Dubai: UAE champion Yousuf Mirza is looking at turning a new leaf with the Abu Dhabi outfit which will help him evolve as a top class cyclist.
Laid low for a better part of 2014 following a road crash, Mirza has been a consistent performer from the UAE, be it with the Sky Dive Dubai Team or the Al Nasr Cycling Team. The new UAE Abu Dhabi Team came calling at the end of last year and Mirza accepted the offer with the World Tour set-up.
“I have my ambitions set. If one has followed my cycling career, one will notice that I have been gradually climbing the ladder each season. I have become better and I want to still continue improving,” Mirza told Gulf News.
“I am really feeling so excited to be part of this race with a brand new team. We hope to do something good through this race for the team and for our country and put this region in the limelight,” he added.
Mirza is expected to be in the limelight at the fourth edition of the Dubai Tour along with his new teammates that includes the Italian quartet of Matteo Bono, Simone Consonni, Roberto Ferrari and Sacha Modolo along with the Slovenian pair of Jan Polanc and Matej Mohoric and Croatia’s Kristijan Durasek.
“It’s a new experience for all of us. Besides the training during winter, we have never been together as a unit. But despite this, all my teammates are really excited and happy about this challenge that lies ahead of us tomorrow. I am sure that this will be yet another experience for me as a rider,” Mirza related.
“Over the past three years, I have gained load of experience as a rider who is capable of challenging the best from across the world. There are times when I have broken away from the main group [peloton] and enjoyed the lead for long phases in the races in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. But this year I feel I am ready to take a step up. We will plan tonight and see what we can do better this time,” he confided.
Exactly two years back, Mirza won the silver medal at the Asian Cycling Championship Road Race and become the first-ever UAE rider to qualify for an Olympic Games (2016 Rio de Janeiro). The Olympic experience has further qualified Mirza to be among the favourite finishers in Dubai.
“Why not? I am always trying my best to ensure the UAE flag flies high due to my cycling performances. And this time, things are different as I am wearing the Abu Dhabi Team jersey. It’s a special feeling and I want to give it my best shot,” Mirza said.
“For the time being, this is enough of a motivation and I hope we can come with something strong and good for our team and country,” he added.
