The UAE Tour Women 2025 begins on Thursday, with three flat levels and a summit end atop Jebel Hafeet. There is all the time a threat of crosswinds and echelon racing within the UAE however the flat levels will certainly see a number of the greatest sprinters within the girls’s peloton go face to face.
Twenty groups will race on the quick flat and extensive roads of the UAE, with heat temperatures and crosswinds seemingly within the subsequent few days.
Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek), Charlotte Kool (Team Picnic PostNL) and Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) might be combating for the stage victories.
“It’s the primary time for me racing right here and it is the sprinting world championship,” stated Balsamo. “We have an excellent workforce and we’re able to combat.”
Kool received two levels within the 2023 version however missed final 12 months’s race due to illness. Her winter has been affected by the results of her damaged collarbone on the Tour de France Femmes.
“I might say this winter was chaotic with some surgical procedures and adjustments in tools of the workforce, however I’m actually completely happy I’m right here. I believe I’m prepared, however we’ll see,” stated Kool.
“The levels are fairly much like two years in the past once I did rather well so that offers me confidence.
“It’s good to see rivalry between riders, we all the time get the perfect out of one another and it is very nice this 12 months as we have now a variety of good sprinters.”
For lots of the riders, the UAE Tour Women is the primary race of the season and gives the proper alternative to see how their coaching has gone.
Elisa Longo Borghini is making her debut for UAE Team ADQ after making the change from Lidl-Trek. The Italian nationwide champion received the inaugural 2023 version of the race and is a sizzling favorite once more this 12 months.
“I’m in an excellent headspace; my winter went nicely and I’m able to race however I don’t know the place I’m standing so I’ll uncover it very quickly,” stated Longo Borghini.
The UAE Tour Women race additionally marks the start of a street racing comeback for Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike).
“The workforce determined to place me right here to get used to the bunch a bit higher, and the climb will even be an excellent take a look at,” stated Ferrand-Prévot.
“It’s new for me so I want a little bit of time to get used to the brand new racing. It might be attention-grabbing to see the place I’m.”
Surviving the quick racing in any echelons after which the ultimate Jebel Hafeet climb will certainly resolve the general race winner on Sunday.
“You should be sharp on each stage because it’s in all probability going to be actually windy,” warned Juliette Labous (FDJ-Suez) on her debut for her information workforce and on the UAE Tour.
“I believe it is going to be received on Jebel Hafeet however you possibly can lose it on the flatter components. You should be an allrounder to win this race.”