Who are you most looking forward to seeing in Dubai?
We’ve rounded up the top cyclists to keep a close eye on.
The first stage begins on Tuesday, with the climax to the race ending on Saturday at the city walk.
Team: LottoNL-Jumbo
Age: 28
Rider type: Classics rider/sprinter
The Spaniard sprung a surprise last year when he conquered the 17 per cent climb up Hatta Dam to win stage three of the Dubai Tour. He dedicated the win to his son who was born just three months earlier. After spending the last three seasons with Movistar, Lobato signed a new two-year deal with Dutch outfit LottoNLJumbo and will be making his debut for the team in Dubai.
Team: Sky
Age: 27
Rider type: Sprinter
The reigning Olympic omnium champion has enjoyed lots of success in the UAE having won two stages at the 2015 Abu Dhabi Tour, and two stages in the 2015 and 2016 editions of the Dubai Tour. Will be a contender in the sprints once again this year with four of the five stages being flat. Started his season at the Vuelta de San Juan, where he came second in the opening two stages.
Team: Dimension Data
Age: 31
Rider type: Sprinter
Another rider who has done well in – not just the Emirates, but the Gulf region in general. The superstar sprinter won the leader’s jersey at the Dubai Tour in 2015, took two stages at last October’s Abu Dhabi Tour and also claimed the overal victory at two editions of the Tour of Qatar. Spends a lot of time in the UAE and will definitely be a major contender this week.
Team: Quick-Step Floors
Age: 28
Rider type: Sprinter
The German is the defending champion in Dubai this week having won it last year on his debut race with Quick-Step Floors. Won the team time trial at the World Championships in Doha last year. Kittel is expected to have some big battles with Cavendish in the sprints in Dubai, although it is still early in the season and he might still be finding his racing legs.
Team: Trek-Segafredo
Age: 28
Rider type: Classics rider/sprinter
His famous victory atop Hatta Dam here in 2015 remains a standout highlight in the Dubai Tour’s short history. Degenkolb pushed his limits to take the stage victory before he collapsed on the ground. Following a difficult 2016 that started with a tragic crash suffered during training with Giant-Alpecin, Degenkolb is ready to go with a new team – Trek-Segrafredo – this season.
Team: UAE-Abu Dhabi
Age: 28
Rider type: All-rounder
The UAE’s top rider will be making his debut for the newly-formed WorldTeam UAE-Abu Dhabi, the nation’s first cycling outfit at this level in the sport. The UAE national champion was the first Emirati rider to qualify for the Olympic Games road race last year, but tough conditions and an early crash led to him abandoning the
contest in Rio.
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