KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)

UAE Team Emirates-XRG will return to home roads next week for the eighth edition of the UAE Tour, the only World Tour stage race in the Middle East.

The week-long event, which runs from Monday to Sunday (February 16-22), remains a primary objective for the Abu Dhabi-based squad, though their lead cyclist Tadej Pogacar is giving it a miss for the bigger battles ahead in the season.

The seven-man team will be spearheaded by former winner Adam Yates and Mexican sensation Isaac del Toro, who makes his debut at the race. The duo is expected to lead the team’s general classification ambitions on the decisive climbs of Jebel Mobrah and Jebel Hafeet.

The UAE team has historically dominated its home race, securing three overall titles through Pogacar and accumulating 10 stage victories.

Yates, who won the 2020 edition before joining the team, returns for his sixth appearance. He is joined by Colombian sprinter Sebastian Molano, who arrives in the Emirates following a recent stage victory at the Tour of Oman.

The supporting cast features an experienced group of riders including Rune Herregodts, Nils Politt, Kevin Vermaerke, and Florian Vermeersch. Both Vermeersch and Herregodts were part of the squad that supported Pogacar to the overall title last season and will now pivot to assist Del Toro and Yates.

Del Toro, the 21-year-old Mexican national champion, enters the race as one of the most anticipated young talents in the peloton. He will have the opportunity to showcase his national champion’s jersey in both the road stages and the time trial.

Del Toro said: “I’m really excited to line up for my first UAE Tour. It’s a special race for me, not only because it’s my debut, but because it’s a home race for the team, and you really feel that sense of pride and responsibility. I’ve spent some time reconning some of the main stages, getting familiar with the roads and the key moments, and that’s given me a lot of confidence.

“The level here will be very high, with some of the best riders in the world on the start line, but we’ve prepared really well as a group and we’re ready to give our best and race aggressively. I hope for a good performance but we also have the class and experience of someone like Yates and then Molano for the sprints, so we have lots of options.”

The race begins on Monday with the opening stage starting at the Madinat Zayed Majlis.