ABU DHABI // In one sense, the second edition of the Abu Dhabi Tour is merely a prelude for the bigger, grander, more prestigious third edition, to be held in four months' time. That race will carry World Tour status, as part of an expanded cycling calendar that sees the sport make a concerted effort to spread its wings beyond Europe and North America.
Think of it more as a rehearsal perhaps for organisers ahead of what will be a longer more expansive race next year with a bigger field of riders.
But then you look at the quality of riders present in the capital currently — Alberto Contador strolling around, Mark Cavendish beside him, Vincenzo Nibali and Eli Viviani and you could go on — and think there is no way the race will be anything but as intense and competitive as the inaugural race last October.
Cavendish said the calibre of the competing field was as high as that of the Tour de France.
Some of them went for a gentle ride on Tuesday, while others shopped or hit the beach. On Tuesday evening they attended the year-ending UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) Gala. From Thursday, however, their game faces will be on.
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No major changes have taken place since last year, logistically to the course, or spiritually to its nature — it remains four stages, 555 kilometres in total. Some minor tweaks to the routes on each of the four stages are in place but the Abu Dhabi Tour will again be dominated by sprinters for three stages — there are, by general consensus, the cream of the world’s sprinters here.
But it will be won overall by the man who climbs the towering Jebel Hafeet the quickest — last year the treacherous climb provided the race with its most dramatic denouement.
We begin on Thursday in Madinat Zayed, among the dunes of the Liwa oasis — the later date in the calendar means it will not be as hot out there as it was last year. On Friday, the scene shifts to the capital itself, a 115km-stage that loops around the capital’s landmarks before finishing at the marina on the Corniche.
On Saturday the riders go to Jebel Hafeet, cycling around Al Ain on a 150km-stage before the 10km steep descent up the mountain. The race concludes on Sunday, a spectacular twilight race of 26 laps around the Yas Marina circuit.
As the last race of the year, there is an end-of-season feel to proceedings; riders are handling niggles and tired legs. Some like Nibali and Contador are turning out for their teams for the last time before moving to pastures afresh.
“For me, it is surprising I am here because it wasn’t in my programme initially,” said Contador, a multiple winner of all three Grand Tours, and a bona fide legend. “But I am very happy to be here.
“It is a good race with different possibilities for sprinters and climbers. Maybe I am not in the best condition right now but we have a good team who are motivated, for flat and possibly the mountain stage with Jesper [Hansen].”
Amid all the big names there will also be Emirati representation — Nasr Dubai are the only locally based team in the race and will be led by history-maker Yousif Mirza. Mirza missed the race last year as he was busy in qualifications for the Rio Olympics.
That turned out to be a wise decision as he ended up becoming only the second Emirati to represent the UAE at the Olympics in cycling. The main aim will be to showcase as much of the club’s name at each stage, possibly in early breakaways.
“The experience of riding the Olympics was amazing,” Mirza said. “Now the Abu Dhabi Tour will show that we have a strong cycling scene in the UAE.”
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