Tiberi and the UAE Tour: brutal crash, WorldTour breakthrough and confidence for a new duel with Evenepoel

The UAE Tour gets underway this week, and much of the pre-race talk has centred on a head-to-head between Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe) and Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates–XRG). But there are other riders looking to crash the party — including Antonio Tiberi of Bahrain Victorious.

Tiberi has already started 2026 strongly. The Italian finished third at the Clàssica Camp de Morvedre in January and carried that form into February at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana. There, he was the rider who could follow Evenepoel the longest on the climbs, ultimately taking fourth overall.

At the UAE Tour, Tiberi now gets another chance to measure himself against Evenepoel — this time on WorldTour level. “After the good performance recently in Volta Valenciana, my confidence is high and of course I go there with ambitions,” Tiberi said in a Bahrain Victorious team release. “The goal is to fight for the general classification and be up there with the best guys like Remco and del Toro.”

“The longer climbs and the time trial should suit me, so we’ll try to make the difference there,” he continued. “We also have this new climb which looks pretty hard, so I think it will be a key moment for the race and maybe create some bigger gaps.”

Tiberi has already ridden the UAE Tour twice — and has experienced both extremes there. On his WorldTour debut in 2021, he crashed heavily in the individual time trial right after crossing the line. Two years later, in 2023, he delivered his first top-ten overall in a WorldTour stage race in the same event.

“I raced the UAE Tour in 2023 and I still remember it really well,” Tiberi recalled. “It’s always a race that gives me a nice feeling when I think about it. It’s such a different place compared to what we’re used to in Europe, something unique, and that makes it special.” “Going back I have some memories — the bad being a crash in the ITT, but the good was placing in the top ten,” he added.

For the 2026 edition, Bahrain Victorious is clearly lining up around its Italian leader. Sports director Franco Pellizotti confirmed the plan in the same team communication.

“Antonio will be our leader. He has started the season well and his condition is improving step by step,” Pellizotti said. “The whole team will ride for him, protecting him on the flat stages and supporting him in the mountains, while Skerl gives us opportunities in the sprints. We believe we can be competitive across all terrain.”

Damiano Caruso is again set to be Tiberi’s key road captain and climbing lieutenant, with Afonso Eulálio and Rainer Kepplinger also expected to provide support when the race turns uphill. On flatter days, Nikias Arndt and Mathijs Paasschens should help keep their leader safe, while Daniel Skerl will be Bahrain’s option when the stages are decided in a sprint.