Elisa Longo Borghini claims her third overall victory in the UAE Tour Women, showcasing her mastery of the Jebel Hafeet climb on stage 4.
The defending champion, Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ), secured her triumph in the 2026 UAE Tour Women by dominating the final stage's ascent of Jebel Hafeet. With a three-kilometre solo attack, she left her competitors in the dust, solidifying her position as the top cyclist in the race.
The race unfolded with a series of strategic moves and challenges. After Marlen Reusser's withdrawal on stage 3, Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) fell ill and couldn't start the final stage, further reducing the GC contenders. The 156km stage saw Sara Luccon (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo) take the initiative, attacking solo from the start and building a substantial lead of 3:35 minutes.
Luccon's advantage allowed her to win the intermediate sprint at the UAE University, taking the lead in the intermediate sprint classification with 21 points, ahead of Franziska Koch (FDJ United-Suez). However, she chose to wait for the peloton, avoiding the solo ride to Green Mubazzarah.
Amber van der Hulst (VolkerWessels) was the next to break away, gaining over a minute on the peloton as they ventured into the desert west of Al Ain. The peloton responded, but the wind conditions prevented echelons. Short-lived attacks ensued, and the peloton reached Green Mubazzarah together, with Lara Gillespie (UAE Team ADQ) winning the intermediate sprint.
The race's decisive moment came on the 10.8km finishing climb. Karlijn Swinkels reduced the peloton to fewer than 20 riders, and Silvia Persico took the lead with Longo Borghini in tow. The race intensified as Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek) initiated the first attack, followed by Longo Borghini and Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto).
Niewiadoma-Phinney and Femke de Vries (Visma-Lease a Bike) bridged to the front group of six, with Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek) and Le Court-Pienaar joining. Fisher-Black and Monica Trinca Colonel (Liv AlUla Jayco) attempted to break away, but Niewiadoma-Phinney and de Vries held them off. Le Court-Pienaar lost contact at the 5km mark, and Niewiadoma-Phinney launched her final acceleration, leaving Longo Borghini to claim a solo victory.
De Vries and Trinca Colonel passed Niewiadoma-Phinney on the penultimate kilometre, with de Vries securing second place due to bonus seconds. Eleonora Ciabocco (Picnic PostNL) finished sixth on the stage and overall, winning the white jersey for the best U23 rider, while Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) claimed the green points jersey. Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto won the team classification.
The results were powered by FirstCycling, showcasing the thrilling conclusion to the UAE Tour Women.
