The Dubai Tour is finally upon us as a world-class field of cyclists – alongside the best from the region – descend on the UAE to race in the inaugural event.
Getting underway on Wednesday, February 5 this four-stage race is not only the first of its kind in the UAE, but will open the UCI Asia Tour.
An invite-only championship, the Dubai Tour will boast some of the finest riders in the world, including 2013 UCI Road World Champion Alberto Rui Costa, Giro d’Italia winner Vincenzo Nibali, and Mark Cavendish – the world's greatest sprinter and holder of most stage wins in Tour de France history.
Alongside the household names will be teams representing the region, and those feeling patriotic can throw their support behind the UAE national team and the SkyDive Dubai riders.
Each team will be composed of eight riders and 11 out of the 16 are UCI pro teams.
THE ROUTE
Divided into four different stages, the Dubai Tour will take riders through a 417 km route around and through the city passing through the city's most iconic landmarks like the Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab, Palm Jumeirah, Sheikh Zayed Road and many more.
Stage 1: The 10km Downtown stage (Wednesday February 5, start time: 1:00 PM)
The first test of the Dubai Tour will be an individual Time Trial that will begin at the World Trade Centre all the way to Downtown Burj Khalifa through DIFC and Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard and back through the same route.
For those not clued up on their cycling, a Time Trial means the cyclists will be looking to beat the timer, with each rider starting at different times and the winner determined by the one is fastest in completing the route.
All eyes will be on Time Trial specialists Tony Martin, four-time UCI Road World Champion Fabian Cancellera and American Taylor Phinney.
Stage 2: The 121km Sport stage (Thursday, February 6, start time: 12:20 AM)
The second phase of the Tour will be a sprint stage, again starting at the Dubai World Trade Centre, but this time the route will head to the Meydan Racecourse, Jumeirah Lake Towers, and Dubai Marina, before finishing at the Atlantis Hotel on Palm Jumeirah.
Much of the attention for this stage will be focused on Cavendish, sprint sensation Marcel Kittel, and 2010 World Road Champion Thor Hushovd.
Stage 3: 162km Nature Stage (Friday, February 7, start time: 11:30 AM)
This is the longest route of the race, and will be looking to test the riders to their limits. The stage starts at the Dubai World Trade Centre and heads into the mountains to Hatta through Festival City, Mirdif, Al Aweer, the Madam and Malaiha areas of Sharjah, and into certain parts of Ras Al Khaimah as well.
This 162km trek, which includes two small ascents, will be one of the toughest stages of the race.
The mountain experts set to dominate this stage include Vincenzo Nibali (AKA the Shark) and climb cyclist Joaquim Rodrigues.
Stage 4: 124km Old Dubai Stage (Saturday, February 8, start time: 11:30 AM)
The last stage of the Tour will be another sprint race that will go along the whole city of Dubai, covering both the modern city and taking the riders back through the traditional part of Dubai, starting at the World Trade Centre.
The cyclists will take the route through Sheikh Zayed Road and Umm Suqqeim passing Union House, parts of Deira and Bur Dubai before ultimately reaching the finish line at Bur Khalifa.
THE JERSEYS
The Dubai Tour Jerseys and the “Circle of Stars” trophy have been made and brought in from Italy.
The four race jerseys, designed by the famous fashion house Versace and produced by Castelli, will be worn by the leaders of each race classification.
THE TROPHY
This is what all the teams will be looking to get their hands on.
The prestigious Dubai Tour 'Circle of Stars' trophy, which has been designed by prominent Italian brand Pininfarina, has a unique look and meaning behind its design.
It is a circular in shape and holds several references to the world of cycling, having both an aesthetic value of their own, and a symbolic role in representing Dubai.
It can be seen as a wheel of a racing bike, representing the energy of the race; and at the same time, it is designed to be lifted by the winner as a tribute to the racing cyclists in history, who traditionally carried their inner-tubes across their shoulders.
The trophy is an extraordinary multi-faceted crystal sand/blue object that will be awarded to the champions of the Dubai Tour.
ROAD DIVERSIONS
Safety of riders is of prime necessity during the course of the Dubai Tour and since the routes pass through some of the busiest and most crowded areas of the city, diversion of roads and alternative route plans for the public will be put into action during hours of the race.
If you want to get around the city, especially during the weekend, it is advised to take metro or go through the alternative routes to avoid inconvenience.
The road authorities are also in talks with the Ministry of Education to announce a holiday for schools on Thursday in order to avoid having students stuck in traffic.
Security will be high for the race as more than 70 traffic police patrols and 85 personnel’s will be positioned around the routes throughout the event.
To get around the city during race hours it would be best to avoid roads that cover the routes and surrounding areas.
Here is the list and timings of the roads scheduled to be blocked during the tour:
Wednesday, February 5, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Sheikh Zayed Road inclusive of all routes leading to Dubai Mall and Al Khail Road will be closed. Residents can alternatively use Shaikh Mohammed Bin Zayed road to get in and out of Dubai city.
Thursday, February 6, 11:20AM – 5:00 PM
From World Trade Centre, through Zabeel Road, Meydan Road, Shaikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Umm Suqquiem Road, Al Sufouh Road, Emirates Hills, The Atlantis and Palm Jumierah will not be accessible from the start of the race through the afternoon. The best possible way to get around the city during race hours will be through Emirates Road.
Friday, February 7, 10:30 AM – 4:30 PM
DWTC, Airport Road, Khawaneej Road, Emirates Road and Al Hubab Road through to hatta will be blocked but only in the direction of the tour and for the duration of the racers passing by.
Saturday, February 8, 11:30 AM – 5:00 PM
This route will cover most of Dubai city as it passes through Shaikh Zayed Road, Baniyas Road, Al Seef Road, Al Rad, Al Shindagha Road, Al Diwan Road, Jumeirah Road, Al Orouba Road and Burj Plaza will all be closed for the duration for the race.
If you are not able to watch the race by the sidelines in the city throughout the event, you can still catch all the action of the Dubai Tour live on Dubai Sports Channel and Eurosport.
So now that you have everythng you need to know on the Dubai Tour, get out onto the streets and show your support. Just don't get stuck in the wrong place!
