The fifth edition of The Dubai Tour gets under way next week with riders from all over the world taking part in the UAE spectacular.
Teams are made up of nine UCI World Tour Teams, five UCI Professional Continental Teams, one UCI Continental Team and the UAE National Team will be at the start of the five-stage professional cycling race, organised by the Dubai Sports Council in collaboration with RCS Sport.
The UAE Emirates team, managed by the former Italian champion Giuseppe Saronni recorded 19 victories in 2017, including one stage at the Giro d’Italia (Jan Polanc) and one at the Vuelta a España (Matej Mohoric). Fans are encouraged to look out for the Norwegian sprinter Alexander Kristoff, in his first season in the UAE Team Emirates jersey, and the Italian Diego Ulissi is also competing at this year’s event.
Winner: Marcel Kittel
Cyclists begin race stages at Skydive Dubai and will complete a total of five stages over the five-day event, the shortest of which being the 132km ride from Skydive Dubai to Citywalk on the final day of the event. Stage one sees riders leave Skydive Dubai before heading out to Al Qudra Cycletrack, circling back to Global Village, then making their way past the 2020 World Expo site, before heading towards Palm Jumeirah to complete the route. Needless to say, road users should expect diversions during the course of the event.
The track features four flat stages and one that is asking for trouble a summit finish at the Hatta Dam following a short and steep climb. In last year’s race, the Hatta Dam stage was cancelled due to extreme weather. Riders are again competing for The Dubai Tour Trophy, a circular award resembling that of a bike wheel, with materials used to have both an aesthetic and a symbolic role in reference to Dubai. The object takes shape from multi-faceted blue sand crystals, typical of the local desert.
Marcel Kittel won 2017’s race for the second successive year, despite Kittel claiming fellow rider Andriy Grivko punched him during the event. Organisers subsequently disqualified the Ukrainian after the stage was over.
Entry is free every day from 09:30 for fans looking to catch a glimpse of some of the world’s best riders. Food trucks and family entertainment are all in action in the fan village.
What: The Dubai Tour
Where: Skydive Dubai (and across Dubai)
When: February 6-10
Contact: Dubaitour.com
1.Nakheel Stage
Date: February 6
Distance: 167km
Location: Skydive Dubai to Palm Jumeirah
2. Ras Al Khaimah Stage
Date: February 7
Distance: 190km
Location: Skydive Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah
3. Dubai Silicone Oasis Stage
Date: February 8
Distance: 180km
Location: Skydive Dubai to Fujairah
4. Dubai Municipality Stage
Date: February 9
Distance: 172km
Location: Skydive Dubai to Hatta Dam
5. Meraas Stage
Date: February 10
Distance: 132km
Location: Skydive Dubai to City Wal
