Male Team 23 - 29 Feb
UAE Tour
1120 Kilometers 7 Stages
It’s a heterodox UAE Tour route in 2020, the RCS-organised Emirati event fulfilling its second edition. No time trials and no climb of the long Jebel Jais -used only for the first time in 2019, never back in its predecessors Abu Dhabi Tour and Dubai Tour- mean that the race goes back to more traditional, better known finishes.
The climb to the Hatta Dam (Monday 24th), 400 meters with a maximum gradient of 17%, and a double ascent – 48 hours apart and both as point-to-point stages – of the famous Jebel Hafeet (Tuesday 25th + Thursday 27th) will be the key days for the GC contenders.
As the climbs of Rafisah Dam were removed from the route due to roadworks on the original stage three parcours -now replaced by the first Jebel Hafeet duel-, the pure climbers will have a better shot at a race otherwise good for sprinters and also for crosswinds by the strongest WT teams.
The opening stage (Sunday 23rd), over quite open roads around the Al Qudra and Lahbab areas, and day six (Friday 28th), always along the coast from Al Ruwais to Al Mirfa, will be the most wind-exposed routes. The other flat stages are held into mostly urban roads.