Tomas Vaitkus keen to share experience with newly-formed Al Nasr Pro Cycling team

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Al Nasr Pro Cycling team

    Former U23 World Time Trial Champion Tomas Vaitkus is keen to share his 11 years worth of experience with the newly-formed Al Nasr Pro Cycling team – an outfit aimed to help Emirati riders raise their level in the sport.

    Vaitkus, nicknamed Tomas the Tank Engine, is a stage winner at the 2006 Giro d’Italia and a cyclist who has ridden in support of the likes of the great Alberto Contador in a long career that saw him ride for Astana, Team RadioShack and GreenEDGE.

    The Lithuanian ex-National Champion left GreenEDGE two years ago due to a reported fallout with an unnamed team director but has found a new home in Al Nasr, with whom he recorded an impressive fifth-place victory in the second stage of the Dubai Tour on Thursday.

    In a peloton that included top sprinters like Marcel Kittel, Mark Cavendish and Elia Viviani, Vaitkus celebrated his 34th birthday by crossing the finish line in fifth place in a tight bunch sprint.

    “It feels good. I was trying to do a birthday present for myself and for the team and I was quite actually surprised for myself, that I still can be competitive with the big boys,” Vaitkus told Sport360 ahead of the third stage on Friday.

    Vaitkus’ form is even all the more impressive considering he dislocated his collarbone during training just two days before the start of the Dubai Tour.

    “It’s still not so good, especially these speed bumps are killing me,” Vaitkus says with a hint of a smile.

    Al Nasr Pro Cycling are the second UAE professional cycling team to come to life, following in the footsteps of the Skydive Dubai outfit that was formed in early 2014.

    UAE No1 rider Yousif Mirza is the team leader of Al Nasr and half the squad is made of Emirati cyclists.

    Asked what motivated him to be part of this new project, Vaitkus said: “I don’t know. It was actually really quick, straight call, they didn’t give me a lot of time, ‘think, you coming or not?’ I was like ‘uh okay, I’m coming’.

    “Maybe it’s good that I can share my experience, my 11 years from pro cycling. There’s a lot of young guys on this team, I can teach them a little bit, and give my experience to them, so I’m going to help them.”

    Recommended