{"id":1784988,"date":"2026-02-21T13:43:29","date_gmt":"2026-02-21T10:43:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1784988"},"modified":"2026-02-21T13:43:29","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T10:43:29","slug":"dissecting-a-disappointment-what-went-wrong-for-evenepoel-at-the-uae-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1784988","title":{"rendered":"Dissecting a Disappointment: What Went Wrong for Evenepoel at the UAE Tour?"},"content":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-2261855028.jpg”]<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
Shane Stokes<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Updated February 21, 2026 01:51PM<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Heading into the UAE Tour all odds were on a dramatic Remco Evenepoel \u2013 Isaac del Toro showdown for the overall.<\/p>\n

Evenepoel\u2019s big rival Tadej Poga\u010dar was missing this year but, given his talent and career momentum, many anticipated that his teammate Del Toro would fill his shoes and put in a big, big push for the overall.<\/p>\n

The predictions for those two riders were only 50% correct.<\/p>\n

Del Toro lit up the final climb of Jabel Hafeet on Saturday and clobbered the competition. He romped home well ahead and is now poised to take his first-ever WorldTour stage win Sunday.<\/p>\n

And Evenepoel? Despite a stirring start to the season, despite his six wins in eight days prior to flying to the UAE, his GC challenge collapsed following his stage 2 TT victory.<\/p>\n

Evenepoel was dropped on Wednesday\u2019s climb to Jebel Mobrah, but went into Saturday\u2019s showdown determined to make a point.<\/p>\n

\n
ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

For a while, an attack launched with just over 6km to go suggested he could still be on track.<\/p>\n

But that effort faded and, with 5km remaining, Evenepoel drifted out the back of the GC group.<\/p>\n

It was game over, his incredible early season momentum disappeared. It was a long way off his own expectations.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t have the same feeling as in Valencia. I was a bit less fresh,\u201d he said, according to Sporza. \u201cMaybe I didn\u2019t digest those races very well. I also got a bit sick afterwards.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also didn\u2019t recover very well from my time trial. That\u2019s not really usual for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u2018Quite a big gap to Del Toro\u2019<\/h2>\n
\"Remco
Remco Evenepoel won the second stage of the UAE Tour on al-Hudayriyat Island on February 17, 2026. (Photo: Fadel Senna \/ AFP)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The heat of the UAE Tour is one thing some have linked to his stage 3 faiblesse.<\/p>\n

However Evenepoel isn\u2019t on his first visit to the area. He competed on two previous occasions, first in 2019 and again in 2023.<\/p>\n

Three years ago he won the overall, beating Luke Plapp by 59 seconds and Adam Yates by a minute.<\/p>\n

\n
ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

He was second then to Yates on the stage to the top of Jabel Hafeet, racing to the summit just ten seconds behind.<\/p>\n

Evenepoel indicted that particular performance was around the same power values as his 15th place on Saturday.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut now I finish a minute behind. The race is getting faster and faster.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, compared to his 18th place on stage 3, 2:04 behind, he regards Saturday\u2019s result in a better light.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the end, it is quite a big gap to Del Toro. Compared to the rest, it\u2019s still okay,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s already a bit more positive than Wednesday. The feeling was better, and the numbers too. I didn\u2019t explode like on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it wasn\u2019t my best week. All in all, it was a good test to ride uphill as fast as possible for 20 minutes here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u2018It\u2019s unfortunate, but no harm was done\u2019<\/h2>\n
\"Remco
Remco Evenepoel (Team Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) looked drained after a tough stage 3 of the UAE Tour on February 18, 2026 (Photo: Tim de Waele\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Evenepoel moved across to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe over the winter and can now benefit from a team with a much bigger budget than Soudal Quick Step. It\u2019s also got much more staffing support plus a big performance analytics center.<\/p>\n

This year is about getting the best possible result in the Tour de France, but also about learning for the future. Sitting tenth overall in the UAE Tour is not what had been the aim but you can be sure that his performances will be dissected and the reasons for his lack of contention identified.<\/p>\n

\n
ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Directeur sportif Klaas Lodewyck already has an hunch as to what may have been the issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe came with great ambitions, but after the time trial, it was no longer as it should be. Today was an honest result. There was nothing more left in him,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe time trial was very good, but perhaps it was the accumulation of many races in a very short period. It\u2019s unfortunate that it went like this, but no harm was done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Winning the UAE Tour would have been a great result, and would have continued the momentum he had shown since the start of the year.<\/p>\n

Evenepoel has got seven wins thus far, while rivals such as Tadej Poga\u010dar and Jonas Vingegaard haven\u2019t yet pinned on any race numbers.<\/p>\n

But, for sure, he and his team will take lessons from the UAE Tour and try to ensure that there will be less disappointments in the future.<\/p>\n

\n
ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

It\u2019s still very early in the season and he has ample time to be ready for the Tour.<\/p>\n

Addressing the San Remo question<\/h2>\n
\"Remco
Remco Evenepoel (Team Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) celebrates after stage 2 of the UAE Tour 2026 (Photo: Tim de Waele\/Getty Images) <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The UAE Tour concludes on Sunday with a flat stage to Abu Dhabi.<\/p>\n

He\u2019ll soon head back to Europe and take a break from competition.<\/p>\n

Next up is altitude training, something he says he always responds well to.<\/p>\n

Evenepoel told Sporza that he expects to \u201cgradually lose weight and then become stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s clear for now is that he has no intention to ride Milan \u2013 San Remo.<\/p>\n

That has been rumored by Italian media but he dismissed those suggestions this week. That race is on March 21st, something he feels it too close to the start of the Volta a Catalunya just two days later.<\/p>\n

He sees the Catalan event as an important goal, both of itself and also as part of his work towards the Tour. The squad at that race will be broadly similar to the riders he will be lining out alongside in July.<\/p>\n

\n
ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

As a result, a first-ever San Remo start must wait until another time.<\/p>\n

Instead, performing well in Catalunya is a big target and while the UAE Tour didn\u2019t go to plan, he will hope for much better there.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Catalunya, I will normally be back on another level. I always come back well from an altitude training camp.\u201d<\/p>\n

The UAE Tour was a disappointment but it\u2019s not the end of the world. There\u2019s a long season ahead and plenty of time to get things completely right.<\/p>\n

The errors of spring may yet prove to be the making of his summer. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
Shane Stokes<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Updated February 21, 2026 01:51PM<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

[analyse_source url=”https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/what-went-wrong-evenepoel-uae-tour\/”]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-2261855028.jpg”] Shane Stokes Updated February 21, 2026 01:51PM Heading into the UAE Tour all odds were on a dramatic Remco Evenepoel \u2013 Isaac del Toro showdown for the overall. Evenepoel\u2019s big rival Tadej Poga\u010dar was missing this year but, given his talent and career momentum, many anticipated that his teammate Del Toro would […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,71],"class_list":["post-1784988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-velo-outsideonline-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1784988","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1784988"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1784988\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1784988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1784988"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1784988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}