ABU DHABI, 5th February, 2026 (WAM) -- Dutch rider Lorena Wiebes of Team SD Worx–Protime won the opening stage of the UAE Tour Women 2026, the Al Masaood Equipment Rental Stage, to take the first Red Jersey of the race.
Wiebes edged out Ireland’s Lara Gillespie of UAE Team ADQ and Britain’s Zoe Backstedt of Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto at the end of the 111-kilometre stage, completing the distance in 2 hours, 26 minutes and 17 seconds at an average speed of 45.528 kilometres per hour.
With the stage victory, Wiebes also leads the general classification, holding a four-second advantage over Gillespie, while Backstedt sits third at six seconds behind.
The official leader jerseys of the UAE Tour Women, provided by ALÉ, were awarded following the stage. Wiebes claimed both the Red Jersey, awarded to the overall race leader and sponsored by AD Ports Group, and the Green Jersey for the points classification, sponsored by Mubadala. Backstedt took the White Jersey for the best young rider, sponsored by Burjeel Holdings, while Femke de Vries of Team Visma–Lease a Bike secured the Black Jersey as leader of the intermediate sprint classification, sponsored by Aldar.
Speaking after the finish, Wiebes said the victory marked an ideal start to her season, praising her team’s effort in the closing kilometres and highlighting the tactical decisions that allowed her to launch a successful sprint. She added that while securing one stage win was her initial goal, she and her team would aim for further success in the coming stages.
Stage two of the UAE Tour Women 2026 will take place in Dubai over a distance of 145 kilometres, starting at the Dubai Police Academy and finishing at Hamdan bin Mohammed Smart University. The route will pass key locations including Al Qudra Cycle Track, Dubai Sports City and Meydan Racecourse, featuring wide, straight roads interspersed with large-radius roundabouts.