UAE Tour: Remco Evenepoel cracks on Jebel Mobrah as Tiberi solos to victory

UAE Tour: Remco Evenepoel cracks on Jebel Mobrah as Tiberi solos to victory

The new summit finish delivered immediate GC upheaval. Antonio Tiberi attacked with 4 km remaining to win Stage 3, while pre-race favourite Remco Evenepoel cramped and dropped to 11th overall.

By Peter Stuart · · 3 min read

Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) attacked with -4 km on the inaugural Jebel Mobrah summit finish to win Stage 3 solo and seize the Red Jersey. Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), the race leader after his Stage 2 time trial win, conceded 2:04 and dropped to 11th overall.

UAE Tour 2026 - 8th Edition - 3rd stage Umm al Quwain - Jebel Mobrah 183 km - 18/02/2026 - Antonio Tiberi (ITA - Bahrain Victorious) - photo Luca Bettini/SprintCyclingAgency©2026

Credit: RCS Sport/ SprintCyclingAgency

Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) finished 15 s behind Tiberi after a late recovery ride in the final 2 km, moving to second on GC at 0:21. Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto-Intermarché) took third on the stage at 0:29. Harold Tejada (XDS Astana) sits third overall at 1:00, with Van Eetvelt fourth at 1:07. Evenepoel is now 1:44 off red.

Results

Umm Al Quwain - Jebel Mobrah • Feb 18 • 183km

Velora
PosRiderTeamTime
🥇
Antonio Tiberi
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS 4:24:44
🥈
Isaac del Toro Romero
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+0:15
🥉
Lennert van Eetvelt
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+0:29
4
Harold Alfonso Tejada Canacue
XDS ASTANA TEAM+0:41
5
Felix Gall
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+0:51
6
Tobias Halland Johannessen
UNO-X MOBILITY+0:51
7
Derek Gee
LIDL-TREK+1:07
8
Jørgen Nordhagen
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+1:07
9
Ilan van Wilder
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+1:07
10
Lucas Plapp
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+1:13
11
Mathys Rondel
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+1:18
12
Michael Storer
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+1:35
13
Adam Richard Yates
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+1:38
14
Byron Munton
MODERN ADVENTURE PRO CYCLING+1:40
15
Wilco Kelderman
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+1:49
16
Anders Halland Johannessen
UNO-X MOBILITY+1:56
17
Tijmen Graat
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+2:00
18
Remco Evenepoel
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+2:04
19
Harm Vanhoucke
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+2:14
20
Embret Svestad-Bårdseng
INEOS GRENADIERS+2:41
21
David Gaudu
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+2:43
22
Jardi Christiaan van der Lee
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+2:43
23
Edward Dunbar
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+2:50
24
Kevin Vermaerke
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+2:56
25
George Bennett
NSN CYCLING TEAM+2:56
26
Markel Beloki Fernandez
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+3:01
27
Christopher Harper
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+3:04
28
Georg Steinhauser
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+3:06
29
Afonso Eulálio
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+3:06
30
Pablo Castrillo Zapater
MOVISTAR TEAM+3:06
31
Pavel Novák
MOVISTAR TEAM+3:12
32
Mattia Gaffuri
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+3:17
33
Junior Lecerf
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+3:23
34
Luca Vergallito
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+3:23
35
Emil Herzog
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+3:23
36
Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier
LIDL-TREK+3:35
37
Sean Quinn
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+3:43
38
Rudy Porter
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+3:45
39
Peter Hansen
INEOS GRENADIERS+3:59
40
Ben Tulett
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+4:06
41
Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas
MOVISTAR TEAM+4:25
42
Finlay Xavier Pickering
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+4:25
43
Anthon Charmig
UNO-X MOBILITY+5:02
44
Ben O'Connor
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+5:20
45
Stefan de Bod
MODERN ADVENTURE PRO CYCLING+5:41
46
Sergio Andres Higuita Garcia
XDS ASTANA TEAM+5:41
47
James Knox
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+6:31
48
Jan Hirt
NSN CYCLING TEAM+6:31
49
Harold Martin Lopez Granizo
XDS ASTANA TEAM+6:42
50
Damiano Caruso
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+6:42
51
Patrick Konrad
LIDL-TREK+7:24
52
Steven Kruijswijk
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+7:53
53
Alastair Mackellar
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+7:53
54
Simone Gualdi
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+7:53
55
Nickolas Zukowsky
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+8:05
56
Enzo Paleni
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+8:17
57
Matthew Dinham
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+8:17
58
Damien Howson
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+8:22
59
Hannes Wilksch
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+9:51
60
Anders Skaarseth
UNO-X MOBILITY+11:04
61
Finn Lachlan Fox Fisher-Black
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+11:07
62
Lorenzo Milesi
MOVISTAR TEAM+12:50
63
Rémi Cavagna
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+12:50
64
Pier-André Côté
NSN CYCLING TEAM+12:50
65
Patrick Gamper
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+13:02
66
Warre Vangheluwe
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+13:02
67
Nils Politt
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+13:05
68
Florian Vermeersch
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+13:05
69
Connor Swift
INEOS GRENADIERS+13:15
70
Joshua Michael Tarling
INEOS GRENADIERS+13:15
71
Dion Allan Smith
NSN CYCLING TEAM+13:15
72
Luke Durbridge
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+13:15
73
Rainer Kepplinger
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+13:15
74
Baptiste Veistroffer
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+13:52
75
Niklas Märkl
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+14:24
76
Gregor Mühlberger
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+14:24
77
Artem Shmidt
INEOS GRENADIERS+14:26
78
Lev Gonov
XDS ASTANA TEAM+14:26
79
Nicolo' Parisini
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+14:26
80
Edward Theuns
LIDL-TREK+14:38
81
Daan Hoole
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+14:38
82
Nadav Raisberg
NSN CYCLING TEAM+14:38
83
Tim Naberman
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+14:38
84
Jonas Geens
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+14:38
85
Nikias Arndt
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+14:38
86
Ben Swift
INEOS GRENADIERS+14:38
87
Madis Mihkels
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+14:38
88
Ayco Bastiaens
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+14:38
89
Axel Huens
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+14:38
90
Mathijs Paasschens
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+14:38
91
Arthur Kluckers
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+15:30
92
Aivaras Mikutis
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+15:55
93
Rune Herregodts
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+15:55
94
Roel van Sintmaartensdijk
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+16:12
95
Jonathan Milan
LIDL-TREK+16:12
96
Florian Senechal
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+16:12
97
Casper Cornelis van Uden
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+16:30
98
Johan Jacobs
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+16:58
99
Mattia Cattaneo
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+17:31
100
Gianni Moscon
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+17:31
101
Alberto Dainese
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+17:43
102
Ryan William Mullen
NSN CYCLING TEAM+17:56
103
Owain Doull
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+17:56
104
Pietro Mattio
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+18:15
105
Emmanuel Houcou
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+18:15
106
Felix Ørn-Kristoff
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+18:15
107
Callum Thornley
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+18:19
108
Manlio Moro
MOVISTAR TEAM+18:23
109
Juan Sebastian Molano Benavides
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+18:23
110
Sean Christian
MODERN ADVENTURE PRO CYCLING+19:23
111
Bert van Lerberghe
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+19:44
112
Ethan Edward Hayter
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+19:44
113
Riley Pickrell
MODERN ADVENTURE PRO CYCLING+20:30
114
Samuel Welsford
INEOS GRENADIERS+20:30
115
Matthias Schwarzbacher
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+20:30
116
Ezra Caudell
MODERN ADVENTURE PRO CYCLING+20:30
117
Cole Kessler
MODERN ADVENTURE PRO CYCLING+20:30
118
Gerben Thijssen
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+20:30
119
Lewis Bower
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+20:36
120
Carl-Frederik Bévort
UNO-X MOBILITY+20:37
121
Gleb Syritsa
XDS ASTANA TEAM+20:55
122
Sebastian Kolze Changizi
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+21:48
123
Albert Torres Barcelo
MOVISTAR TEAM+22:20
124
Steffen de Schuyteneer
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+22:27
125
Ethan Kane Vernon
NSN CYCLING TEAM+22:36
126
Silvan Dillier
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+22:44
127
Jonas Rickaert
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+23:07
128
Simon Dehairs
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+23:34
129
Luka Mezgec
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+23:34
130
Fabio Jakobsen
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+23:52
131
Maximilian Richard Walscheid
LIDL-TREK+24:41
132
Matteo Milan
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+25:15
133
Daniel Skerl
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+25:15
134
Alessandro Romele
XDS ASTANA TEAM+25:15
135
Matteo Malucelli
XDS ASTANA TEAM+25:15
136
Stefan Bissegger
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+25:15
137
Gianluca Pollefliet
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+25:15
138
Cees Bol
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+25:15
139
Simone Consonni
LIDL-TREK+25:15
140
Robin Froidevaux
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+25:15
141
Robbe Ghys
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+25:15
142
Mark Stewart
MODERN ADVENTURE PRO CYCLING+25:15
143
Jasper de Buyst
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+25:15
144
Erlend Blikra
UNO-X MOBILITY+25:15
145
Jarrad Eriks Drizners
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+25:15

The 183 km stage played out to script until the peloton hit Jebel Mobrah's 15 km ascent. Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM) lit the fuse with -6 km to go on gradients averaging 12%.

Evenepoel followed initially, then abruptly swung off the pace at -4 km, visibly slapping his right thigh. Tiberi countered Gall's move at the same point and rode clear on the double-digit ramps. Del Toro, who had drifted to the back of the favourites' group early on the climb, was paced back into contention by teammate Adam Yates before launching his own pursuit in the final 2 km, passing Gall but unable to close the gap to Tiberi.

Evenepoel's explanation, and what changes

UAE Tour 2026 - 8th Edition - 3rd stage Umm al Quwain - Jebel Mobrah 183 km - 18/02/2026 - Scenery - Peloton - photo Luca Bettini/SprintCyclingAgency©2026

"At the foot of the climb, I already had cramps coming on," Evenepoel said to Het Nieuwsblad. "Maybe from yesterday's effort, which I hadn't fully digested. I didn't have the best night either; I woke up from the heat. But ultimately, I can't make excuses."

Tiberi, claiming his first victory since 2024, read the situation in real time. "Today’s win gives me confirmation that I’ve had a good winter, without any hiccups like last year with sickness and a stupid crash during the training camp," he said. "I wanted to see in a serious climb like today’s what the good level I had reached could bring me. I knew I could do well, but to leave people like Isaac Del Toro and Remco Evenepoel behind, it’s big!"

The organisers' new summit finish produced gaps far larger than Jebel Hafeet typically generates. That climb returns on Stage 6, the last realistic GC battleground, but Tiberi now holds a buffer that leaves UAE Team Emirates-XRG with Del Toro and Yates, who sits 16th at 2:22. The exposed desert stages on days four and five carry crosswind risk that could affect the standings before the race reaches Hafeet.

Peter

Peter Stuart

Editor

Peter is the editor of Velora and oversees Velora’s editorial strategy and content standards, bringing nearly 20 years of cycling journalism to the site. He was editor of Cyclingnews from 2022, introducing its digital membership strategy and expanding its content pillars. Before that he was digital editor at Cyclist, and then Rouleur. Before joining Cyclist in 2012, he completed freelance work for titles including The Times and The Telegraph. He has reported from Grand Tours and WorldTour races, and previously represented Great Britain as a rower.