UAE Tour.
Despite its short history, it has quickly become a defining early-season race for both the world’s best sprinters and elite climbers.
1. Origin and Launch (2023)
The race was first announced in January 2023 by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and RCS Sport (the organizers of the Giro d’Italia). It was created to bridge the gap in top-tier women’s racing in the region and to leverage the infrastructure already in place for the men’s event.
- Inaugural Winner: Elisa Longo Borghini (then riding for Trek–Segafredo) made history by winning the first-ever edition.
- Immediate Impact: The race was granted WorldTour status from its very first year, ensuring that all 15 top-tier professional teams were in attendance.
2. Race Identity: Sprints and the “Queen Stage”
The history of the race is defined by a very specific and consistent four-stage structure:
- The Sprinters’ Paradise: Three of the four stages are typically pancake-flat, winding through the desert or cityscapes like Dubai and Abu Dhabi. This has led to a fierce rivalry between the world’s fastest women, most notably Lorena Wiebes (who holds the record for most stage wins) and Charlotte Kool.
- The Jebel Hafeet Decider: Every edition of the race has been decided on the slopes of Jebel Hafeet, a 10 km climb with an average gradient of 8-9%. Historically, whoever wins this stage almost always wins the Red Jersey (General Classification).
3. Past Winners & Key Records
The race has been dominated by the heavyweights of the peloton:
| Year | Winner (Red Jersey) | Key Milestone |
| 2023 | Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA) | Inaugural winner; Italian dominance on Jebel Hafeet. |
| 2024 | Lotte Kopecky (BEL) | The reigning World Champion showcased her climbing versatility to win. |
| 2025 | Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA) | Became the first two-time winner; Stage 2 was the fastest in WWT history (48.4 km/h). |
| 2026 | Ongoing | Currently underway (Feb 5–8). |
4. Historical “Firsts”
- Fastest Stage: In 2025, Stage 2 from Al Dhafra Fort to Al Mirfa set a record for the fastest-ever UCI Women’s WorldTour stage due to extreme tailwinds and echelons, averaging 48.4 km/h.
- Echelon Drama: The race is historically famous for “crosswinds.” Because the roads are so exposed in the desert, teams often use the wind to “split” the peloton into echelons, often ending the GC hopes of favorites before they even reach the mountains.
