The Dubai Tour can be at the same level as the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France, according to the event’s organisers at the unveiling of the second edition’s jerseys, designed by renowned British designer Paul Smith, in Dubai today.
Speaking at the Commercial Bank of Dubai in Deira, chairman of the organising committee for Dubai Tour, H.E. Saeed Hareb, stated his desire to make the race the biggest in the world.
Unveiling Dubai Tour jerseys With advanced presentation techniques #ModconMe #DubaiTour #Dubai_Tour @dubaitour pic.twitter.com/HrRisLqh3d
— Modcon (@Modcon_ME) January 27, 2015
Gearing up for the action, Hareb claimed that this year’s course will be longer and take in more difficult routes in order to best challenge the competitors.
“Our vision is for us to compete with the best cycling events in the world. We want to be on the same level of the likes of Giro d’Italia and Tour de France, and maybe even become better than them,” said Hareb.
“We have learned a lot from the first edition, the experience was vital to make us go further. I promise you that the second edition is a much better improvement than the first.
“For this edition the levels of the race are much longer and more roads will be ready for the racers to compete.”
This year’s race, organised by Dubai Sports Council in partnership with RCS Sport, will be held from 4th to 7th of February and feature some of the biggest names in cycling.
The likes of powerhouses Team Sky and Lampre-Merida will be joined by a UAE national team and the Emirates’ Skydive Dubai team in a field of 16, made up of 128 riders from around the world.
The @PaulSmithDesign, @dubaitour jerseys unveiled today. Our favourite is the #UAE flag design, which is yo… https://t.co/eptvBB9Vab
— Sport360° (@Sport_360) January 27, 2015
“We are so proud of sponsoring such a great event,” said CEO of Commercial Bank of Dubai, Peter Baltussen.
“We are looking forward to a highly successful event that will continue to prosper each year.
“We want to make cycling more popular among the sports fanatics. We want the young generation to embrace this sport and we want to give them the chance to take part in it.”
This year’s @dubaitour jerseys by @paulsmithdesign Which is your favourite? pic.twitter.com/B36HHhpdjm
— Sport360° (@Sport_360) January 27, 2015
The inaugural Dubai Tour featured superstars Mark Cavendish, Peter Sagan and Marcell Kittel and was won by American Taylor Phinney of UCI ProTeam BMC Racing Team.
Taking in 2 sprint, 1 mountain, 1 time trial and 6 intermediate sprint stages, the Dubai Tour will see cyclists compete before some of the most iconic landmarks in the city.
