Middle Eastern races begin
This week, many cyclists, both women and men, will travel to the Arabian Peninsula to participate in two of the region's most important races: the UAE Tour Women, part of the Women’s WorldTour, and the Tour of Oman, a race integrated in the men’s UCI ProSeries.
UAE Tour Women: route and favorites
The race consists of four stages, three of which are completely flat and should end in a sprint, although desert winds could create exciting echelons, potentially eliminating some favorites. The general classification will be decided on the traditional climb to Jebel Hafeet (10.9 km at 6.7%) on the third stage.
Less than 24 hours before the race begins, the start list is still not 100% confirmed, so we should watch for last-minute additions. For now, Juliette Labous (1000), Elisa Longo Borghini (1200), Mavi García (800), Antonia Niedermaier (600), Riejanne Markus (800), Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (800), and Silvia Persico (800) are among the main favorites for the overall victory.
On the other hand, the abundance of flat stages has attracted several of the world's best sprinters: Lorena Wiebes (1200), Charlotte Kool (1000), Elisa Balsamo (1000), Chiara Consonni (800), Chloe Dygert (800), Letizia Paternoster (400), and Emma Norsgaard (400) are among them.
Tour of Oman: route and favorites
As in recent editions, the Tour of Oman consists of five stages: two flat (stages 1 and 4), two mountain stages with summit finishes (stages 3 and 5), and one undulating stage for punchers (stage 2).
The start list for the race is still in an early phase. Last year's winner, Adam Yates (1200), is the main favorite for the overall title. David Gaudu (800), Cian Uijtdebroeks (600), Jay Vine (600), Wout Poels (600), and Valentin Paret-Peintre (400) are some of the main challengers to Yates.
Sprinters like Olav Kooij (1000), Fernando Gaviria (600), Pavel Bittner (400), Giacomo Nizzolo (200), and Erlend Blikra (200), as well as punchers like Ethan Hayter (400), Orluis Aular (400), Anthony Turgis (400), and Iván García Cortina (400), will be aiming for stage victories.
Photo: © UAE Tour Women