#360view: ADT deserve huge credit over Wiggins’ withdrawal

Barnaby Read 19:18 14/10/2016
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  • The famed cyclist will not be competing in the UAE capital.

    Not only was the Abu Dhabi Tour’s strong riposte to Sir Bradley Wiggins’ withdrawal fair, it was refreshing.

    On Thursday, organisers took a stance against the 2012 Tour de France winner and four-time Olympic gold medallist pulling out from the race, citing a number of issues with Team Wiggins’ handling of the matter.

    They cited their “surprise”, as well as claiming to have already booked his flights and accommodation, and stating that the Briton was on Team Wiggins’ list of competitors just a week ago.

    The statement came hours after the Wiggins camp had claimed that the Abu Dhabi Tour was not ever on his schedule.

    So who is telling the truth?

    The timing appears a little suspect, given that Wiggins is the subject of an ongoing investigation by United Kingdom Anti-Doping (UKAD) that has been hitting the headlines of late.

    Wiggins and Team Sky have denied allegations levelled at them in regards to doping around the 2012 Tour de France, but the rider would have been under immense scrutiny in Abu Dhabi had he raced.

    Not appearing was certainly the easiest option and Wiggins took it, giving Abu Dhabi Tour organisers a real as he was one of their poster boys for the event.

    The issue of dropouts has been a long-standing one in UAE sport, the country’s ability to tempt top athletes to its shores with high financial reward often tempered by the notion that a large majority of events outside of Formula One and the European Tour’s season finale lacked merit.

    Not only that, organisers left in the lurch by withdrawals have a history of not making a fuss in public, largely due to a worry that doing so would hinder any future relationships with established names they see as integral to adding virtue and vital recognition to their events.

    But it is not the case anymore and certainly not true of the Abu Dhabi Tour, which proved hugely popular in its first incarnation and will next year February be the fourth event on the 2017 UCI World Tour calendar.

    It’s no Mickey Mouse race; the work that goes into staging such a competition in the UAE capital is arduous, the financial investment required to host it substantial.

    As a result, the race’s marketing team were rightly publicising the big names signed on to compete in the second edition next week.

    The team lists sent to organisers on September 20 included a host of illustrious names including Abu Dhabi Tour ambassador Mark Cavendish, Elia Viviani, Alberto Contador and Vincenzo Nibali.

    And, of course, Wiggins.

    If the race was never meant to be in Wiggins’ mind then why has it taken his team 23 days to say as much? Why have they allowed stakeholders to promote his participation and create momentum in the build-up to the race with Wiggins at the forefront if he was never slated for the start line?

    Only the Wiggins camp can answer those questions, part of an ever-increasing number they are facing at present.

    The manner in which they have dealt with their eponymous leader’s absence obviously wrangles officials in the UAE capital but the Abu Dhabi Tour will move on and may be better off without Wiggins considering the sideshow the current allegations would likely cause.

    The Abu Dhabi Tour’s transparency and firm handling of the matter should have made a positive impact to outside observers.

    It is a stance one hopes will catch on with other UAE sporting events, proving that the country is not only a sporting destination for the money hungry, but for serious competitors.

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