UAE Tour 2027 Route stage 7: Al Ain - Jebel Hafeet

Sunday, 23 February - The final stage of the UAE Tour is a 176 kilometres long race from Al Ain to Jebel Hafeet. The run-up to the finish climb - 10.8 kilometres at 6.6% - is completely flat.

After the start at the local football stadium, the route snakes its way through Al Ain for tens of kilometres, before the riders tackle an out-and-back stretch through the desert. The roads are flat as a pancake the whole time.

Once back in Al Ain, things change as they hit the Jebel Ḥafeeṫ Mountain Road. It's a wide highway that winds its way up over 10.8 kilometres to the finish. The average gradient is 6.6%.

It’s definitely not a regular climb, even though it might look that way because of the wide road. After an easy start, the gradient kicks up to over 7% after the third kilometre, with the steepest section – at 11% – appearing 2.8 kilometres from the finish. After that, the road flattens out significantly and even dips slightly.

Unless your're going or a solo effort, positioning will be crucial in the finale. Just before the finish, there’s a sharp left-hand turn, and there’s no time to recover.

Last year, young Lennert Van Eetvelt took the win at Jebel Hafeet, securing the overall victory in the process. Adam Yates turned out on top twice - last year, and in 2020. But, of course, with three consecutive wins in 2020, 2021, and 2022, Tadej Pogacar is undoubtedly the King of Jebel Hafeet.

The first three riders across the line bag 10, 6, and 4 bonus seconds, while there are 3, 2, and 1 seconds available at the intermediate sprints.

Another interesting read: results 7th stage + final GC 2025 UAE Tour.