UAE Tour 2026, February 16-22

[Samu Cuenca]

I want to see what the priest who baptised Florian Lipowitz thinks of all of this

I am not sure I'd want to attend a Florian's Priest concert.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Alexander vlasovs newborn daughter watching this somewhere and smiling

 

[Unchained]

Weird stage because of the way Del Toro rode it haha. Looked like he was playing around a bit.

So nice that Tiberi manager to hold Del Toro off here. Will make the Hafeet very interesting.

Tiberi really deserved that win..Gall with a noble effort

 

[Samamba]

Bit weird, I've been told Remco would be 10% better at climbing at Red Bull

 

[KoopaCycling]

Interesting ride. Del Toro knew the mountain and taxed it near perfect but Tiberi was just there.
Remco was not good enough. He does indeed seem to struggle at these type of climbs, and i'll need to hope he can minimise the damage when he's in GT shape during an actual GT. Thankfully the Tour tends to have lesser gradients aside from one regular wall stage. We'll be getting a very interesting saturday. Van wilder must be feeling like a 1000 bucks today .

Remco will not be winning this one. Del Toro still might. Him & Tiberi will be having a good fight hopefully.

 

[Unchained]

Good ride for Gee..Plapp riding well.. He had a good TT also

 

[kingjr]

What will be the gap between Remco and Rondel today?

46 seconds in favour of Rondel

 

[Unchained]

Who is the 10 year old?

 

[rghysens]

Bit weird, I've been told Remco would be 10% better at climbing at Red Bull

And that he would have more support in the mountains.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Who is the 10 year old?

Remco?

 

[repre]

@repre
I don't think it's incompatible that Remco was flying in Mallorca and Valencia but not here.

Remco has always been like this. He's very good, but he's not a climber. To climb at his best, like he did in the 2024 Tour, he has to make more sacrifices than other riders who are naturally good climbers.

He'll probably climb well in the Tour and fight for third place. But it's very difficult for Remco to win the Tour or the Giro because he'll always be at a disadvantage against the best climbers.

Mallorca and Valencia are a child races compared to this stage. Remco is one of the best in the world at 6-8% MTF, but he can't handle proper mountains. I don't think this is a mystery anymore. He has been like this whole career.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

14th for George Hincapie's Modern Adventure is Goodish. Munton is solid as a rock.

 

[Unchained]

He speaks better English than half of the US

 

[Berniece]

And that he would have more support in the mountains.

It's not like they brought their A-team to UAE Tour. Everyone knew that he wouldn't be well surrounded during climbs when they looked at the startlist for RBH

 

[Unchained]

Remco?

No Tiberi looks like Mad magazine guy

 

[Salvarani]

Del Toro doesnt look like Remco biggest threat here

Aged like milk!

 

[Rackham]

@repre
I don't think it's incompatible that Remco was flying in Mallorca and Valencia but not here.

Remco has always been like this. He's very good, but he's not a climber. To climb at his best, like he did in the 2024 Tour, he has to make more sacrifices than other riders who are naturally good climbers.

He'll probably climb well in the Tour and fight for third place. But it's very difficult for Remco to win the Tour or the Giro because he'll always be at a disadvantage against the best climbers.

I'll reiterate a point I made in the Evenepoel thread: it's up to the team (staff that is) to get it together and actually demonstrate Red Bull Bora's changes since last summer actually meant something and weren't just a case of musical chairs with exact same outcomes.

You'd think they'd know about the rider already and his qualities/weaknesses, i.e. and not just show up in UAE and go "duh!" when things don't work out.

 

[yaco]

I thought A.Yates was wasted on this climb. Reckon he could have finished 3rd to 5th on this stage.

 

[Tim Cahill]

I'll reiterate a point I made in the Evenepoel thread: it's up to the team (staff that is) to get it together and actually demonstrate Red Bull Bora's changes since last summer actually meant something and weren't just a case of musical chairs with exact same outcomes.

You'd think they'd know about the rider already and his qualities/weaknesses, i.e. and not just show up in UAE and go "duh!" when things don't work out.

'The staff' are unfortunately in-part the same guys who he brought over from QS/Belgian national team

He's gone there for more money, it's fair enough really, but media figures were acting like Quickstep's performance program was operating in the 1970s when it's been one of the best in the world for decades.

 

[Salvarani]

I thought A.Yates was wasted on this climb. Reckon he could have finished 3rd to 5th on this stage.

He helped Del Toro when he got back and did a good job pacing for a bit

He is far behind in GC

Good job from him and the team imo

 

[Samamba]

Imagine if we had Jebel Jais instead of this man

 

[Samamba]

I thought A.Yates was wasted on this climb. Reckon he could have finished 3rd to 5th on this stage.

He didn't' do more work in the wind than for example Tejada or Gall.

 

[Unchained]

I'll reiterate a point I made in the Evenepoel thread: it's up to the team (staff that is) to get it together and actually demonstrate Red Bull Bora's changes since last summer actually meant something and weren't just a case of musical chairs with exact same outcomes.

You'd think they'd know about the rider already and his qualities/weaknesses, i.e. and not just show up in UAE and go "duh!" when things don't work out.

Your points are totally valid but you left out ego. Remco is carrying around crushing TT skills, great on rollers and shallow stuff, but when it gets steep he gets pooped out, Roglic just sits down and gets to work, and Lipowitz is just going to be better bet, and you get multiple mountain days out of both, Remco really struggles with heavy grades for day after day torture. Today will be in his head for a bit. Today was a super mental boost for top @8 riders. Tiberi, Gee, Del Toro all passed a serious gut check.. Hard men

 

[repre]

I'll reiterate a point I made in the Evenepoel thread: it's up to the team (staff that is) to get it together and actually demonstrate Red Bull Bora's changes since last summer actually meant something and weren't just a case of musical chairs with exact same outcomes.

You'd think they'd know about the rider already and his qualities/weaknesses, i.e. and not just show up in UAE and go "duh!" when things don't work out.

Bora bought Remco cause he is the best domestic in the world and Lipowitz needs him to have a chance to beat Pogi. Don't overthink this.

 

[Unchained]

Yates sort of popped also

Bora bought Remco cause he is the best domestic in the world and Lipowitz needs him to have a chance to beat Pogi. Don't overthink this.

I think Remco needs to go for a beer with Wout and MVP and ask for advice about abandoning the idea of being an elite climber, other guys give up.
Clint Eastwood " mans got to know his limitations ".