Abu Dhabi: A twilight stage around the spectacular Yas Marina Circuit will be a key attraction in the inaugural 555-kilometre Abu Dhabi Tour.
The Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) and the UAE Cycling Federation on Wednesday unveiled the four-stage route for the Abu Dhabi Tour at a glittering function here.
The event, which will take place from October 8-11 and forms part of the overall UCI Asia Tour, will have three sprint and one medium mountain stage. The three sprint stages are the Liwa Stage (175km), the Capital Stage (130km) and the twilight Yas Stage (110km).
But the organisers have made sure the Tour will not be just about sprinters, as the climbers will also have a chance to come up trumps in the Al Ain Stage (140km), which starts from Al Qattara Souq and finishes on the Jebel Hafeet ascent, reaching an altitude of 1,000 metres on gradients that average 7.5 per cent and go as high as 12 per cent on the lower slopes.
“Our race is well-balanced, with a true mountain stage, where the overall winner of the 2015 Abu Dhabi Tour is likely to emerge, and three flatter stages where pure sprinters will compete until the very last metre of the Yas Island Circuit,” said Aref Hamad Al Awani, general secretary of the ADSC speaking at the launch.
“In line with this strategy, the Abu Dhabi Sports Council will organise an international Cycling Gala on the final evening of the Abu Dhabi Tour to celebrate in a glittering atmosphere the completion of the World Tour calendar and the narrative of the 2015 cycling season and its stars.”
The Yas Stage under lights will see cyclists doing 20 laps around the 5.5km circuit. Lorenzo Giorgetti, CEO of RCS Sports and Events and one of the race organisers, said: “Our aim, as the ultimate race of the year, was to have a very complete and varied course that can be attractive for any kind of rider. Our final stage, for example, will be pretty unique and a spectacle within a spectacle to close the Abu Dhabi Tour.”
Mark Cavendish, the British Team Etixx-Quick Step ace who won the Dubai Tour last month, expressed his support for the Abu Dhabi Tour via a video call. “When I heard about the Abu Dhabi Tour I was super excited. I know that Abu Dhabi is a place full of tradition that also looks to the future — I think it’s a great place to have a bike race,” he said.
“I love the Emirates and the people have been very, very welcoming. I know Abu Dhabi is going to put on a splendid show for the Abu Dhabi Tour in October. I can’t wait to come and ride the Abu Dhabi Tour. Hopefully my team gets an invitation!”
