Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the organisers of the UAE Tour, announce the first names of riders expected to participate in the 2023 edition of the UAE Tour, taking place from 20-26 February which includes UCI road World Champion Remco Evenepoel.
This year’s edition of the race, starting and finishing in Abu Dhabi, will provide a tough challenge across the peloton. The route features four stages suited to sprinters, two mountain stages best suited to the climbers and a high-speed, 17.2 km long team time trial.
With less than one month to go, we discover the riders expected to bring all the racing excitement to the Middle East.
Remco Evenepoel (Soudal–Quick-Step)
Remco Evenepoel (b. 2000) is a Belgian cyclist currently riding for UCI WorldTeam Soudal–Quick-Step. In 2022 Evenepoel secured victories at the UCI Road World Championships in Wollongong, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Clásica San Sebastián and La Vuelta a España. His recent victories also includes two General Classification wins at the Baloise Belgium Tour (2019, 2021) along with claiming the leader’s jersey at the 2022 Tour of Norway. Also Having participated in the first UAE Tour in 2019, which saw him finish in the top 15 of Stage 3 (atop Jebel Hafeet), Evenepoel pulled out of the tour after crashing in Stage 4. This year he returns to the unique roads of the Emirates with the goal of adding the UAE Tour to his impressive palmares.
Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates)
Adam Yates (b. 1992) is a British cyclist who currently rides for UAE Team Emirates. The GC rider has had an extraordinary career so far, which has seen him as the first British rider to win the young rider classification in the Tour de France (2016). In 2020, Yates secured the Red jersey of the UAE Tour for Mitchelton-Scott (now Team Jayco–AlUla) after two podium finishes, coming first on Stage 3 and third on Stage 4 of the tour. He was runner up in the 2022 and 2021 editions of the UAE Tour.
Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe)
Sam Bennett (b. 1990) is an Irish cyclist, currently riding for UCI World TourTeam Bora-Hansgrohe. Bennett is a world class sprinter, winning 10 GrandTour stages since beginning his professional career in 2011. Taking home the Green (sprint points) jersey in the 2020 Tour de France, Bennett is a force to be reckoned with in the fast finishes. With three previous stage wins at the UAE Tour, Bennett is no stranger to victory, and this year he is eager to taste victory once again in the Emirates.
Caleb Ewan (Lotto-DSTNY)
Caleb Ewan (b. 1994) is an Australian cyclist, known for his sprinting prowess, and currently rides for UCI ProTeam Lotto-DSTNY. Since beginning his career in 2014, the Australian pocket rocket has taken 59 victories, with 10 GrandTour stages included within that. With three previous stage wins at the UAE Tour, and a points jersey classification win at the 2020 edition, Ewan knows what it takes to win stages at the UAE Tour and is looking to add more stage wins at this year’s edition of the race.A full list of riders will be announced in due course. To find out more about the UAE Tour, including details of the official race route, jerseys and sponsors, visit www.theuaetour.com
Source: Abu Dhabi Sports Council