The Most Important Early Test of Tour de France Form Is in the Least Expected Place
The UAE Tour, a key event in the cycling calendar, has set the stage for an unexpected battle that will determine the early form of some of the biggest names in the sport. The race, which takes place next month, features a brutal new climb, the Jebel Mobrah, that will challenge the riders' endurance and strength.
The climb, which is not manufactured and features a sandy, stony peak, sprawls across 17km and averages a lung-busting 12 percent gradient through the final 6km. The final kilometer is particularly challenging, with repeated 17 percent ramps that will test the riders' legs and mental fortitude.
The Jebel Mobrah summit finish on stage 3 of the UAE Tour will show the riders, and the rest of the cycling world, who's come out of winter hot and who's stuck in warm-up. The three riders most likely to usurp Pogačar in July - Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel, and Isaac del Toro - have committed to race in the Middle East.
The climb to Jebel Mobrah will be crucial in deciding which of these three succeeds Pogačar as 'King of the UAE'. Gains and losses on the stage 2 time trial and the stage 6 climb to Jebel Hafeet will also contribute to who wins the red leader's jersey.
While winning the UAE Tour is huge in its own right, whoever dominates on the Jebel Mobrah next month will scoop some extra chest-beating bragging rights. But here's where it gets controversial... The climb is not only a test of physical strength, but also of mental fortitude. The repeated 17 percent ramps in the final kilometer will push the riders to their limits, and the sandy, stony peak will challenge their endurance. So, who will come out on top? Will it be Vingegaard, Evenepoel, or Del Toro? And will Pogačar's dominance be challenged? The answers will be revealed on February 18th, and the cycling world will be watching closely.
