The UAE Tour is the second men’s WorldTour stage race of the season, attended by all of the sport’s biggest teams and a good selection of its biggest riders.
The women’s race has already taken place, running from 5-8 February over four stages. It saw Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Pro Time) reassert her position as the sprinter to beat, while Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) won the GC with her final-day performance at Jebel Hafeet.
Quick guide to watching UAE Tour 2026
How to watch the UAE Tour in the UK
In the UK, the race will be shown on TNT Sports. These are Warner Bros. Discovery’s premium channels.
The event can also be streamed on Discovery+, with a package now priced at £30.99 a month.
How to watch the UAE Tour in the US and Canada
For North American viewers, this year’s coverage of the UAE Tour is split across HBO Max and FloBikes.
HBO Max is the platform with the rights to show the UAE Tour in the US. Coverage for the Standard version begins at $18.49 per month (or $184.99 annually) which allows 30 downloads and streaming on two devices. Alternatively, viewers can subscribe to the Premium version for $22.49 monthly or $224.99 on an annual basis, which allows for 100 downloads for on-the-go viewing.
Flobikes is in charge of broadcasting the UAE Tour in Canada. Subscriptions cost CA$39.99 a month, with big savings for long-term plans. The Flobikes TV app is available on Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast and Apple TV, as well as on iOS and Android.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Can I watch the UAE Tour for free?
Coverage of the UAE Tour in Australia is provided by SBS, the country’s public service broadcaster and the outlet which shows almost all major bike races Down Under.
Coverage is geo-restricted though, so if you’re not in any of these countries right now, and these channels are your usual port of call, you’ll need a VPN to get your usual coverage while abroad – more on that below.
How to watch the UAE Tour while abroad
Most streaming platforms have geo-restrictions in place, meaning they only work in certain countries. But being locked out of the races is a thing of the past thanks to a VPN, so you can continue to watch the UAE Tour 2026 while on the move.
A Virtual Private Network is a piece of internet security software that can alter your device’s location, so you can unblock your usual streaming services, even when you’re abroad.
Our colleagues over at TechRadar know everything there is to know about VPNs and they rate NordVPN as the best VPN out there right now.
Want to know more? We have an explainer on the benefits, costs, and considerations…
– Should I use a VPN to watch cycling?
What to expect at the UAE Tour
This year’s UAE Tour has taken on a more eclectic look compared to the last few years, with flat stages, a time trial, hilly stages and mountainous ones too.
Things are punchy from the off, with an uphill finish on stage one after a lumpy day out, which should separate the GC immediately. There are two flat sprinting opportunities for riders like Jonathan Milan, while in the super-flat 12.2km time trial on stage two around the familiar territory of Hudayriyat Island, Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers) will be out to repeat the win he took here last year.
The mountain stages come on stages 3 and 6, with finishes at Jebel Mobrah and Jebel Hafeet respectively, and are where we’re likely to see riders like Evenepoel and Del Toro feature. The race wraps up with a flat stage to Abu Dhabi Breakwater.
What time is the UAE Tour on?
|
Stage |
Date |
Start and finish time (GST) |
Start and finish time (ET) |
Start and finish time (GMT) |
|
One |
Monday 16 Feb |
13:10-16:30 |
04:10-07:30 |
09:10-12:30 |
|
Two (ITT) |
Tuesday 17 Feb |
13:05-15:30 |
04:05-06:30 |
09:05-11:30 |
|
Three |
Wednesday 18 Feb |
12:25-17:00 |
03:25-08:00 |
08:25-13:00 |
|
Four |
Thursday 19 Feb |
12:50-17:00 |
03:50-08:00 |
08:50-13:00 |
|
Five |
Friday 20 Feb |
13:20-17:00 |
04:20-08:00 |
09:20-13:00 |
|
Six |
Saturday 21 Feb |
12:50-17:00 |
03:50-08:00 |
08:50-13:00 |
|
Seven |
Sunday 22 Feb |
13:05-16:30 |
04:05-07:30 |
09:05-12:30 |
See also: Cycling TV and streaming guide
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
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