Today's Edition
KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
The next editions of The UAE Tour and The UAE Tour Women have been announced with new jerseys and more adventure to look forward to from across the seven emirates.
The second edition of The UAE Tour Women will pedal off first from February 8 to 11 followed by the 6th UAE Tour crisscrossing the national landscape from February 19-25. It starts in Dubai and ends in Abu Dhabi, with a total of four stages over a total distance of 468 kilometres.
The UAE Tour grows from strength to strength with more sponsors joining in but the stages remain the same despite demand to increase them.
Addressing a gathering at Hudayriat Island, His Excellency Aref Al Awani, Abu Dhabi Sports Council General Secretary, also revealed that The UAE Tour has pedalled its way to “a world-class event” very close to the Tour de France and cycling tours in Europe.
“We have risen to a respectable stature already. Many established Tours in the world finish in four days, while people keep asking us to increase the stages. But seven is a good number for us; as you know we are the seven Emirates.
“There are stats saying that the Tour de France is the most keenly watched event, even more than the [football] World Cup. So to be associated with the sport, being close behind TdF and growing by the day, The UAE Tour is certainly one of the most significant and important sporting events on the world stage.
“It has been 11 years since our beloved [President His Highness] Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan went to office riding a bike so we have come a long way,” H.E. Al Awani said. “If you do not include Australia, we are the only Tour and one of the best in Asia at least,” he added.
With the women’s tour coming up first, the focus was on the four-stage event, where three sprint stages and an uphill finish on the Jebel Hafeet mountain in Al Ain are on the menu.
Riders will compete for the race’s Red, Green, White and Black jerseys – sponsored by Al Ain Water, Tadweer, Burjeel Holdings and Aldar respectively, and provided by Alé.
Despite not many changes, the spectacle will continue to grow as claimed by the organising Abu Dhabi Sports Council. “Even in 2024, we will have some of the best female cyclists in the world competing in an event that aims to become one of the biggest in women’s cycling and, at the same time, promote this sport in the region,” Al Awani said.
The men’s UAE Tour will run for a total distance of 980 km, which includes four fast stages, two mountain stages, and a time-trial stage for a distance of 12.1 km within the Hudayriat Island, the headquarters for Abu Dhabi Cycling Club.
Mohammed Sanad Al Qubaisi, Vice President of the Emirates Cycling Federation, explained the important role that the local federation has in the growth and development of cycling, and the extent of benefit from hosting international races, stressing the presence of many cyclists who are emerging from the country and who have the ability to compete ably at the international, global and Olympic levels.
Al Qubaisi listed out numbers reflecting the growth of the sport in the Emirates where the number count of cycling clubs has reached 17, with more than 800 cyclists registered, in addition to more than 15 amateur teams registered with the federation.
Nakhira Al Khaili, Executive Director of the Abu Dhabi Cycling Club, narrated an incident from the last year’s Tour about how young cyclists were given the opportunity to come in the vicinity of the world’s top cyclists and teams.
“Despite a tiring schedule, they came up early for practice and with renewed intensity. Some of the names that day are now competing and got us glory at the continental levels. A few are part of the UAE Team Emirates’s junior Gen Z programme; it is all credit to the wise leadership to give us the Tour, and Abu Dhabi Sports Council to give us the opportunity,” he said.
