Abu Dhabi Tour is coming: from October 8 to 11 2015
Under the guidance of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) and the UAE Cycling Federation presents the first edition of the UAE capital race.
Abu Dhabi is all set to hold the Professional Cycling Tour that brings the world’s best teams and riders who will partake in the inaugural race from October 8 to 11. There will be 18 teams (including 10 World Teams and 5 Professional Continental Teams) consisting of 6 riders that will race at the Abu Dhab Tour (#RideToAbuDhabi).
Lead riders like Vincenzo Nibali and Fabio Aru—two professional Italian cyclers from the ASTANA PRO TEAM (Kazakhstan)—will take part in the Tour, among many other well-known riders around the world who are in the 2015 UCI ranking, like the Spaniard Alejandro Valverde, the former Belgian World Champion Philippe Gilbert. Even the new World Champion Peter Sagan will participate, as well as Mark Cavendish, to name a few more of the elite riders who will enter into the race.
The four-stage race covers a distance of 555km; it is categorized as a 2.1 race, which is the third tier of UCI, the governing body of cycling’s, races.
Stage Schedule:
Stage 1 – Qasr Al Sarab › Madinat Zayed (175k) October 8– The stage is dedicated to the sprinters
Stage 2 – Abu Dhab › Abu Dhabi (130k) October 9– Again, a mass sprint is expected
Stage 3 – Al Ain › Jebel Hafeet (140k) October 10 – The Mountain stage
Stage 4 – Yas Marina › Yas Marina (110k) October 11 – The Twilight stage, as the entire stage takes place at night, under the floodlights of the Yas Marina Circuit, with cyclists doing 20 laps around the 5.5km circuit.
Attending as a spectator you can easily have a glimpse of the racers in the final stage where it will be held on a circuit around the Yas Marina motor-racing track, which is the home of the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Following the last stage race, the same circuit will host the Abu Dhabi Bycicle Parade at Yas Marina on October 11th 2015. All those enthusiastic about cycling (amateurs, professionals or amateurs) are invited to take part in the parade; free rein to the imagination, colored or set up your bike and share your experience with photos and video. Lorenzo Giorgetti, CEO of RCS Sports and Events, who is one of the race organizers believes it will be something to look forward to that will close the Abu Dhabi Tour. It is a fast-paced festival full of entertainment that brings colors, music, fun and cycling.
Later on that evening, there will be the “International Cycling Gala” to celebrate the completion of the 2015 World Tour. The UCI Gala is set to take place at the Yas Marina Formula One circuit on Sunday, October 11. It will feature an award ceremony to crown the individual, team and national winners, said Aref Hamad Al Awani, general secretary of the ADSC.
Pic courtesy of Dubai Blog