From left to right: Louis Meintjes, Matej Mohoric, Rui Alberto Faria da Costa, Filippo Ganna, Andrea Guardini and Yousif Mirza make up part of the newly-formed UAE-Abu Dhabi Professional Cycle Team. Christopher Pike / The National
From left to right: Louis Meintjes, Matej Mohoric, Rui Alberto Faria da Costa, Filippo Ganna, Andrea Guardini and Yousif Mirza make up part of the newly-formed UAE-Abu Dhabi Professional Cycle Team. CShow more

UAE-Abu Dhabi Professional Cycle Team the latest addition to the UCI world circuit



ABU DHABI // Abu Dhabi now has its own team in the International Cycling Union’s (UCI) world circuit.

The UAE-Abu Dhabi Professional Cycle Team was unveiled on Wednesday by Emirati businessman Matar Suhail Al Yabhouni, who is also the team chairman.

While it has taken just two months for the team to be put together, it has required an investment of €30 million (Dh115.12m).

“The idea was there right from the beginning of the Abu Dhabi Tour in 2015,” Al Yabhouni said at the launch in St Regis Hotel. “It’s my own initiative to give something back to my country.”

The objective, according to Al Yabhouni, is to have not just a team in the world circuit, but to run “a successful” team. “It is our first season and the team was assembled in a short time,” he said. “I believe we have been able to establish a good team which we would be looking to further improve and strengthen over a period of time.”

Among the international riders assembled for the team is the Emirati No 1 and Olympian Yousif Mirza.

“Mirza brings an Emirati aspect to the team,” Al Yabhouni said. “But it’s an international team and is open for all those who can prove their potential whether it be Emiratis or others from Arab countries.”

According to Khalid Saif Al Muhairi, a board member of the company, the team comprise 30 cyclists.

“We have assembled 24 up to now and the remaining six are on the verge of being finalised,” he said.

“We had little time once we decided to assemble a team. It all began in late November and we just managed to get all papers cleared by the end of December in time to have a team entered.

“It was a bit of a struggle with the Christmas holidays but we managed to do it. We are talking of a team that’s worth more than €30m.

“It wasn’t an easy task given the little time we had.”

Present at the launch were Rui Costa, 30, the Portuguese captain of the team. He won the professional world championship in 2013, has won three stage of the Tour de France and three successive Tour de Swiss.

Apart from Mirza, 28, other teammates present were Italians Filippo Ganna, 20, the world champion in individual pursuit, and Andrea Guardini, 27, winner of the first stage of the 2015 Abu Dhabi Tour. Also at the launch were South African Louis Meintjes, 24, and the Slovenian world junior and U23 champion in 2012 and 2013 respectively Matej Mohoric, 20.

“I’m honoured and thank Matar Yabhouni for selecting me to be part of this exciting new team,” Mirza said.

“As a youngster, I always dreamt about participating in the Tour de France and Giro de Italia. This opportunity has brought me a bit closer to it. For me, this will be a great experience.

“I will do my best for this team in whatever race opportunities I would get, and looking forward to the time ahead with my new teammates.”

The UAE-Abu Dhabi Team will be in action at the Tour Down Under in Australia from January 17 to 22 and the Vuelta Ciclista a la Provincia de San Juan in Argentina from Jan 23-29.

“The races in the UCI calendar are countless,” Al Muhairi said.

“We have a technical team to decide on the races we take part but for sure we will be present at every major event this year.”

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The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol

Power: 154bhp

Torque: 250Nm

Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option 

Price: From Dh79,600

On sale: Now

EMIRATES'S%20REVISED%20A350%20DEPLOYMENT%20SCHEDULE
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The specs

Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder

Power: 220 and 280 horsepower

Torque: 350 and 360Nm

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT 

On sale: now

Where to buy art books in the UAE

There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.

In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show. 

In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.

In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.

Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989

Director: Goran Hugo Olsson

Rating: 5/5

LUKA CHUPPI

Director: Laxman Utekar

Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Cinema

Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon​​​​​​​, Pankaj Tripathi, Vinay Pathak, Aparshakti Khurana

Rating: 3/5

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Abu Dhabi traffic facts

Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road

The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.

Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.

The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.

The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.

Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019

 

Emergency phone numbers in the UAE

Estijaba – 8001717 –  number to call to request coronavirus testing

Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111

Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre

Emirates airline – 600555555

Etihad Airways – 600555666

Ambulance – 998

Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries

The biog:

Languages: Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, basic Russian 

Favourite food: Pizza 

Best food on the road: rice

Favourite colour: silver 

Favourite bike: Gold Wing, Honda

Favourite biking destination: Canada 

Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hoopla%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Jacqueline%20Perrottet%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2010%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20required%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 6-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km

Price: Dh133,900

On sale: now 

The specs

Engine: 4 liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous electric motors placed at each wheel

Battery: Rimac 120kWh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry

Power: 1877bhp

Torque: 2300Nm

Price: Dh7,500,00

On sale: Now