My cycling journey has been very different to most currently riding on the UCI World Tour.
Thinking back to my upbringing in New Zealand, cycling was always prominent. I remember being in school and having to choose a winter sport – most people went down the rugby and cricket route, but for me, it was always going to be mountain biking. Being in the outdoors and that adventurous feeling was really attractive. From there, I fell into road cycling and happened to be quite good at it!
I remember transitioning from amateur to professional cycling and being amazed at the jump in level. The similarities were clear between the two; important factors to high performance like nutrition, recovery, hydration, and training schedules are still crucial as an amateur, there’s just an even bigger spotlight on them at the professional level.
Especially at UAE Team Emirates, who are the cream of the crop of UCI World Cycling. The standard here is so high that the levels of professionalism are unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
Thinking back to some early wins in my career, I was victorious at the National Time Trial and Road Race event. These are certainly memorable for me and something I look back on with pride. Whilst they weren’t necessarily personal victories, it opened doors for me in Europe, and my name certainly became known within the peloton. However, I was competing in a really strong generation of cyclists, so it made it harder for me to stand out on my own when racing within a team.
As the years progressed and opportunities started to become scarcer, I sort of accepted that my professional cycling journey had run its course. I felt content with this, and it actually led to some of the best form of my career due to the absence of stress or worry.
I started to compete across several countries, with Asia becoming a regular location in my racing calendar. I was churning out consistent performances over a period of time, and ultimately the legs I had were what got me into this team. While I came through the MyWhoosh platform, there was still vigorous testing when I arrived here, which thankfully I passed!
The MyWhoosh platform is relatively unknown around the world but is certainly becoming more and more prominent. My journey with the program began through a friend in Christchurch. Initially, I struggled to get to grips with the platform, but after three or four races, I became instantly hooked and it was super rewarding.
Some riders will respond to it better than others. The events differ from road racing as you’re always 100 per cent fresh. It’s not like riding on the tour and heading into day seven of an event and feeling fatigued. MyWhoosh racing sees you put out peak numbers all the time. I describe it as the hardest Classic or one-day event on the Tour…just packed into a 1-hour race!
Focusing on the 2023 season with UAE Team Emirates, the Tour Down Under was my first World Tour race. It was close to home and the stages weren’t super long, so it was nice. I wasn’t coming into the event off a big base of training due to getting the call up to the team quite late and having only really competed in MyWhoosh races. However, with the group we had at the Tour, and Jay (Vine) being so strong, it meant we were in a good position to work together and to our strengths to produce an awesome result. All in all, it was a dream scenario.
I’m really looking forward to competing in some longer stage races during the season. I think these best suit my skillset as a rider as I have quite a big engine and aerobic capacity. Harder days in the saddle are often the ones I respond best to.
Lastly, to the people of the UAE, it is an honour to represent you as part of UAE Team Emirates. I’m super stoked for the season and the potential victories we can secure for all of our fans!
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
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RESULTS
Catchweight 63.5kg: Shakriyor Juraev (UZB) beat Bahez Khoshnaw (IRQ). Round 3 TKO (body kick)
Lightweight: Nart Abida (JOR) beat Moussa Salih (MAR). Round 1 by rear naked choke
Catchweight 79kg: Laid Zerhouni (ALG) beat Ahmed Saeb (IRQ). Round 1 TKO (punches)
Catchweight 58kg: Omar Al Hussaini (UAE) beat Mohamed Sahabdeen (SLA) Round 1 rear naked choke
Flyweight: Lina Fayyad (JOR) beat Sophia Haddouche (ALG) Round 2 TKO (ground and pound)
Catchweight 80kg: Badreddine Diani (MAR) beat Sofiane Aïssaoui (ALG) Round 2 TKO
Flyweight: Sabriye Sengul (TUR) beat Mona Ftouhi (TUN). Unanimous decision
Middleweight: Kher Khalifa Eshoushan (LIB) beat Essa Basem (JOR). Round 1 rear naked choke
Heavyweight: Mohamed Jumaa (SUD) beat Hassen Rahat (MAR). Round 1 TKO (ground and pound)
Lightweight: Abdullah Mohammad Ali Musalim (UAE beat Omar Emad (EGY). Round 1 triangle choke
Catchweight 62kg: Ali Taleb (IRQ) beat Mohamed El Mesbahi (MAR). Round 2 KO
Catchweight 88kg: Mohamad Osseili (LEB) beat Samir Zaidi (COM). Unanimous decision
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
The biog
Age: 46
Number of Children: Four
Hobby: Reading history books
Loves: Sports
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Gifts exchanged
- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
Company profile
Date started: December 24, 2018
Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer
Based: Dubai Media City
Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)
Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech
Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year
Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
THE SPECS
BMW X7 xDrive 50i
Engine: 4.4-litre V8
Transmission: Eight-speed Steptronic transmission
Power: 462hp
Torque: 650Nm
Price: Dh600,000
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UAE Rugby finals day
Games being played at The Sevens, Dubai
2pm, UAE Conference final
Dubai Tigers v Al Ain Amblers
4pm, UAE Premiership final
Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Jebel Ali Dragons