Today's Edition
KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
Elisa Longo Borghini underlined her affinity with Jebel Hafeet by claiming overall victory in the UAE Tour Women for the third time in four editions, powering clear on the decisive mountain stage in Al Ain to secure the Unity Trophy once again for UAE Team ADQ.
It was also a repeat of last year’s event when Lorena Wiebes won all three sprint stages while Longo Borghini ensured the win that mattered the most, conquering the lone mountain stage despite telling Aletihad on the eve that she was “not as well prepared” like she would have liked compared to 2025.
The Italian national champion delivered the defining move of the race with three kilometres remaining on the traditional uphill finish, shaking off a series of earlier attacks before committing to a final acceleration that none of her rivals could match.
Kasia Niewiadoma briefly clung on, but Longo Borghini’s sustained pace proved decisive as she rode solo to the stage win and sealed the general classification. Behind her, the battle for the remaining podium places remained intense.
Niewiadoma was eventually caught by Monica Trinca Colonel and Femke De Vries, who finished second and third on the stage and in the overall standings, rounding out a compelling finale to the four-day race.
“It means a lot to win the UAE Tour for the third time, moreover for the second time in a row with UAE Team ADQ. It’s the home team – they care about this race,” Longo Borghini said after crossing the line.
“This year was harder. I had a regular winter and today was my first all-out effort of the season, but it tastes very good. I was waiting for the right moment to attack. When I saw Kasia with a tired face, I went again and I was pretty sure I’d be alone. From there I finished at my own pace and could enjoy the climb.”
It was not easy, though, with the race unfolding differently from the team’s plan, according to the winner. “We wanted to tackle the climb with Karlijn [Swinkels] and Silvia [Persico], but when Amanda Spratt attacked earlier, everything became chaotic. I had no reason to panic. I let them play the game and I played mine.”
This was her third win on Jebel Hafeet after 2023 and 2025 as Longo Borghini has now opened up her 2026 season in perfect fashion with the home win as a bonus after Team ADQ asked her to focus on foreign races this year.
Trinca Colonel’s second place marked another step forward for the Italian climber, who had finished fourth overall last year. “I normally suffer when the attacks come on a climb, but today I felt good and understood that the others weren’t better than me. My dream is to win a World Tour race like the UAE Tour, but for now this result is very important.”
Away from the general classification battle, Lorena Wiebes defended her Green Jersey after three stage victories. “Today we were going to help Anna van der Breggen, but she felt sick and we didn’t want to take any risk,” Wiebes said.
Eleonora Ciabocco claimed the White Jersey for best young rider after finishing inside the top 10 on Jebel Hafeet. The Black Jersey for Intermediate Sprint went to Sara Luccon.
Once again, Jebel Hafeet provided the decisive backdrop, with Longo Borghini reinforcing her status as the dominant force on the UAE Tour Women’s signature climb and delivering another home victory for UAE Team ADQ.
