UCI WorldTour: from the desert to the cobblestones

After returning from the season-openers in Australia in January, the UCI WorldTour peloton took on more challenges in the United Arab Emirates and in Belgium in February.

UCI World Champion Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) won the 5th edition of the UAE Tour on Sunday, the second stage race on the UCI WorldTour calendar. The previous day, the Dutchman Dylan van Baarle (Jumbo-Visma) brilliantly dominated the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite which kicked off the Spring Classics campaign..

Soudal-Quick Step rule the United Arab Emirates

A royal line-up of sprinters and climbers gathered at Al Dhafra Castle, south of Abu Dhabi, for the second week-long race on the UCI WorldTour calendar, a month after the Santos Tour Down Under in Australia. Four sprints, a team time trial and two summit finishes - there was something for everyone, but UAE Team Emirates wanted to take it all in its home race with its new leader, the Briton Adam Yates.

After a breathless first stage, marked by echelons and an extraordinary suspense in Al Mirfa, Belgian Champion Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) clinched victory by the narrowest margin over Australian Caleb Ewan (Lotto Dstny). It took several minutes of examining the photo-finish to establish the winner.

The "Wolfpack" was on a roll, as highlighted by their victory in the 17.5km team time trial the next day in the Khalifa port, one second ahead of EF - Education EasyPost. UCI World Champion Remco Evenepoel laid the first stone of his future success by moving up to second place overall, within a second of the new leader, Australian Luke Plapp (Ineos Grenadiers).

The first mountainous battle on the slopes of Jebel Jais saw young Colombian climber Einer Rubio (Movistar Team) treat himself to a spectacular birthday present as he surprised the favorites to claim the first success of his professional career, while Belgian Evenepoel donned the leader's red jersey. The sprinters then regained control in Dubai, Umm Al Quwain and Abu Dhabi, with victories for Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE Team Emirates), Dylan Groenewegen (Team Jayco AlUla) and Merlier, taking his second stage win of the week.

After previously losing time in the crosswinds of stage 1, the leader of UAE Team Emirates Adam Yates gave his team a second victory as he soloed to the top of Jebel Hafeet. The Briton made a sharp attack 3km from the top to get away and cross the finish line 10 seconds ahead of Evenepoel, who won the general classification ahead of Plapp and Yates.

Van Baarle and Jumbo-Visma looking strong for the Classics

While part of the peloton took advantage of the warm temperatures in the UAE, others took on the first Flanders cobblestones and muurs of the season. The Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite marked the start of a new campaign in Belgium with the first European Classic of the UCI WorldTour calendar. It was a perfect challenge for lovers of and contenders on the pave, with no fewer than 13 sectors and 12 mounts to overcome across 207.5km between Gent and Ninove, including the famous Molenberg and the mythical Muur van Geraardsbergen.

Many aimed to succeed Wout van Aert, in the traditional effervescence reserved for them by the Belgian public. But who better than Jumbo-Visma to succeed itself in Flanders? The Dutch team opened up a great battle in this first round that lived up to expectations, with a frantic race that came alive in the crossing of the Holleweg, 100km from the finish.

It was an elimination race until the coup de grace was delivered by Dutchman Dylan van Baarle, making his return to competition after the off season. The winner of last year’s Paris-Roubaix delivered a masterclass for his debut race with Jumbo-Visma - he went on the offensive 40km away from the finish and nobody ever came back to him. Only the young Frenchman Mathis Le Berre (Team Arkéa - Samsic), who was part of the morning breakaway, was able to resist him for a while until the Muur van Geraardsbergen.

With a crash 50km from the finish, Belgian rising star Arnaud de Lie (Lotto Dstny) went through all the emotions and eventually settled the sprint for 2nd place ahead of Frenchman Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma).

“It was a great day for the team. We took control of the race and I have to thank the guys. It is thanks to them that I won today,” Van Baarle said at the finish.

Big battles on the horizon

The Belgian opening weekend marks a turning point in the calendar. The Classics are underway and the stars of the peloton - Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step) for example - will head for Tuscany, Italy, to compete in the Strade Bianche on Saturday.

The general classification riders will target Paris-Nice (5-12 March 5) or Tirreno-Adriatico (6-12 March), where some protagonists of the famous white roads are also expected. All these stars will keep upping the ante towards the season’s first Monument, Milano-Sanremo (18 March). The Slovenian Primož Roglič will make his comeback race on the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya (20-26 March), where he will meet Evenepoel. An amazing programme!