The UAE Tour exploded on Wednesday’s first of two mountain summit finishes, race leader Remco Evenepoel’s early-season hot streak becoming ice cold in the desert. Antonio Tiberi took the win and the leader’s jersey, while Isaac del Toro kept his hat in the ring with a comeback on the climb. Derek Gee-West, who moved up to 13th on GC after Tuesday’s time trial, came seventh on big ascent and is also seventh overall.
The Course
Wednesday was all about Jebel Mobrah, 13.2 km of 8.1 percent. The final 6.8 km were 11.8 percent. Yowza!
Two Alpecin-Premier Tech riders went out on all-day excursion, and Red Bull, Decathlon-CMA and UAE-Emirates participated in pulling the peloton. With 40 km to race, the breakaway duo was 4:30 ahead.
The fugitives still survived out front when Jebel Mobrah kicked up, but they didn’t hang on for long. Chris Harper, now racing for Pinarello-Q36.5, tried his luck on the early part of the climb to no avail. Del Toro was far down the pack.
Felix Gall made a move that drew Evenepoel and a couple of others. Del Toro dropped away from the whittled down field that still contained Gee-West. Evenepoel went back to Gee-West and company but Gall carried on.
Tiberi caught and passed Gall, who chased with Luke Plapp and Harold Tejeda. Gee-West was with del Toro and Adam Yates. Shockingly, Evenepoel faded away, possibly with a cramp.
Suddenly, del Toro found wings again, making it over to Gall. Then he lit out after Tiberi but ran out of road. Evenepoel isn’t even in the GC top-10 anymore.
There are some ripples in Thursday’s profile, but it should be one for the sprinters or a sizable breakaway.
2026 UAE Tour, Stage 3
1) Antonio Tiberi (Italy/Bahrain-Victorious) 4:24:44
2) Isaac del Toro (Mexico/UAE-Emirates) +0:15
3) Lennert Van Eetvelt (Belgium/Lotto Intermarché) +0:29
7) Derek Gee-West (Canada/Lidl-Trek) +1:07
2026 UAE Tour GC
1) Antonio Tiberi (Italy/Bahrain-Victorious) 7:09:03
2) Isaac del Toro (Mexico/UAE-Emirates) +0:21
3) Harold Tejada (Colombia/XDS-Astana) +1:00
7) Derek Gee-West (Canada/Lidl-Trek) +1:22
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