Contador on hand as Dubai Tour 2014 is announced

10:41 04/12/2013
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  • Dubai Sports Council have promised to make the Dubai Tour “spectacular and unforgettable” after plans for the event were unveiled on Friday.

    The announcement was made during the official launch of the Dubai Cycling Course in Al Qudra, and organisers have promised an event that will dazzle the world.

    Following an exhibition sprint involving three grand tour winners – Alberto Contador, Ryder Hesjedal and Vincenzo Nibali, Sheikh Mansour Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the youngest son of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, unveiled the logo of the new tour.

    Rashid Al Awadhi, director of marketing and communications, at Dubai Sports Council, said: “Ideas like this do not happen overnight.

    “A lot of thought has already gone into it and everyone knows how Dubai likes to do events… we are going to make it a spectacular, unforgettable event.

    “We will make more announcements in the coming days. We are in talks with the UCI (world cycling body) and based on the dates suitable to them and us, and keeping in mind the calendar that we already have for Dubai in the winter period, we will soon announce the dates.

    “I am hoping it will be in the first quarter of 2014 rather than the last quarter, otherwise we will have to wait another eight to nine months for the fun to start.”

    Contador, winner of all three grand tours in cycling, was excited at the prospect of competing in Dubai after beating Hesjedal and Nibali in a one-kilometre sprint.

    Contador, the reigning Vuelta A Espana champion, said: “I think it will be a beautiful race. They could include a team time trial, an individual time trial and for the sprinters, there are lots of roads.”

    Time trial specialist Tony Martin also took on a horse over a one-kilometre distance but the German, who won a time trial stage at the 2011 Tour de France, was soundly beaten.

     

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