The race sets off from Umbrella Beach in Fujairah city and winds its way north before the finish climb kicks in.
With a number of prolonged false flat sections on the run-up to the Jebel Jais ascent, the 3rd stage is arguably the hardest of the entire UAE Tour. It features the most elevation gain, namely almost 2,800 metres, while the last 21.1 kilometres go up 5.4% at on a carriageway.
Climbing Jebel Jais is as if climbing the moon, as the surrounds are barren and rocky. The road includes wide hairpins and the gradients hover between 4 to 6% in the first part. The second half is slightly tougher with a steepest ramp of 9% inside the final 3 kilometres. The average gradient from then on to the line sits at 7.1%.
It will be the fourth time a pro-peloton visits Jebel Jais. On previous occasions, the consistent but low-gradient climb made it hard to open up proper time gaps. Primoz Roglic outsprinted Tom Dumoulin in 2019, while Jonas Vingegaard took the spoils in 2021 and Tadej Pogacar in 2022.
The first three riders on the line gain time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds, while the intermediate sprints come with 3, 2 and 1 seconds.
Ride the route yourself? Download GPX stage 3 UAE Tour 2023.
Another interesting read: results 3rd stage 2023 UAE Tour.
UAE Tour 2023 – stage 3: route, profile, tweets
Click on the images to zoom
