UAE Tour 2023 – GC Preview

Back with another edition. The route is more or less the same, but the ITT has been made into a TTT. That certainly helps the climbers a bit.

Stage 1

The first sprint. Tricky with a roundabout/right turn with 250 meters left.

Stage 2

A very flat time trial, now 17.5 km in distance. Now a team time trial.

Stage 3

Jebel Jais. A GC sprint.

Stage 4

Second sprint stage. Last corner 750m out.

Stage 5

Another sprint stage. A real boulevard sprint.

Stage 6

A fourth and finale sprint stage.

Stage 7

Jabel Hafeet. Last GC battle. Usually more selective than Jebel Jais.

Weather

Sometimes the wind blow here in Down Under, it did it 2021. It doesn’t look like we will have echelons. The weather starts off quite cold for UAE, 20-25 degrees C the first two stages. Then up to above 30 degrees. Expect sunny and warm conditions.

Key GC factors

• TTT – huge impact on the GC. Very straight forward TTT, suits the specialists.
• Jebel Jais – reduced GC sprint, bonus seconds at the top.
• Jebel Hafeet – more suited for climbers, bonus seconds at the top.
  
  Being a climber with a punch and having a good TTT team makes you a prime candidate to take the win.

Contenders

Evenepoel – one of the big favorites. With Cerny and Schmid in the team, they do have a fine looking team for the TTT, as I imagine either Merlier or Van Lerberghe to do well, as they are strong riders. He has worked on his sprint too which he showed in 2022 – good for the sprints uphill. Main question is the form, he did a foolish attack in San Juan and the altitude meters might not have suited him that well either. Nonetheless, I will be surprised if he do not finish on the podium.

UAE Team Emirates – Adam Yates the man the team will help. With Soler, McNulty, Vine and Bjerg helping against the clock, they have a good TTT team. They also has the strongest climbing squad overall. We know he is able to win the race, finishing 2nd here in 2021 and 2022. It is also a big objective for the team, he should finish on the podium. They have four riders who could finish in the top-10 – it is a really strong team.

INEOS – starting with a good TTT squad. Plapp, Tarling, Tulett, Wurf and Viviani. That is not a bad squad at all. Tulett or Plapp will be the GC leader, it really should be Tulett who recently has gone very well. I do have a few concerns regarding if he can follow the best on Jebel Hafeet, the tougher of the two mountain top finishes. He was the second strongest climber in Jaén Paraiso Interior, so I have high hopes for him.

Bilbao – and Bahrain-Victorious have Price-Pejtersen, Arndt and Miholjevic for the TTT. That is a very strong quartet. Bilbao has already had 12 race days this season and he is getting good results on for the team. I think he will finish on the podium again this year.

Lutsenko – will struggle and lose time against many contenders in the TTT. His form in Oman was not on point either, but we should see him challenge for a top-10.

Kuss – the leader for Jumbo-Visma. How well will they do in the TTT? Hessmann is the only TT specialist, but it will be some big lads riding for them. If he can limit his loses in the TTT, he could be challenging for the top-5.

Bouchard – a top-10. He is climbing superb right now. Expected to lose time on stage 2.

Who will win?

I think it will be between Bilbao, Evenepoel and Yates. I will go for the home team, a win for Adam Yates.