Back to racing in the sun
January 23 rd 2026 - 18:10 [GMT + 3]
The 6th edition of the AlUla Tour, now part of the ProSeries for the first time, will take place from 27 to 31 January. For the vast majority of riders expected in Saudi Arabia, it will be almost time to return to competition.
Of the five stages on the programme, three are potentially destined for sprinters. 2025 Tour de France green jersey winner Jonathan Milan will attract most of the attention, but other strong contenders such as Phil Bauhaus, Pascal Ackermann and Fernando Gaviria will be looking to spring a surprise.
The Italian powerhouse, however, will not be able to compete in the climbs, which should favour the climbers in the battle for the overall classification. Sergio Higuita, Eddie Dunbar and Jan Christen could seize the opportunity to start their season in style. Within the Jayco-AlUla team, Alan Hatherly and Paul Double have also been entrusted with that mission.
MILAN, THE STAR SPRINTER
Standing at 1.94 metres tall, Jonathan Milan clearly stands out among the favourites for the three sprint stages. The Italian rarely misses his target, whether at the beginning or the end of the season, and he has already raised his arms during his only participation in the AlUla Tour in 2023. Even without facing Tim Merlier, sidelined by a knee injury, the 2025 Tour de France green jersey winner will still have to contend with top-class sprinters. Among them is Phil Bauhaus, who opened the race’s honours list in 2020 by winning both the overall classification and two stages. Another German fast man, Jayco-AlUla’s Pascal Ackermann, believes he can upset the plans of the main favourite in the flat finishes, as do Fernando Gaviria (Caja Rural–Seguros RGA), Matteo Moschetti (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) and Hugo Page (Cofidis), all of whom will be debuting new team colours to start their 2026 season.
CLIMBERS READY TO MAKE THEIR MOVE
In theory, the overall title of this 6th edition should be decided in the finales of the two most demanding stages, starting with the finish at Bir Jaydah Mountain Wirkah on day three, following a 4.9 km climb averaging 6.1%. This terrain should allow the climbers to create gaps, providing a launchpad for Sergio Higuita to make his move, possibly alongside Ireland’s Eddie Dunbar or young Swiss rider Jan Christen, UAE Emirates-XRG’s trump card, a team that rarely travels without ambition. The same riders are likely to be prominent again on the wall located eight kilometres from the finish at Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid. Puncheurs such as Alberto Bettiol or Mauri Vansevenant could also disrupt the established hierarchy. To aim for the podium, riders will need to remain extremely vigilant during stage 4, whose finale has been slightly shortened for technical reasons. Over the 173.4 kilometres leading to Hegra, the final 20 kilometres could be conducive to echelons should the wind start to blow, something that does occasionally happen in the Saudi desert. The same risk, with similar consequences, must also be considered on the opening stage.
JAYCO-ALULA… FEELING AT HOME
The only Australian WorldTour team continues to embrace its role as a standard-bearer in the peloton. AlUla features on its jersey for the fourth consecutive year, and the team maintains a close bond with the Saudi race, which it even won in 2024 with Simon Yates. Next week, the team will be able to rely on new recruit Pascal Ackermann to target sprint success. General manager Brent Copeland is also counting on two leaders to feature prominently in the fight for the final podium: “Our team for the AlUla Tour will come straight from a training camp in Spain. Winning the general classification is our main objective; that has always been our philosophy. One of our leaders will be Alan Hatherly, the mountain bike world champion. He rode a very strong AlUla Tour last year but was unlucky. On the day the echelons formed, he was having his handlebar repaired at the team car when the peloton split, otherwise he would have finished third overall instead of sixth. Our other leader is Paul Double. He finished the 2025 season very strongly by winning the Tour of Guangxi in China. The climb leading to the Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid is extremely difficult, but it suits them. A race like the AlUla Tour offers a perfect opportunity to raise the level of riders such as Hatherly and Double, who came late to road cycling at WorldTour level.”
Stages
Stage 1 – 27/01: AlUla Camel Cup Track – AlUla Camel Cup Track, 158 km
Stage 2 – 28/01: AlManshiyah Train Station – AlManshiyah Train Station, 152 km
Stage 3 – 29/01: Winter Park – Bir Jaydah Mountain Wirkah, 142.1 km
Stage 4 – 30/01: Winter Park – Hegra, 173.4 km
Stage 5 – 31/01: AlUla Old Town – Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid, 163.9 km
Distinctive jerseys
The leaders’ jerseys have been designed and produced by Ale, which joins the AlUla Tour this year as an official supplier.
