Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) won stage 1 of the 2026 UAE Tour Women, claiming the red jersey after a high-speed desert sprint in Madinat Zayed.
The Dutch champion overtook Lara Gillespie (UAE Team ADQ) in the final 100 metres, with Zoe Bäckstedt (Canyon//SRAM Zondacrypto) completing the podium. Pre-race concerns about crosswinds did not result in decisive splits, and the GC standings ahead of Jebel Hafeet remain close.
Stage 1 Results
Al Mirfa - Madinat Zayed • Feb 5 • 111km
| Pos | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | Lorena WIEBES | SDWTEAM SD WORX - PROTIME | 2:26:17 |
| 🥈 | Lara GILLESPIE | UADUAE TEAM ADQ | +0:00 |
| 🥉 | Zoe BACKSTEDT | CSZCANYON//SRAM ZONDACRYPTO | +0:00 |
| 4 | Maggie COLES-LYSTER | HPHHUMAN POWERED HEALTH | +0:00 |
| 5 | Martina ALZINI | COFCOFIDIS WOMEN TEAM | +0:00 |
| 6 | Gladys VERHULST WILD | AGSAG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM | +0:00 |
| 7 | Georgia BAKER | LIVLIV-ALULA-JAYCO | +0:00 |
| 8 | Emma Cecilie Norsgaard BJERG | LTKLIDL - TREK | +0:00 |
| 9 | Rachele BARBIERI | TPPTEAM PICNIC POSTNL | +0:00 |
| 10 | Carys LLOYD | MOVMOVISTAR TEAM | +0:00 |
| 11 | Charlotte KOOL | APTFENIX-PREMIER TECH | +0:00 |
| 12 | Alexandra Grace MANLY | AGSAG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM | +0:00 |
| 13 | Nienke VEENHOVEN | TVLTEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE | +0:00 |
| 14 | Karolina KUMIEGA | ST ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER93 | +0:00 |
| 15 | Linda ZANETTI | UXMUNO-X MOBILITY | +0:00 |
| 16 | Aidi Gerde TUISK | HITHITEC PRODUCTS-FLUID CONTROL | +0:00 |
| 17 | Alison JACKSON | ST ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER93 | +0:00 |
| 18 | Vittoria GUAZZINI | FDJFDJ UNITED - SUEZ | +0:00 |
| 19 | Alicia GONZALEZ BLANCO | ST ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER93 | +0:00 |
| 20 | Alexandra VOLSTAD | EFOEF EDUCATION - OATLY | +0:00 |
| 21 | Chiara CONSONNI | CSZCANYON//SRAM ZONDACRYPTO | +0:00 |
| 22 | Amalie DIDERIKSEN | COFCOFIDIS WOMEN TEAM | +0:00 |
| 23 | Irma SIRI | TOPTOP GIRLS FASSA BORTOLO | +0:00 |
| 24 | Scarlett SOUREN | VOLVOLKERWESSELS CYCLING TEAM | +0:00 |
| 25 | Franziska KOCH | FDJFDJ UNITED - SUEZ | +0:00 |
| 26 | Marta PAVESI | TOPTOP GIRLS FASSA BORTOLO | +0:00 |
| 27 | Megan JASTRAB | UADUAE TEAM ADQ | +0:00 |
| 28 | Mylene DE ZOETE | APTFENIX-PREMIER TECH | +0:00 |
| 29 | Marthe GOOSSENS | AGSAG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM | +0:00 |
| 30 | Babette VAN DER WOLF | EFOEF EDUCATION - OATLY | +0:00 |
| 31 | Lauretta HANSON | LTKLIDL - TREK | +0:00 |
| 32 | Laura Lizette SANDER | HITHITEC PRODUCTS-FLUID CONTROL | +0:00 |
| 33 | Nikola NOSKOVÁ | COFCOFIDIS WOMEN TEAM | +0:00 |
| 34 | Niamh FISHER-BLACK | UNKUnknown | +0:00 |
| 35 | Gaia SEGATO | VINVINI FANTINI - BEPINK | +0:00 |
| 36 | Eva VAN AGT | FDJFDJ UNITED - SUEZ | +0:00 |
| 37 | Arlenis SIERRA CANADILLA | MOVMOVISTAR TEAM | +0:00 |
| 38 | Matilde VITILLO | LIVLIV-ALULA-JAYCO | +0:00 |
| 39 | Susanne ANDERSEN | UXMUNO-X MOBILITY | +0:00 |
| 40 | Katarzyna Anna NIEWIADOMA-PHINNEY | CSZCANYON//SRAM ZONDACRYPTO | +0:00 |
| 41 | Silvia ZANARDI | HPHHUMAN POWERED HEALTH | +0:00 |
| 42 | Anna VAN DER BREGGEN | SDWTEAM SD WORX - PROTIME | +0:00 |
| 43 | Marlen REUSSER | MOVMOVISTAR TEAM | +0:00 |
| 44 | Monica TRINCA COLONEL | LIVLIV-ALULA-JAYCO | +0:00 |
| 45 | Caroline WRESZIN | ST ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER93 | +0:00 |
| 46 | Juliette BERTHET | FDJFDJ UNITED - SUEZ | +0:00 |
| 47 | Justine GHEKIERE | AGSAG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM | +0:00 |
| 48 | Silvia PERSICO | UADUAE TEAM ADQ | +0:00 |
| 49 | Ilse PLUIMERS | AGSAG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM | +0:00 |
| 50 | Quinty TON | LIVLIV-ALULA-JAYCO | +0:00 |
| 51 | Noa JANSEN | LIVLIV-ALULA-JAYCO | +0:00 |
| 52 | Steffi HÄBERLIN | SDWTEAM SD WORX - PROTIME | +0:00 |
| 53 | Lieke NOOIJEN | TVLTEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE | +0:00 |
| 54 | Quinty SCHOENS | VOLVOLKERWESSELS CYCLING TEAM | +0:00 |
| 55 | Auke DE BUYSSER | EFOEF EDUCATION - OATLY | +0:00 |
| 56 | Mary Patricia Kimberley LE COURT DE BILLOT - PIENAAR | AGSAG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM | +0:00 |
| 57 | Daria PIKULIK | HPHHUMAN POWERED HEALTH | +0:00 |
| 58 | Elisa LONGO BORGHINI | UADUAE TEAM ADQ | +0:00 |
| 59 | Elena CECCHINI | SDWTEAM SD WORX - PROTIME | +0:00 |
| 60 | Marit RAAIJMAKERS | HPHHUMAN POWERED HEALTH | +0:00 |
| 61 | Felicity WILSON-HAFFENDEN | LTKLIDL - TREK | +0:00 |
| 62 | Maria MARTINS | CSZCANYON//SRAM ZONDACRYPTO | +0:00 |
| 63 | Sophie VON BERSWORDT | VOLVOLKERWESSELS CYCLING TEAM | +0:00 |
| 64 | Eleonora CIABOCCO | TPPTEAM PICNIC POSTNL | +0:00 |
| 65 | Pfeiffer GEORGI | TPPTEAM PICNIC POSTNL | +0:00 |
| 66 | Tiffany CROMWELL | CSZCANYON//SRAM ZONDACRYPTO | +0:00 |
| 67 | Kamilla AASEBØ | UXMUNO-X MOBILITY | +0:00 |
| 68 | Mia GRIFFIN | TPPTEAM PICNIC POSTNL | +0:00 |
| 69 | Jade WIEL | FDJFDJ UNITED - SUEZ | +0:00 |
| 70 | Amanda SPRATT | LTKLIDL - TREK | +0:00 |
| 71 | Axelle DUBAU | UNKUnknown | +0:00 |
| 72 | Karlijn SWINKELS | UADUAE TEAM ADQ | +0:00 |
| 73 | Floortje MACKAIJ | MOVMOVISTAR TEAM | +0:00 |
| 74 | Alexis MAGNER | EFOEF EDUCATION - OATLY | +0:00 |
| 75 | Amber VAN DER HULST | VOLVOLKERWESSELS CYCLING TEAM | +0:00 |
| 76 | Margot VANPACHTENBEKE | LTKLIDL - TREK | +0:00 |
| 77 | Elisa DE VALLIER | TOPTOP GIRLS FASSA BORTOLO | +0:00 |
| 78 | Chiara REGHINI | TOPTOP GIRLS FASSA BORTOLO | +0:00 |
| 79 | Femke MARKUS | SDWTEAM SD WORX - PROTIME | +0:00 |
| 80 | Femke DE VRIES | TVLTEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE | +0:00 |
| 81 | Francesca BARALE | MOVMOVISTAR TEAM | +0:00 |
| 82 | Barbara GUARISCHI | SDWTEAM SD WORX - PROTIME | +0:00 |
| 83 | Katrine AALERUD | UXMUNO-X MOBILITY | +0:00 |
| 84 | Christina SCHWEINBERGER | APTFENIX-PREMIER TECH | +0:00 |
| 85 | Elynor BACKSTEDT | UADUAE TEAM ADQ | +0:00 |
| 86 | Eglantine RAYER GIRAULT | FDJFDJ UNITED - SUEZ | +0:00 |
| 87 | Margaux VIGIE | TVLTEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE | +0:00 |
| 88 | Daniek HENGEVELD | TVLTEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE | +0:00 |
| 89 | Aude BIANNIC | MOVMOVISTAR TEAM | +0:00 |
| 90 | Victorie GUILMAN | COFCOFIDIS WOMEN TEAM | +0:00 |
| 91 | Anniina AHTOSALO | UXMUNO-X MOBILITY | +0:00 |
| 92 | Evy KUIJPERS | APTFENIX-PREMIER TECH | +0:00 |
| 93 | Marthe TRUYEN | APTFENIX-PREMIER TECH | +0:00 |
| 94 | Kristýna BURLOVÁ | COFCOFIDIS WOMEN TEAM | +0:17 |
| 95 | Jeanne KOREVAAR | LIVLIV-ALULA-JAYCO | +0:20 |
| 96 | Laura TOMASI | UXMUNO-X MOBILITY | +0:51 |
| 97 | Robyn CLAY | TPPTEAM PICNIC POSTNL | +1:35 |
| 98 | April TACEY | HITHITEC PRODUCTS-FLUID CONTROL | +3:16 |
| 99 | Marion BORRAS | COFCOFIDIS WOMEN TEAM | +3:16 |
| 100 | Sonia ROSSETTI | VINVINI FANTINI - BEPINK | +3:16 |
| 101 | Elyne ROUSSEL | ST ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER93 | +3:16 |
| 102 | Mari Hole MOHR | HITHITEC PRODUCTS-FLUID CONTROL | +3:16 |
| 103 | Sara LUCCON | TOPTOP GIRLS FASSA BORTOLO | +3:16 |
| 104 | Megan ARENS | TPPTEAM PICNIC POSTNL | +3:16 |
| 105 | Sofia ARICI | VINVINI FANTINI - BEPINK | +3:16 |
| 106 | Linda LAPORTA | VINVINI FANTINI - BEPINK | +3:16 |
| 107 | Monica CASTAGNA | TOPTOP GIRLS FASSA BORTOLO | +3:16 |
| 108 | Martina FIDANZA | TVLTEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE | +3:16 |
| 109 | Magdalene LIND | HITHITEC PRODUCTS-FLUID CONTROL | +3:16 |
| 110 | Emilie MORIER | ST ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER93 | +3:16 |
| 111 | Neve Summer BRADBURY | CSZCANYON//SRAM ZONDACRYPTO | +3:16 |
| 112 | Meis POLAND | VOLVOLKERWESSELS CYCLING TEAM | +3:16 |
| 113 | Nina BUIJSMAN | HPHHUMAN POWERED HEALTH | +3:16 |
| 114 | Nina BERTON | EFOEF EDUCATION - OATLY | +3:16 |
| 115 | Anneke DIJKSTRA | VOLVOLKERWESSELS CYCLING TEAM | +3:16 |
| 116 | Petra STIASNY | HPHHUMAN POWERED HEALTH | +12:59 |
| 117 | Andrea CASAGRANDA | VINVINI FANTINI - BEPINK | +12:59 |
| 118 | Misia BELOTTI | VINVINI FANTINI - BEPINK | +12:59 |
Wiebes leads by four seconds over Gillespie and six over Bäckstedt. Femke De Vries (Visma-Lease a Bike) collected three bonus seconds at the intermediate sprint to sit fourth, seven seconds back.
Sprint dynamics
SD Worx-Protime held the front inside the final 2km but lost control as UAE Team ADQ surged forward. Defending champion Elisa Longo Borghini pulled hard to the flamme rouge, positioning Gillespie for the sprint – Longo Borghini is targeting the overall title.
Wiebes, lacking her full train, tracked the UAE wheels before launching on the left near the barriers. She touched wheels with Maggie Coles-Lyster (Human Powered Health) during her acceleration but stayed upright.
"I chose the wheel of Gillespie because I saw that the lead-out train of UAE had a lot of speed," Wiebes said. "It was a bit of a gamble which side to launch my sprint on. I chose the left. They could have boxed me in there, but fortunately I had just enough space to deliver my sprint.."
What comes next
This is Wiebes' seventh UAE Tour Women stage win. Stage 2 features another flat finish through Dubai, with bonus seconds available before the summit finish on Jebel Hafeet on stage 4.
Check out our guide on how to watch the UAE Tour Women.
Cover image: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
