Sport | Other Sports
Abu Dhabi plans richest cycling race in the world
If it is the world's attention Abu Dhabi wants, the Emirate has certainly gone about it the right way with plans to stage the richest cycling race to date this November.
- By Karien Jonckheere, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:36 June 19, 2007
- Image Credit: EPA file
- Italian rider Danilo Di Luca, winner of this year's Giro d'Italia, has booked his place in the $1 million race in Abu Dhabi.
Dubai: If it is the world's attention Abu Dhabi wants, the Emirate has certainly gone about it the right way with plans to stage the richest cycling race to date this November.
It is not just any race, however, as the individual and team winners of three major international events on the cycling calendar will be going head-to-head in what is certainly the first event of its kind in the world.
The Race of Champions will take place over three stages and cover 212km.
Last week, Italian rider Danilo Di Luca booked his place in the $1 million (Dh3.67 million) race by winning the Giro d'Italia while there will be even more interest now in who emerges victorious in July's Tour de France and September's La Vuelta in Spain as they too will be included in the exclusive Abu Dhabi line-up.
"This was my first Giro victory, but I want to continue winning to make 2007 the best season of my career, and this would obviously end with triumph in November's Abu Dhabi Cycling Race of Champions. The whole cycling world is talking about this fantastic event," said Di Luca.
Tarek Al Kays, CEO of Kenzay Abu Dhabi, the company which has partnered Unipublic - the Spanish-based international cycling events specialist - to organise the event, said there had been a massive interest in the Abu Dhabi race.
"We are receiving calls daily from companies and professional teams in the UAE and places as far as Australia, South Africa and Switzerland who want to enter the race," said Al Kays.
He said in addition to the six team places, six wild cards will be awarded, with the UAE national team also included in the line-up. There is a possibility of expanding the field, pending approval from the UCI.
Al Kays said the idea for the race originated from the drive to promote Abu Dhabi as a prestigious global destination. "We did some research and one of the sports which really doesn't exist on a large scale in the Middle East is cycling," he said.
"We made some good contacts in Europe and came to an agreement with a Spanish company to come up with a novel concept, not just another tour," he added.
"That's how we decided on this race which combines all the championship teams competing for the highest prize money in the world. The winner will earn more than the winners of the three tour events combined!"
Also part of the 10-day cycling festival will be a pro-am event, gala dinners and two public concerts with local and international performers.
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