Antonio Tiberi of Bahrain Victorious secured his first WorldTour victory on stage three of the UAE Tour, capitalizing on a challenging climb to Jebel Mobrah while Remco Evenepoel experienced a significant setback, losing over two minutes.
Evenepoel, riding for Soudal Quick-Step, struggled on the ascent, hampered by cramps, and finished well behind Tiberi and Isaac del Toro. While the team downplayed the severity of the issue, the time loss immediately shifts focus to Evenepoel’s preparation for the Tour de France, with his next competitive outing at the Volta a Catalunya taking on increased importance.
Prior to the UAE Tour, Evenepoel had enjoyed a successful start to the season, winning five races from eight days of competition in Spain. However, the demanding climb at Jebel Mobrah, making its debut in the UAE Tour, exposed a potential gap in his preparation, specifically a lack of altitude training. Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe’s Zak Dempster observed before the race that peak performance doesn’t necessarily require high-altitude training, but Evenepoel’s performance suggested otherwise.
Tiberi’s victory was a result of measured pacing, allowing him to fend off a late attack from del Toro. The Italian’s performance was a clear demonstration of strength and tactical awareness on the brutal climb. “It’s a dream come true,” Tiberi stated after the stage, according to Cycling Weekly.
Despite the setback, Evenepoel’s team is confident in his ability to rebound. His response to adversity was evident at the 2023 Vuelta a España, where he recovered strongly after losing significant time on the Col du Tourmalet. However, regaining the 1 minute and 44 seconds lost to Tiberi and challenging for the overall lead in the UAE Tour now appears unlikely.
Evenepoel’s immediate plans include a training camp at Mount Teide in Tenerife, alongside Tour de France co-leader Florian Lipowitz, to refine his form ahead of the Ardennes Classics and, crucially, the Tour de France. The Volta a Catalunya will then serve as a key test, featuring a strong field of general classification contenders including Jonas Vingegaard, João Almeida, Tom Pidcock, Felix Gall, and Egan Bernal.
The Volta a Catalunya presents an opportunity for Evenepoel to demonstrate his capabilities against a stacked field. He has openly stated his ambition to win more WorldTour one-week races, having last achieved this at the 2023 UAE Tour. This ambition is particularly relevant given the dominance of Tadej Pogačar, who has won all four WorldTour one-week races he has entered. While matching Pogačar’s consistency may be a daunting task, Evenepoel recognizes the need to consistently perform at a high level to contend for the Tour de France podium.
Klaas Lodewyck, speaking to Cyclingnews, emphasized that it is still February, leaving ample time for Evenepoel to improve. “We’re in February,” Lodewyck said, suggesting the team remains optimistic about addressing the issues revealed on Jebel Mobrah and reaching the performance levels they believe Evenepoel is capable of.
