Sharjah: Soufiane Hadi virtually assured himself of the overall honours at the end of the third and penultimate stage of the Tour of Sharjah held yesterday.
After the 170 kms Stage 3, Hadi was firmly in the overall lead ahead of his Skydive Dubai teammate Andrea Palini, while former teammate and skipper of the newly-formed Sharjah Pro Team Yousuf Al Mirza came in third.
The 24-year-old Hadi — a two-time national time trial champion back home in Morocco — finished the race in a time of 3 hours, 40.19 minutes at an average speed of 47.2kph. Yesterday’s performance ensured Hadi retained the leader’s yellow jersey as also the red jersey for best climber.
After the race Sultan Ali Bin Butti Al Muhairi, Secretary General, Executive Council of Sharjah presented the jerseys to the top three finishers along with Osama Ahmad Al Shaffar President, United Arab Emirates Cycling Association.
“I don’t need to do anything extraordinary for the final day on Tuesday. I need to keep away from the pack and ensure I finish at the top so that the title can be mine,” Hadi told Gulf News.
“This is definitely a highlight for my career. Last year, I was third overall and this year I have managed to make this race my own. I owe a lot of gratitude to my teammates as they are the ones who have made sure the team is in such a commanding position,” he added.
After a clean sweep of the podium in Saturday’s opening stage, the Skydive Dubai duo of Hadi and Palini had finished in the top two leaving Al Mirza in third at the end of the Second Stage on Sunday. Monday’s Stage 3 started off from Maliha Club, moved through Shaikh Khalifa Road to the Yabsa Bypass, Masafi, Al Dhaid, Falaj Al Mualla and concluded at the Hamriya Club after covering a distance of 165 kms.
Tuesday’s fourth and final stage will start from Al Qasimiya University, head towards the Sharjah-Kalba road and head back for a finish at the Al Madam Club.
A Category 2.2 UCI Asia Tour event held over four stages and totalling 665 kms, the Tour of Sharjah is held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.
