Italian cyclist Elisa Longo Borghini, captain of the UAE ADQ team, won the overall title and the red jersey at the fourth edition of the UAE Women's Tour 2026, sponsored by Abu Dhabi Ports. This is the only World Tour event in the Middle East, organized by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and part of the UCI calendar.
The final, fourth, mountain stage started at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, passed through the landmarks of Al Ain, and concluded at the summit of Jebel Hafeet. Borghini achieved a well-deserved victory, marking her third triumph after the 2023 and 2025 editions. On the 156 km stage, she clocked a time of 4 hours, 13 minutes, and 4 seconds.
After four stages totaling 533 km, Borghini led the general classification with a time of 13 hours, 6 minutes, and 32 seconds, finishing 16 seconds ahead of her compatriot Trinty Coleman-Monika (Team Leffe Olla Gaiaco) and 17 seconds ahead of Dutch rider Wimke van Dijk (Team Visma-Lease a Bike).
"I am very, very happy and I thank my coach and everyone behind me," Borghini said. "As a team, we really wanted to win here, and personally, the climb of Jebel Hafeet holds a special place in my heart. I salute all the participants who made for a beautiful race. I started the race with an attack; I love challenges, so I got into the race atmosphere right away. I kept my calm until I noticed that the other riders were starting to feel the fatigue. We came here not entirely sure of our physical condition, as we approached this winter's preparations with a certain calm, which is why winning this year was a bit more difficult compared to last year. My team gave me the best possible support. I felt great joy when I crossed the finish line."
Arif Hamad Al Awani, Secretary General of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, noted that the continuous support provided by the country's leadership to the sports sector has contributed to solidifying sports achievements and enhancing the UAE's prominent position regionally and internationally. He expressed his pride in the great success of the fourth edition of the UAE Women's Tour, which saw the participation of a elite of professional female cyclists from around the world. Al Awani congratulated Elisa Longo Borghini on her victory, praising the high technical level and strong competition that characterized the four stages of the race, confirming that these levels reflect the growing status of the Tour as one of the world's premier events on the UCI calendar.
"The UAE Women's Tour has become a successful model in organization and technical level, and we look forward to continuing this momentum by organizing the eighth edition of the UAE Tour for men, with the participation of a elite of world cyclists, from February 16 to 22," Al Awani said. He also praised the efforts of the event's sponsors, strategic partners, supporters, and concerned government entities, hailing the active role of volunteers from the UAE who contributed their efforts to the success of the event.
