Organizers announced that the Dubai Tour will add a fifth stage for the 2017 edition as they unveiled the race’s complete route in a presentation Tuesday. The 865km tour will take place January 31-February 4 and is the first of four winter races in the Middle East.
“The 2017 Dubai Tour will be a very special edition because of the new additional competition day. The extra stage allows us to better explore the surrounding territories,” said H.E. Saeed Hareb, Dubai Sports Council General Secretary.
2017 Dubai Tour stages
January 31, stage 1: 181km, Dimc to Palm Jumeirah
February 1, stage 2: 188km, Dimc to Ras Al Khaimah
February 2, stage 3: 200km, Dimc to Al Aqah
February 3, stage 4: 172km, Dimc to Hatta Dam
February 4, stage 5: 124km, Dimc to City Walk
The fourth stage stands apart from the mostly flat route with an uphill finish at Hatta Dam. Prior to the dam, the peloton also faces two climbs with up to an 11 percent gradient each. The stage’s final kick to the line gets as steep as 17 percent in the last 200 meters, but due to time bonuses in the sprint stages, Hatta Dam has yet to decide the general classification.
Marcel Kittel (Quick-Step Floors) won the overall in 2016, and JJ Lobato, then riding for Movistar, climbed to victory on Hatta Dam.
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