With the UAE Tour's 12.2km individual time trial not following the typical format, in which the reverse of the general classification determines the starting order, world champion Remco Evenepoel will start fifth at 12:54, two hours and 20 minutes after stage 1's race leader, Isaac del Toro.
It was 1-0 to the UAE Team Emirates-XRG man after the opening day to Liwa Palace, as he hit out bravely on the uphill finish and outlasted the chasing pack of sprinters to move into the overall lead and take an early 10-second advantage over Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe's new star, Evenepoel.
"It was a fight not to lose any time. I was a bit on the wrong side," Evenepoel told Het Laatste Nieuws after the stage, but he didn't fret, with the bigger objective of winning red still at hand.
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"I wasn’t going to sprint anyway, so I didn't have the mentality to fight anymore. Tomorrow, I'm primarily trying to win the stage and take over the leader's jersey."
Two riders looking to deny the three-time ITT rainbow jersey winner hail from the United Kingdom: Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers), who won the time trial on the same course at last year's UAE Tour, and Ethan Hayter (Soudal-QuickStep), a former teammate of the Belgian.
Tarling had to beat the likes of TT specialist Stefan Bissegger, Tadej Pogačar and Jay Vine in the previous edition, but Evenepoel presents a whole different beast, with the Brit jokingly saying that he almost wished he wasn't present.
"It's going to be a good test. Obviously, Remco is amazing at what he does, so it's always a nice contest. I mean, I'd prefer he wasn't here," Tarling said, speaking to Cyclingnews on the eve of the race. "But no, it's going to be good craic."
Having still been working back up to top form after suffering a back injury at the Giro d'Italia, Tarling's last TT performance was a victory at the Chrono des Nations in October. With those previous issues seemingly resolved, he may be the man to challenge the Belgian.
"My back's always been quite stiff, you know, but it's fixed-ish, and I'm feeling strong," he said. "Yeah, I feel really good, actually. I feel that my training has gone well, I'm happy, and everything should be fine."
Hayter had issues of his own last season, with a nutrition brand change seeing him suffer with stomach problems through the racing period, though he was still able to fight through them to take five time trial victories.
He's hoping similar problems won't plague him again in 2026, but is waiting to get some racing stimulus in the legs before confirming he's back to 100%.
"I think we've found a solution, I hope so. Racing is always a bit different to training, there's a kind of intensity that's hard to recreate," Hayter told Cyclingnews, speaking before stage 1 in the UAE.
"Maybe you can go and do efforts, but the constant intensity in the heat, maybe, might be a difference, but hopefully I've found a solution and sorted it."
Hayter finished way off the leader's pace in 120th on the opening day, which five years ago would've been a perfect finale for his characteristics, but for now, the time trial is still where he's seeing his best opportunities.
"We've got the TT tomorrow, so that should be quite good. I'm not at my best, but I don't think many guys are really still just booting into the season, but it should be a nice first test, and I'm looking forward to that," he said.
On the question of whether Evenepoel is unbeatable in the discipline, Hayter said: "No, but for me, if he's as good as he was at the Euros and at Worlds last year, then he's close to it, to be honest.
"This kind of time trial is very dependent on equipment rather than power, to be honest. Just because it's flat and fast, and there aren't many corners, it's all just aerodynamics, basically. So there are a lot of guys that don't have a chance, even if they did the best ever power, that's just how it is," he added.
"He's on a new team, so it might be slower equipment. We don't know until we see the first time trial."
Evenepoel has raced a TTT, which Red Bull won in Mallorca, and although he did "win" the ITT at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, this was raced on road bikes due to high winds.
"I'd prefer a couple of lumps and a couple of corners for accelerations and stuff, but it's a similar distance as in the Baloise Belgium Tour and Tour of Holland last year, some of the time trials I had been up there," Hayter said. "I'm not expecting to win, really, but a solid ride, I'd be happy with."
