It is seven years since the races of Abu Dhabi and Dubai merged into the UAE Tour and moved under the UCI World Tour umbrella.
Since that inaugural battle in 2019 – won by Primoz Roglic – the race has proven a happy hunting ground for UAE Team Emirates-XRG who have triumphed on home roads three times.
Those victories were all achieved by the cycling superstar that is Tadej Pogacar, the last of which came in 2025 when the Slovenian came home one minute and 14 seconds clear of second-placed Giulio Ciccone in the general classification.
Sadly for UAE cycling fans, Pogacar will not be involved in this year's race – which begins at Madinat Zayed Majlis on Monday – with the 27-year-old's season expected to start at the Strade Bianche in Tuscany on March 7.
UAE Team Emirates will have one former champion on the starting line, though, in British rider Adam Yates, who secured the crown in the Covid-hit 2020 race when at Mitchelton–Scott.
But it will be on Yates' Mexican teammate Isaac del Toro where the spotlight will likely shine brightest next week when they line-up alongside Nils Politt, Rune Herregodts, Florian Vermeers, Kevin Vermaerke and Sebastian Moleno.
Arguably the sport's fastest-rising star and a rider being touted as the potential heir to Pogacar's throne as King of Cycling, 22-year-old Del Toro arrives in the UAE on the back of a hugely successful 2025 campaign that saw him claim 18 victories.
It was also a season where he won his first Grand Tour stage (at the Giro d'Italia) and came agonisingly close to scooping his first major title. Del Toro went into the penultimate day leading the Giro but could not hold on to the pink jersey as Visma–Lease a Bike's Simon Yates produced a stunning ride on the Colle delle Finestre to claim overall glory.
But Del Toro, then 21, still finished second overall in what was his Giro debut – and only his second Grand Tour – becoming the second-youngest podium finisher, and the first from his country to win the young rider’s classification.
“It is such an incredible feeling to be in this position,” said Del Toro, who also became the youngest rider in history to wear the Maglia Rosa for 11 consecutive stages. “It is a surprise for a lot of people and it is incredible to prove to myself that I can do it and that I am able to do it.
“For sure, it is not nice to lose the [pink] jersey, but I need to be mature with this and I need to take this to be hungry in the future. Sometimes the guy who makes fewer mistakes is who wins, and for sure, I will come back stronger.”
And Del Toro was certainly good to his word, completing a brilliant finish to the campaign that included an impressive seven victories in the Italian autumn classics, while also becoming a double Mexican national champion after winning on both the road and in the time trial.
Those triumphs, achieved in and around his home city of Ensenada, brought to an end an unforgettable second season as a professional. “It was a joy to take this win,” said Del Toro.
“To share it with the people of my home city has been a pleasure. I think I recognised 98 per cent of the crowd out there today, and it felt amazing … It’s been an amazing season, now it’s time for me to take a good break.”
Managing expectations will now be one of the main tasks facing UAE Team Emirates bosses but it is clear how highly they rate their young rider.
“I don’t want to pile on pressure or compare him to Pogacar, but Isaac can become the best rider in the world, no doubt,” said UAE Team Emirates sports manager Joxean Matxin. “Especially given what he’s shown at just 22.”
It is a sentiment echoed by others in the UAE Team Emirates squad, with Pablo Torres describing his teammate as having “a confidence I’ve seen in very few cyclists”.
“He’s currently one of my favourite riders,” the 20-year-old Spaniard told Marca in November. “He is incredibly strong. Above all, he has … a race intelligence that no one else his age has, in my opinion.
“He’s a rider who always positions himself well and knows exactly how to save every gram of energy. In the future, Isaac will become one of the best riders in the world – maybe even the best.”
As part of his development, Del Toro is set to be part of the squad attempting to make Pogacar Tour de France champion for a record-equalling fifth time in what will be a race debut for the Mexican.
“The idea is that I am always with him, it is part of the job to learn as fast as I can,” Del Toro said during the team’s December training camp media day.
“I try to understand the race better and learn how these races work for the future. I think it is good for me. As a kid it was a dream, and now it is part of the plan. I want to be up there with the guys and be at that level.”
But there will be plenty of racing to manage before July's big race, starting with the UAE Tour where Del Toro will be hoping to maintain the momentum built up at the end of last season, while starting the new campaign with a bang.
UAE Tour route
Stage 1: Monday, February 16 – Bin Hamoodah Auto Stage (144km, sprint). Madinat Zayed Majlis to Liwa Palace. Start: 1.20pm; Estimated finish: 4.30pm.
Stage 2: Tuesday, February 17 – Breitling ITT Stage (12.2km individual time trial). Entire stage takes place around Al Hudayriyat Island. Start: 1.05pm; Estimated finish: 3.30pm.
Stage 3: Wednesday, February 18 – Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Stage (183km climb). Umm Al Quwain to Jebel Mobrah. Start: 12.30pm; Estimated finish: 5pm.
Stage 4: Thursday, February 19 – Palm Sports Stage (182km sprint). The stage starts and finishes in Fujairah and features a turnaround in the enclaves of Hatta (Dubai) and Masfut (Ajman). Starts 1pm; Estimated finish time: 5pm.
Stage 5: Friday, February 20 – Dubai Stage (166km sprint). Dubai Al Mamzar Park to Hamdan bin Mohammed Smart University. Starts: 1.30pm; Estimated finish time: 5pm.
Stage 6: Saturday, February 21 – Burjeel Holdings Stage (168km climb). From Al Ain Museum to Jebel Hafeet. Starts: 1pm; Estimated finish: 5pm.
Stage 7: Sunday, February 22 – AD Ports Group Stage (149km sprint) Zayed National Museum to Abu Dhabi Breakwater. Starts: 1.15pm; Estimated finish: 4.30pm.
