The UAE will welcome its first professional cycling race in early 2014, and you can expect some of the greatest cycling champions to participate.
Alberto Rui Costa, the reigning Road World Champion Portuguese cyclist, and the British king of sprints, Mark Cavendish; next to the winner of the 2013 UCI World Tour ranking, Joaquin Rodriguez, have been confirmed amongst others—and will compete on a stretch of 400 km.
The race, organized by the Dubai Sports Council in partnership with RCS Sport, includes four competition stages that will start from the Dubai World Trade Centre, and will last from February 5th to 8th.
I am sure that the inaugural edition Dubai Tour, which is a part of the UCI Asia Tour, will not only play a significant role in bringing high level cycling to Dubai, but will equally act as an important showcase for the city,’’ stated Mr. Brian Cookson, President of UCI.
A total of 16 teams (eight riders per team) will be competing on Dubai’s roads, including the United Arab Emirates National Team and the Dubai Sky Dive Team, which were both classified in the 2013 UCI Asia Tour, for one individual time trial and three in-line races.
Fully integrating the city’s landscape, the competitors will ride around Dubai’s notable landmarks, from the Hippodrome, and the Olympic pool, over to the Al Qudra cycling path, the Autodrome, and the Golf Club. While the final stage will take place around the Burj Al Arab and the Burj Khalifa, the cyclists will ride outside the city, and through the desert.
Here’s to Dubai beginning its ride towards the international road cycling map.
