Designing cycling courses is an intricate business, compelled to take into account a number of factors that go beyond just ensuring it produces good sport.
The easy part of the enterprise is getting together a world-class and competitive field.
The world’s greatest races eventually develop an identity, one that goes above and beyond the narrow confines of merely great sporting competition.
When the first stage of the inaugural Abu Dhabi Tour begins on Thursday, in the Rub al Khali desert among the dunes surrounding the Qasr Al Sarab resort, it will have been chosen very deliberately to ensure that the Tour’s micro and macro objectives are met.
The entire 555km race, over four stages, is the result of plenty of planning and thought from a team at the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) and RCS Sport, the race organisers.
“If was difficult to choose just four stages,” said Talal Al Hashemi ADSC’s technical affairs director.
“We want to show that Abu Dhabi is not just the city, it is Madinat Zayed, the Western Region and more. We knew which the iconic landmarks are, which will show Abu Dhabi in the best light and which helps from a tourism point of view.”
The result is a mix of terrain and venues that show off both the heritage of Abu Dhabi and its modern development. After the first stage, the cyclists race around the capital city itself, passing by the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Zayed Sports City, the ADNEC Exhibition centre, before speeding along the Corniche to Emirates Palace.
Dates, stages and riders taking part: Everything you need to know about Abu Dhabi Tour
In Al Ain, they take in the heritage Souq Al Qattara, go past the UAE University and the Hazza bin Zayed stadium, before finishing at Jebel Hafeet.
The final stage takes place inside the Yas Marina Formula 1 circuit, the first time a non-time trial stage has taken place inside an F1 circuit.
The mix of terrains — mostly flat but with the one genuine climb in the third stage — was also carefully chosen.
“We start with the overall objectives of the Abu Dhabi Tour, from the perspective of the ADSC, from a tourism perspective which is to identify what the most identifiable landmarks are,” said Lorenzo Giorgetti, RCS Sport’s chief executive.
“We then verify what is the best strategy to keep the race uncertain until the last minute. For example, having Jebel Hafeet as the first stage could have been a mistake, because there could’ve been a good climber that would get a 10- or 15-second lead straight away.”
Other considerations also play a part. The Capital Stage, for example, in the city was specifically scheduled for a Friday because city traffic is generally less and the impact on it would be reduced.
What surprised RCS — though not so much ADSC — was just how many potentially different stages there are for the race. According to both Al Hashemi and Giorgetti, the course can expect to vary in coming years, depending on how the first race goes.
“It was pretty clear which were the most important places we wanted to touch on the first race,” said Giorgetti. “During inspection over the last 12 months, we discovered there are a lot more opportunities for locations.
“In the future we will have different options also based on the results of this first race. We want to see if it will be a sprinter or a mountain-climber who wins.”
Jebel Jais in Ras Al Khaimah, the UAE’s highest peak for example, will almost certainly be in consideration in the future — it is not as steep a climb as Jebel Hafeet but a much longer one. An island-specific stage is also on the radar.
“This race will be held for many years, so we will be improving all the time and there are many other places we want to show to the world,” said Al Hashemi.
RCS Sport runs four major cycling races, including one of the three Grand Tours, the Giro d’Italia. But Giorgetti is confident that the Abu Dhabi Tour is among the most “innovative” he has worked on.
“This is a race which both sprinters and climber can win. We planned it that way. And the final stage inside the F1 circuit is something that has been done before, but for the first time will be a regular stage.
“A lot of elements are there that allow us to say that this is really the edge of cycling and designing of courses.”
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