Yousif Mirza believes racing professionally for UAE Team Emirates has improved him as a cyclist by as much as 40 per cent.
The Ras Al Khaimah native has ridden a real rollercoaster over the last three years, having been the first Emirati cyclist to compete in the Olympics when he entered the road race at the Rio 2016 Games.
Having tasted life briefly as a professional in 2009, Mirza joined the elite ranks once more with Al Nasr Pro Cycling Team–Dubai for 2016 before they disbanded at the end of the campaign.
But the 29-year-old received his proper big break after being plucked by UAE Team Emirates – formerly Lampre-Merida – for 2017 and thereby becoming the first Emirati to ride for a UCI WorldTour team.
“If it was up to me I’d say I’ve improved by 40 per cent from three years ago. I can feel this,” said Mirza, a four-time defending UAE National Road Race champion, having won from 2014-17.
“I started cycling when I was nine years old. I love this sport and it’s been like step by step with planning and training hard until I reached a WorldTour team in 2017. There’s been a lot of work to me reaching my goal, I’ve made my parents proud.”
The UAE’s Yousif Mirza is part of the team competing at the Dubai Tour
Mirza rode alongside Rui Costa and Louis Meintjes last season as the UAE finished 12th of 18 teams in the standings.
Costa, the 2013 world champion, remains, while Meintjes has moved on. But UAE Team Emirates is even more star-studded for 2018 with the arrival of 2015 Vuelta a Espana winner Fabio Aru, a Giro d’Italia runner-up the same year, from Astana.
Also coming on board are reigning European road race champion Alexander Kristoff and two-time Grand Tour stage winner Dan Martin from Katusha-Alpecin and Etixx–Quick-Step respectively.
And Mirza insists he is ready to learn from his new teammates and improve further.
“What I expect is bigger and better, always,” said Mirza, talking about his future ambitions.
“When you are riding with a Vuelta a Espana winner I’m very honoured and proud and very happy to be with them. I learnt a lot from them last year and I want also more and more until I am full.”
Mirza is part of UAE Team Emirates’ six-man squad taking part in the Dubai Tour which begins on Tuesday, back on home soil as recently as Sunday after being part of the team competing at the Vuelta a San Juan in Argentina last month.
Colleague Filippo Ganna, who won the Young Rider category and was third overall in Argentina, will also be part of the team in Dubai.
Mirza, who is also a reserve for the Abu Dhabi Tour taking place at the end of the month, was part of a team delegation who spoke to enthralled schoolchildren at GEMS American Academy in Khalifa City on Sunday.
And Mirza added: “It’s fantastic to be on this team. We start the season with the Tour of Dubai and Tour of Abu Dhabi and it’s good to share this with my teammates.
“It’s my second season on the team and I’m proud to be here with many champions around me. It’s a good experience for me representing my country as a local rider and I hope to always do well for my team and country.”
Mirza, weighing in at a slight 59kg, revealed he’s actually lost 3kgs over the winter in preparation for 2018. It’s a sacrifice he’s willing to make in order to improve yet again this season.
“On the WorldTour everything is different,” he said. “We do everything professionally, there is nowhere to hide, you can’t be lazy or take rest, you have to be 120 per cent at all times.
“I’ve been off the bike for two weeks at the end of the season, then I start the gym and light training before meeting in training camp in Italy or Europe.
“At the beginning of December I started training for six weeks before San Juan. And we did well with Ganna winning the U-23 jersey. We supported him and we are supporting each other.”
Although success globally is the main aim for the Emirates-backed team, another goal is encouraging the next generation to take up the sport.
Every child at GEMS who attended on Sunday was given a replica UAE Team Emirates jersey and invited to join the team who were planning to take part in Daman’s ActiveLife TrainYAS initiative on Sunday night, whereby Abu Dhabi residents can cycle, run or walk around the capital’s Formula One track at Yas Marina Circuit.
Yousif Mirza (c) is joined by UAE Team Emirates colleagues at GEMS American Academy on Sunday
And planting the seed for the younger generation is something particularly close to Mirza’s heart.
“I’m really feeling proud to see these kids, that they like cycling. I can feel it growing really, really fast in the UAE,” he said when asked how special it was to receive such a huge welcome from the kids.
Mirza knows all about being a local rider and what it’s like to be a local kid inspired to take up the sport.
“Two or three years ago it was nothing but with this team we try to develop cycling in the UAE. I hope to be a role model for them and for a lot of them to be champions in the future,” he added.
