Sam Bennett (open in new tab) is back in the lineup and will make his 2022 debut with Bora Hansgrohe in the UAE Tour (open in new tab). The Irishman will be back in action on Sunday, February 20, with former teammates Mark Cavendish (open in new tab) (Quick Step - Alfa Vinyl), Dylan Groenewegen (Bike Exchange - Jayco), and Elia Viviani (Ineos Grenadiers). and a field of sprint rivals lined up in a crowded field.

Jasper Philippsen (Alpecin-Phoenix) will also make his season debut in the seven-day World Tour opener. Arnaud Demaret (Groupama-FDJ) will be looking for his first win of 2022 after finishing fifth in the Tour de la Provence.

Fernando Gaviria (open in new tab) is no longer on the roster of UAE Team Emirates (open in new tab) due to a third COVID-19 positive. Caleb Yuan (Lotto Soudal) will also miss the UAE Tour due to a recent illness, and will be competing in this weekend's Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var in the south of France and Sunday, February 27 at the Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne.

Bennett returns to Bora-Hansgrohe after two years at Quick Step-Alfa Vinyl. His season debut was delayed by a knee injury, so expectations are low for him. [Viviani won the first stage of the Tour de la Provence, Groenewegen won stages 3 and 5 of the Tour of Saudi Arabia, and Cavendish took his first win of the season on stage 2 of the Tour of Oman.

"Mark proved he is in good shape in Oman and is confident going into the first World Tour event of the season. He will rely on a strong train and Mikhail [Morkov] will be the last one to launch him on the four flat stages," said Gerd van Bond, sport director of Quick Step Alfa Vinyl.

The UAE Tour begins with a desert stage from Madinat Zayed and ends with a classic mountain stage to Jebel Hafeet. The first two days will be great stages for the sprinters, as long as the crosswinds don't blow. Then there is a 9km individual time trial on stage 3, the first of two mountain stages on stage 4, and two more flat stages before the climbing finale on Saturday, February 26.

"The four flat stages in this event will provide ample opportunity for fast finishers looking to make their mark in the first UCI World Tour event of the season.

"It is no surprise that this year's race, like the last three editions, attracts the very best riders in the pro peloton, with 83 Grand Tour stage wins by six sprinters."

"The race will be a great opportunity for the fastest riders in the peloton to showcase their skills.

Bennett won two races in his UAE Tour debut last year, but was caught in the finish by Caleb Yuan (Lotto Soudal) on the final stage, missing out on a third win.

Last year, Bennett had a strong showing from the previous season, while 2021 saw a turnaround from a knee injury and a disagreement with Lefebvre. Bennett returned to racing in September 2021, but has not finished a race since winning two stages and the green jersey at the Volta as Algarve in May.

Groenewegen won the fourth stage in 2020, and Cavendish has yet to win this event, but has three wins in the short Dubai Tour, which merged with the Abu Dhabi Tour to become the UAE Tour in 2019.

Cycling News will provide complete live coverage of the UAE Tour stages, as well as news and interviews from the races.