UAE Tour Women 2025

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2025 UAE Tour Women Results

Stage 4: Lorena Wiebes dominates crash-marred bunch sprint as Elisa Longo Borghini seals overall title

Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) went three from three in sprints at the UAE Tour Women as she won the final stage of the 2025 race.

The Dutchwoman, who won stages 1 and 2, lost her lead-out in the closing kilometre but surfed the wheels to soar clear of Sara Fiorin (Ceratizit) and Amalie Dideriksen (Cofidis) on the line at Abu Dhabi Breakwater.

A pile-up in the peloton marred the finish to the pan-flat 128km route, which began at Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Academy on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi and travelled through the city to finish on the waterfront.

Stage 3: Elisa Longo Borghini takes race lead with stage 3 victory

Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE ADQ) moved into the overall lead of the UAE Tour Women with a dominant win on stage three.

The Italian made her attack 3.2km from the finish at the top of the Jebel Hafeet climb, and soloed all the way to the line to claim her first win for her new team for 2025, UAE ADQ. Her teammate Silvia Persico sealed a one-two for UAE ADQ by winning the sprint for second from a case group of five that arrived 36 seconds later, ahead of Kimberley Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal).

Stage 2: Lorena Wiebes wins as GC battle kicks off in the crosswinds

Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) won an explosive second stage of the 2025 UAE Tour Women ahead of Lily Williams (Human Powered Health) and Lara Gillespie (UAE Team ADQ), on a day blown apart by crosswinds.

Wiebes, Gillespie and Williams were part of a five-woman group that also included Elisa Longo Borghini and another of her UAE Team ADQ teammates, Karlijn Swinkels, who together spent all day out in front, forming an echelon within the first few kilometres of the start and holding off the peloton.

Stage 1: Lorena Wiebes storms to victory in bunch sprint ahead of Kool

Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) claimed victory in the opening stage of the 2025 UAE Tour Women at Dubai Harbour.

Having been led out perfectly by her teammates, she took part in a drag race against her rival and Dutch compatriot Charlotte Kool (Picnic PostNL) but was comfortably the quickest. Kool had to settle for second, while Nienke Veenhoven (Visma-Lease a Bike) was third. 

2025 UAE Tour Women Information

The UAE Tour Women is the third event of the Women's WorldTour, this year held from February 6-9.

The race is set to feature four stages around the Middle East state. In previous years, the race has seen three flat sprints and a summit finish which decides the GC.

Two previous editions have been held. In 2023, Elisa Longo Borghini took the win ahead of her Trek teammate Gaia Realini. The reigning champion is Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-ProTime) who beat Neve Bradbury (Canyon-SRAM).

2025 UAE Tour Women Route

The UAE Tour Women four days of racing for 540 kilometres of desert duels. The first two days are set up for the sprinters. Stage 1 at149km between the Dubai Police Officer’s Club and back to Dubai Harbour, while stage 2 starts from Al Dhafra Fort in the desert and ends after 111km at Al Mirfa.

Stage 3 is the classic mountain stage of the UAE Tour, a 152km trek that ends atop Jebel Hafeet on the final 10 kilometres.

Stage 4 tips in favour of the sprinters again, 128km around the city of Abu Dhabi, with the finish at Abu Dhabi Breakwater.

UAE Tour Women contenders

Many of the major sprinters will be racing at the 2025 UAE Tour Women to dial in their new lead-out trains and capture their first victories of the new season. 

However, the decisive climb to Jebel Hafeet will provide one shining opportunity for each team's overall contender to make their mark on the race.

As the race is dubbed the "sprinters' world championships", Cyclingnews runs the ruler over the riders to watch for the three sprint stages, and the climbers with the best shot at the GC.

The sprinters:

Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) - Wiebes will be the favourite for all three sprint stages. Last year, she opened the season by winning the first two stages and finished second on the final day, while her teammate Lotte Kopecky won atop Jabel Hafeet and secured the overall title. The team's tactics will change this year in the absence of Kopecky, who is starting her season at Milan-San Remo, and they will likely focus on stages.

Charlotte Kool (Team Picnic PostNL) - Kool is always a competitor for these flatter stage races and has proven her strength at these early-season races in the previous two years. Kool will lead the team's sprint and stage win ambitions, having already won two stages and the points jersey in 2023. But the team have a number of other cards to play during the four-day race, with Pfeiffer Georgi as an all-rounder for the stages and GC and Nienke Vinke for a strong showing on Jabel Hafeet.

Anniina Ahtosalo (Uno-X Mobility) - After finishing second in the opening stage at the 2024 Tour de France Femmes, Ahtosalo cannot hide her sprinting ability in the peloton any longer. All eyes will be on the Finnish sprinter, who will have another chance at bunch sprints on the WorldTour while in the UAE, a good test ahead of the major Spring Classics in March and April.

Chiara Consonni (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) - The Italian sprinter was in the top four in all sprint stages last year, just missing that last bit of speed to punch past her main rivals at the finish line. This year, she will have the powerful Canyon-SRAM team to support her sprinting efforts in the UAE, with riders like Chloé Dygert and Soraya Paladin as potential lead outs and stage winners in their own right. She has never won a stage at the UAE Tour, despite being a sprint contender in the first two editions, so watch for her to take the top step of the podium this year.

Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) - This Italian sprinter normally begins her season at the Setmana Valenciana, but decided to switch things up this year and try her hand at sprinting at the UAE Tour. The former World Champion is one of the fastest in the peloton and will undoubtedly be a contender for the flatter stages. The team will be without their 2023 overall winner, Elisa Longo Borghini, who made the switch to UAE Team ADQ in 2025.

Letizia Paternoster (Liv AlUla Jayco) - Another Italian sprinter to watch at this race, Paternoster is one of the fastest sprinters in the field, though she tends to focus on the Spring Classics. She had a slower start to the season at the UAE Tour last year, but with a knowledge of the courses and a strong training block under her belt, watch for her to surprise in the sprints.

Maggie Coles-Lyster (Human Powered Health) - Changing teams from Roland to Human Powered Health, this Canadian sprinter adds speed to the team, especially at a race like the UAE Tour, where she finished fifth on the opening stage last year and seventh the year before. She now has a well-organised team to support her in the sprints, so watch for her to improve on her previous performances.

The overall contenders:

Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) - One of the most exciting transfers of the season was Longo Borghini's move from Lidl-Trek to UAE Team ADQ. The Italian won the overall title in 2023, the inaugural edition, and has a real shot at another victory this year with support from teammate Silvia Persico.  The Giro d'Italia winner will be one of the strongest climbers in the field and has experience winning atop Jabel Hafeet. She is also savvy enough to be among the front group in the splits through the crosswinds and fast enough to join the sprints. 

Ashleigh Moolman (AG Insurance-Soudal Team) - Moolman-Pasio is aiming to start the season off strong, especially after struggling last year with a back injury. She will likely play on the safer side through the crosswinds but has a real shot at doing well in the overall GC if she can climb with the top riders on Jabel Hafeet.

Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) - A powerful rider on the flats and the climbs, this Giro d'Italia stage winner is a solid allrounder who could be one to watch on the Jabel Hafeet stage, as she pursues the overall. She has a strong team with riders like Dygert, Paladin and Tiffany Cromwell to help guide her into a top GC place across the four days of racing.

Juliette Labous (FDJ-SUEZ) - This French rider has always been a contender for the hilly races, and if it all comes down to Jabel Hafeet, Labous will be there for both a stage win and in pursuit of the overall title. She normally starts her season at Valenciana, so her form and performance at UAE Tour will be somewhat unknown.

Marion Bunel (Visma-Lease a Bike) - Bunel turned heads last year finishing fifth on Jabel Hafeet and fifth overall before going on to finish ninth overall at Tour de Normandie, first at Alpes Gresivaudan Classic, 17th overall at Tour de France Femmes, second overall at Tour de l'Ardeche and victory at Tour de l'Avenir. She joins her compatriot Pauline Ferrand-Prévot at Visma-Lease a Bike, and the two French riders start their season at the UAE Tour.

2025 UAE Tour Women start list

The UAE Tour Women startlist is powered by FirstCycling

2025 UAE Tour Women Schedule