Dubai: Two of the UAE’s young riders were revelling in having a time of their life following their participation in the Individual Time Trial of the Dubai Tour 2014 on Wednesday.
Ahmad Al Beloushi finished at the bottom of the pack of 127 riders in a time of 15.21 minutes in the opening stage, while Ahmad Al Mansouri was placed 117th after finishing in a time of 14.21 minutes.
“To just race along with the likes of [Fabian] Cancellara and Tony Martin is such a huge honour for me. It is part of an all new learning process for sure,” Al Beloushi told Gulf News.
“Personally I have been so interested in seeing how these top champions get prepared for a race and there is something new to be learnt all the time. It’s a growth process and I feel it has just begun for us with this race.”
Al Mansouri had a good feeling going into the stage. “We had prepared well for this day, but when the actual start came it was quite a nervous moment. However, once the race started, I was calmer and I could just go out there and ride as fast as I could,” he said.
“I feel there is so much to be learnt by merely being at this event. It gives me a good feeling for the future of cycling and for us as the UAE national team.”
UAE team leader Yousuf Al Mirza had the best performance for the squad when he finished 94th in a time of 13.45 minutes, 1.42 minutes clear of stage winner Taylor Phinney.
