Kim Le Court and Justine Ghekiere to start the season in the Middle East

Kim Le Court and Justine Ghekiere to start the season in the Middle East

The AG Insurance – Soudal duo goes with a lot of confidence and motivation to the start of the UAE Tour.

One of last season’s best riders, Kim Le Court-Pienaar is prepared to pin on a number again and kick off her third year in the AG Insurance – Soudal colors. Just like last season the Mauritian Champion will get things underway at the UAE Tour, one of the early World Tour events on the calendar, where she finished third in 2025.

That result was the foundation of a memorable season for Kim, who went on to become the first African rider winner of a Monument, at April’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège, as well as the first rider from the continent to wear the coveted Tour de France yellow jersey.

“It’s nice to be back racing with the team. Last year, the UAE Tour was a good one for us, with strong sprint results and a solid GC performance, so it’s a race we look back on with good memories. This year we approach it in a similar way, supporting our sprint ambitions and using Jebel Hafeet as an early reference point to see where everyone is in their preparation. It’s very early in the season, which makes it a good opportunity to take some notes, learn, and fine-tune things ahead of the spring goals”, said Kim ahead of traveling to the UAE.

Joining Kim on AG Insurance – Soudal’s squad for the Middle Eastern race will be Justine Ghekiere. The strong Belgian, starting her fourth season as an AG Insurance – Soudal rider, had another very good season last year – during which she was crowned Belgian Champion – and can’t wait to show the jersey in the UAE, where she’ll compete for the first time in his career.

“I’m really curious about the race, as I haven’t done it before. We would like to get a good general classification with Kim again, and I hope to support her as long as possible in the last stage. It’s my first race of the season, so a good test to see how far I can go on the climbs before traveling with the team to the last training camp, where I hope to fine-tune my form for my first big goals of March”, said the 29-year-old.