Dubai: A top official from cycling’s world governing body UCI has called on the organisers to use the experiences of the inaugural Tour for even better races in the future.
Justin Abbott, UCI’s Strategic Advisor, was in Dubai for a day overseeing the organisation of the inaugural Dubai Tour that concluded at the foot of the iconic Burj Khalifa on Saturday.
“Any new race will find its first year invaluable for planning for the future. There has been a big team involved here and I’m sure they’re already looking at how to build on this year’s success,” Abbott told Gulf News.
“The UAE Cycling Federation, the Dubai Sports Council and RCS have clearly prepared significantly for this year’s event, as hosting a race of this scale in the busy centre of Dubai is no mean feat,” he complimented.
Abbott was confident that Dubai will mingle well with the Tours in neighbouring Qatar and Oman. “Every cycle race brings its own character and atmosphere, and that’s been true for Dubai too. Together they bring great audiences from the region and across the world and hopefully inspire future champions,” he said.
“One aspect that is very encouraging to see is the consideration of cycling and cycle planning as Dubai continues to grow already with some long cycle routes. Events such as the Dubai Tour can have great synergy with initiatives such as this. It was also good to see the Skydive and UAE teams, and stars from the region will have their part to play too,” he added.
