Yousif Mirza’s omnium gold on the final day completed an unprecedented haul for the UAE at the Arab Cycling Championships and guaranteed them top spot in the medal table.
The UAE have excelled in Algeria, travelling back home today with nine gold, six silver and seven bronze medals to finish ahead of second-placed Morocco.
Yesterday’s final events saw Mirza’s dominant display rewarded with top spot on the podium, with team-mate Ahmed Al Mansouri a place behind. In the other race, the UAE’s three-man sprint team of Ali Thani, Mohamed Al Mansouri and Ahmed Al Mansouri took bronze behind winners Algeria and Qatar.
The omnium included a 200m sprint, individual pursuit, points race, elimination race (where a rider drops out every lap until ones remains), 1km time trial and scratch.
There was joy elsewhere in the juniors, Ahmed Jassim Saif finishing third in the omnium.
The 26-year-old Mirza won five of the six elimination races to end on seven points, adding 1km time trial and scratch victories yesterday.
Team manager Abdullah Suwaidan praised Mirza’s and the rest of his team-mates’ achievements.
“I am very proud, because in the past nobody could beat Algeria and Morocco,” he said.
“Nine gold medals is an incredible achievement, we are very proud – UAE are No1. We are talking about a big gap between UAE cycling and the other Gulf nations.
“It was an amazing result for Mirza. We are very proud of him, he is not a normal rider. One day, we hope he will ride with a professional team.”
This success came after the UAE seniors sped away with three more medals on the penultimate day.
Talisman Mirza won gold in the points race, while there was a one-two for the Emiratis in the kerin, with Ahmed Al Mansouri taking gold and Thani grabbing silver.
The UAE now hope to excel in the Sharjah Cycling Tour which runs from November 18-23 and is part of the 2013/14 UCI Asia Tour.
