Stepping up a gear
December 3 rd 2025 - 17:30 [GMT + 3]
The 6th edition of the AlUla Tour (known as the Saudi Tour from 2020 to 2023) is scheduled from January 27 to 31 and will feature five stages, suited to top-level performances from sprinters as well as climbers and puncheurs.
The early-season Saudi event takes a decisive step forward, as the race has been added to the 2026 ProSeries calendar, whereas previous editions were held as a 2.1 event.
The AlUla region has become a “must-visit” destination thanks to its millennia-old geological formations, prehistoric sites, and Nabataean rock-carved temples, all listed as UNESCO World Heritage. More recently, it has established itself as a sprinting stronghold for elite cyclists who gather there at the start of the season. In 2020, the riders first battled near Riyadh, the Saudi capital. Sprinters regularly accustomed to stage wins on the Grand Tours have inscribed their names on the event’s roll of honour, from Nacer Bouhanni to Jonathan Milan, via Caleb Ewan, Phil Bauhaus, Dylan Groenewegen, and most recently Tim Merlier, who kicked off his impressive 2025 campaign with a double victory last January.
But the range of possibilities offered by the Saudi landscape is not limited to high-speed duels at over 70 km/h. From 2022 onward, puncheurs and climbers have also had the opportunity to shine, such as Santiago Buitrago and Max Van Gils. The trend has since been confirmed, with two climbing specialists winning the last editions: Vuelta and Giro champion Simon Yates (2024), followed by the most recent conqueror of Alpe d’Huez on the Tour de France, Tom Pidcock (2025).
The 2026 edition marks a new turning point for the AlUla Tour with its upgrade to the ProSeries calendar, directly below the WorldTour level in the UCI stage-race hierarchy. This development is likely to attract an increasingly elite field to Saudi Arabia to launch the cycling season.
2025 podium
1. Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team)
2. Fredrick Dversnes (Uno-X Mobility)
3. Johannes Kulset (Uno-X Mobility)
Past winners
2025: T. Pidcock (GBR)
2024: S. Yates (GBR)
2023: R. Guerreiro (POR)
2022: M. Van Gils (BEL)
2020: P. Bauhaus (GER)
