Abu Dhabi Tour organisers apply for WorldTour status

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  • Cookson, Cavendish and Al Awani cycled around Yas Marina Circuit on Tuesday.

    Organisers of the Abu Dhabi Tour have set their sights on joining the UCI WorldTour, the highest series of events in world cycling, as Abu Dhabi Sports Council secretary general Aref Al Awani revealed an application for a status upgrade has already been made.

    The Abu Dhabi Tour debuted as a 2.1 race on the UCI Asia Tour last year and will return for a second edition this October (20-23) as a higher category 2.HC.

    With the UCI planning on expanding the WorldTour next season, Abu Dhabi Tour organisers wasted no time in officially expressing their interest in becoming part of the sport’s elite circuit that features historic races like the Tour de France.

    “Yes, we have applied for WorldTour status. Our ambition from day one has been to become part of the WorldTour,” Al Awani told Sport360 on Tuesday.

    “That was always our target. Because we have the resources, we have the stages that can challenge the riders, we have the mountain stage at Jebel Hafeet which is very important for a cycling race and it was very successful last year, and at the same time we have the commitment from most of the top teams, so we are able to fulfil all the criteria.

    “When will it happen? We are aware it could be a long journey and we must work hard with the UCI to get WorldTour status. But we are optimistic because within only one year, we already got upgraded from 2.1 to 2.HC.”

    Al Awani was speaking at the St. Regis Abu Dhabi Hotel, where a presentation was made reflecting on the success of the inaugural edition of the race, in the presence of UCI president Brian Cookson, and Abu Dhabi Tour ambassador Mark Cavendish.

    Cookson heaped praise on the event and the organisers but would not say whether the Abu Dhabi Tour is close to getting WorldTour status.

    “We’re in the appraisal process at the moment. We’re going to expand and develop the WorldTour starting next year and we’re going to make those decisions during the course of this year, so I’m not going to give anything away today but all I can say is that the first edition of the Abu Dhabi Tour was absolutely excellent, at the highest quality and I’m sure that this year’s event will be the same too,” said the UCI chief.

    The second edition of the Abu Dhabi Tour will once again see the four-stage race conclude at the iconic Yas Marina Circuit – based on the request from the riders themselves – and will also feature a summit finish up Jebel Hafeet. The exact route and jersey sponsors will be unveiled in September.

    A host of promotional activities will kick off as early as June in the capital, starting with an educational programme in schools, the Abu Dhabi Sports Festival in Ramadan along with the weekly TrainYas, GoYas, and StartYas sessions at Yas Marina Circuit.

    The start of the Abu Dhabi Tour has been pushed back two weeks compared to last year so it falls after the World Championships taking place in Qatar from October 9-16. The shift in dates will surely be welcomed by the riders who suffered through extreme heat in Abu Dhabi last year in early October.

    Cavendish, who has been a regular visitor to the UAE for several years, hailed the swift progress the sport has made here at both the professional and recreational level. The superstar sprinter, who has won 26 stages at the Tour de France, did not compete in last year’s event due to a shoulder injury but is hoping he can lineup with the rest of the riders for the second edition.

    “I’m honoured to be ambassador of the Abu Dhabi Tour again. I was really disappointed not to race last year and this time I hope to be on the start line at the Abu Dhabi Tour and try to win at least a stage,” said the 30-year-old.

    “There’s so many races here now which shows the growth of cycling. I’ve been coming to the UAE for a few years and to see the amount of people that ride a bicycle now compared to when I first came is beautiful to see especially with the amount of races that are on that have come in the last couple of years. It really shows that when a country gets one of the cycling events and the best riders in the world, it shows that the status in the world of cycling is very high now here.

    “It’s definitely with a long term goal, it’s just not a short term plan and you see it growing in correlation to actual recreational cycling as well.”

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