Favorites stage 7 UAE Tour 2026 | One last time, all brakes off

Stage seven is a bit like stage five — only now in the other famous city in the United Arab Emirates: Abu Dhabi. The riders set off from the Zayed National Museum, before looping through the city’s best-known landmarks.

The route includes the Yas Marina Circuit and, later on, a pass by Qasr Al Hosn as well. The peloton is unlikely to be sightseeing by then, though, with the focus firmly on the final kilometres and the run-in to the finish at Abu Dhabi Breakwater.

Times
Start: 10:15 AM Dutch time
Finish: around 1:30 PM Dutch time

The riders won’t be complaining. In Abu Dhabi it’s expected to be 23°C on Sunday, and the wind in the city doesn’t look like it will play a meaningful role.

We have already had two proper bunch sprints at this UAE Tour and both produced the same winner: Jonathan Milan of Lidl–Trek, quite simply the fastest in the bunch so far. If the Italian gets the space again in Abu Dhabi, it will be a big job for the rest to beat him.

For UAE Team Emirates–XRG, Juan Sebastián Molano will be keen to end the race on a high on home roads, while Matteo Malucelli (XDS Astana) and Erlend Blikra (Uno-X Mobility) both came very close in the most recent sprint.

Sam Welsford (INEOS Grenadiers) hasn’t managed that yet, even though you would normally expect him to. Cees Bol (Decathlon–CMA CGM), Ethan Vernon (NSN Cycling Team) and Matteo Milan (Groupama–FDJ, Jonathan’s younger brother) already have a solid result to their name.

Other fast men to watch include Alberto Dainese (Soudal Quick-Step), Fabio Jakobsen, Casper van Uden (Picnic PostNL), Gerben Thijssen (Alpecin–Premier Tech), Steffen De Schuyteneer (Lotto–Intermarché), Daniel Škerl (Bahrain Victorious), Emmanuel Houcou (Pinarello–Q36.5), Luka Mezgec (Jayco AlUla), Robin Froidevaux (Tudor) and Madis Mihkels (EF Education–EasyPost).

Top favorite: Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek)
Outsiders: Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE Emirates - XRG), Matteo Malucelli (XDS Astana), Sam Welsford (INEOS) and Erlend Blikra (Uno-X Mobility)
Long shots:Alberto Dainese (Soudal Quick-Step), Casper van Uden (Picnic PostNL), Gerben Thijssen (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Steffen De Schuyteneer(Lotto-Intermarché), Daniel Skerl (Bahrain Victorious), Madis Mikhels (EF Education - Easypost), Cees Bol (Decathlon CMA CGM), Ethan Vernon (NSN Cycling Team) and Matteo Milan (Groupama - FDJ)