He is the only Emirati representing the UAE’s Skydive Dubai Dubai team at the ongoing Dubai Tour this weekend and is hoping to hold his own against the big guns.
Mohammed Al Murawwi was given an incredible opportunity when he was last year signed by Skydive Dubai Dubai – the UAE’s first professional continental cycling outfit.
The 26-year-old is competing in the Dubai Tour for the second straight year and crossed the finish line 10 seconds behind the leaders on day one of the event.
Sport360 caught up with Al Murawwi to find out what it’s like to compete against the world’s best riders in this grueling four-stage showpiece.
How would you describe the experience of the first stage of the Dubai Tour?
Wednesday’s stage was great. It gave us a chance to test the waters, get accustomed to the conditions of the race, get to understand our competition, get a sense of the pace… Once you pick up on all these things, you really dive into the race.
@dubaitour opening ceremony. With @malmurawwi our Emirati rider at @skydive_dubai pro cycling team. Good luck! pic.twitter.com/sIGgaSWss3
— DesertCycleGirl (@HelleBvE) February 3, 2015
It was a very fast first stage. But thankfully one of our riders, Andrea Palini, crossed the finish line seventh – he could have placed top-three, but he had a small technical problem which affected him.
This is your second participation in this event, how did you feel heading into this one, compared to last year?
The second time you always feel that you have a bit more experience.
The first time, I was a bit scared, it was my first year as a professional rider, a new system, a new world, new people around you… the atmosphere as a whole was just brand new to me.
But the second year, I feel much more confident, I have more of a background of the race. Also our team has a great mix of experienced riders, I’ve learnt a lot from them. They improved, and helped us improve.
Last year, I remember at the end of the first stage, I felt like I was completely dead. This time, I feel fine. Much better than last year.
What is the goal of the Skydive Dubai team in the Dubai Tour?
Our number one goal is for our local riders to compete against international pros and learn as much as we can from this experience, and therefore raise the level of cycling in the country.
Our second goal is to top the Asian standings in terms of points, which can help our team qualify for world events and move up to the professional tour.
You have an interesting mix of nationalities – Spanish, Emirati, Russian, Portuguese, Tunisian, Moroccan – representing your team, what is that like?
This mix is what makes our team special. Francisco Mancebo is someone who has taken part in the Tour de France many times – a Spanish champion.
We have Vladimir Gusev, a real pro who has competed in the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a Espana.
We have Rafaa Chtioui, and Adil Jelloul, who are both African champions. All of them are big names, people you dream of training with and learning from. It’s an honour for me and a golden opportunity.
When you have a veteran like Mancebo as your team-mate, what does he help you with the most?
All my team-mates help me both mentally and technically. Every rider, from each country, comes from a different school of thought.
So the more we train together – we always say, 16 different brains is much better than one, and when you mix them together, it’s the perfect recipe for success.
Mancebo is an expert in climbing so he taught me a lot about how I can tactically approach a climb. Chtioui is a very good time triallist, he taught me a lot in that regard.
So what is your speciality?
I prefer the time trial. Unfortunately they removed the time trial from this year’s Dubai Tour. I don’t necessarily struggle with sprints, but I prefer the time trial of course. I really enjoy the time trial, I find my rhythm in it and my body suits it perfectly.
Is it tough mentally to race against a clock?
Yes for sure. Let’s say you have a 30km time trial, you have 40 minutes you’re completely on your own in the race, it’s between you and your brain.
At any moment, you can get distracted and lose a few seconds. I try to forget everything happening around me, I don’t even notice the sound of the wind.
I just focus on the road. That’s the way to do it.
How did you initially get into cycling?
I started in 2000 with Emirates club in Ras Al Khaimah, I was around 16 years old. I went up through the ranks from juniors to the first team.
I moved to Al Ahli Club in 2012 and from there I became part of Skydive Dubai.
What do you think this team, the Skydive Dubai team is offering cycling in the UAE?
It’s a golden opportunity really. Thanks to Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, he gave a chance to all UAE riders by creating the country’s first continental team.
He opened up a new world for us, a new field for us as athletes, a new opportunity to gain some invaluable experience through this team.
Can you pinpoint a moment in your career that gave you the confidence to pursue cycling professionally, one that made you believe you can do this for a living?
Yes, in my first year cycling, I was competing in the national championship, I was brand new, I had no experience and everyone there had more experience than me.
I led the race until the last half lap, even though I was racing against national champions. That race gave me the confidence to pursue cycling and the belief that I can produce good results.
Is there any rider who inspires you the most?
Rafaa Chtioui, the Tunisian rider who is with me on the team. I remember I was being interviewed by an Emirati magazine some 10 years ago, and they asked me who I idolised, and I said on the Arab level, Rafaa Chtioui. It’s a decade later and we are team-mates.
