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Human Powered Health will do battle in the desert at the UAE Tour Women, bringing its sprinting power to the Middle East from February 6 through 9. 

A feast of sprinting punctuated by the climbing stage to Jebel Hafeet, the tour promises four days of all-action racing.

The roster combines athletes who raced in both Australia and Mallorca. A sprint triad of Maggie Coles-Lyster, Kathrin Schweinberger and Silvia Zanardi will lead the line, backed up by the lead-out experience of Romy Kasper and Lily Williams and climber Barbara Malcotti. 

In Thalita de Jong’s Trofeo Binissalem-Andratx win, Coles-Lyster, Kasper and Williams showed their strength in the wind by helping split the peloton six kilometers into the race. This skill set will be crucial in stage two, a 111km odyssey through the desert where high winds will likely blow the race apart. 

The GC focal point will once again be the penultimate day climb to Jebel Hafeet which traditionally crowns the race victor.

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Maggie Coles-Lyster and Kathrin Schweinberger have displayed sprinting form already, scoring podiums in their debut with the team. They will once again strike out for success in the UAE.

“Seeing that this lead out works and seeing how it worked for Kathrin Down Under, I know that we’re going to have a fire squad for UAE,” Coles-Lyster said. “We’re going in with a great lead out that can accomplish great things. We can do a lot.” 

The combined strengths of the flat skills in the roster give former Canadian champion Coles-Lyster confidence. 

“We have a lot of people who know how to navigate a bunch,” she explains. “UAE can be hella chaotic so having adaptable riders that have the strength makes me really excited. Whether I’m the sprinter or final lead out, having athletes who can keep you in position and ride their hearts out for you all day is super beneficial.”

UAE Tour Women Stage by Stage

2/6 Stage 1 | Dubai Police Officer’s Club – Dubai Harbour (149km) flat
Starting and finishing in the metropolitan oasis of Dubai, stage 1 will be a straight shootout between the best sprinters in the world. Finishing on a wide avenue, there is plenty of space for the top hitters to go shoulder-to-shoulder.

2/7 Stage 2 | Al Dhafra Fort – Al Mirfa (111km) flat
On paper, this looks like a standard day for an easy run to the line but it’s anything but. The last time this stage featured in 2023, the race was blown apart by high crosswinds. The peloton barely got out of the neutral zone before it was torn to shreds and echelons formed all over the road. The skills in the wind of Kasper and Williams will be crucial. 

2/8 Stage 3 | Al Ain Qasr Al Muwaiji – Jebel Hafeet (152km) uphill finish
The classic GC decider in the UAE Tour, the uphill finish at Jebel Hafeet will crown the race victor. After crossing the desert, the peloton takes on the 10km climb, a wide road that winds through hairpins and over gradients averaging at 8% with a maximum of 11% 3km out. The road then plateaus before a final kick to the line. 

2/9 Stage 4 | Abu Dhabi Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Academy – Abu Dhabi Breakwater (105km) flat
The final stage of the race mirrors the first day and is contained within Abu Dhabi. It is a final chance to see who will take the glory and rise to the mantle of the world’s best sprinter.

Photos: GettySport