A new professional cycling team has been set up in the UAE with the country’s No. 1 rider Yousif Mirza starring as their leading man.
Mirza will headline a group of 15 riders, from the UAE, Europe and North Africa, that form the new Al Nasr Pro Cycling Team – a UCI Continental outfit aimed at developing the sport in the Emirates and giving local riders a chance to progress and compete in international races around the world.
This is the second professional cycling team to be formed in the UAE, following in the footsteps of Skydive Dubai Pro Cycling Team – Al Ahli Club – that was created in 2014.
Al Nasr Pro Cycling has Portuguese ex-rider Vitor Carvalho as the team manager and the official presentation of the squad will take place on February 1, ahead of the Dubai Tour, which will be their first race of the season.
New Friends @AlNasrClub @JesusAlberRubio @tomasvaitkus pic.twitter.com/rzz5fwKYu5
— Luca Wackermann (@LucaWackermann) January 28, 2016Lithuanian veteran Tomas Vaitkus, who has ridden for Astana and Orica-GreenEDGE in support of great riders like Alberto Contador and has Grand Tour experience, is one of the European recruits brought to Al Nasr along with former Lampre-Merida cyclist, Italian Luca Wackermann and Spaniard Jesus Alberto Rubio.
“For me it’s a big opportunity to reach a high level with this team and to get more chances to race in Asia and Europe,” team leader Mirza told Sport360 during his ongoing participation at the Asian Cycling Championships in Japan.
“It’s the perfect preparation for Rio 2016. And for me as a team leader I work to find local talents and young, local riders. And yes, it does also give me a chance to make a living from the sport, it’s a big chance.”
Being part of a UCI Continental team, Emirati riders will have access to major cycling events in the UAE like the Dubai Tour and Abu Dhabi Tour, as well as riding at international races under the UCI Asia Tour and Europe Tour.
“Al Nasr cycling team, of the renowned and victorious Al Nasr Club, was established to successfully promote cycling in the UAE,” says team manager Carvalho. “Its creation has attracted high level athletes from across the Emirates order to achieve this goal, turning them into sporting role models for the UAE population.
“As a team our aim is to utilise expert knowledge of professional racing so our team members achieve their personal goals, striving to turn them into top athletes on the world stage by entering UCI events across the globe.
“Al Nasr in Arabic means ‘victory’ and our main club ranks highly in terms of achievement across the country. Branching into a sport that is rapidly growing in popularity, we want to be at the forefront of ‘victory’ for UAE.”
The team’s calendar for the season includes participations in both the Dubai Tour and Abu Dhabi Tour as well as competitions in Qatar and Oman and a host of events across East Asia, Europe and Latin America.
