Bader Mirza wins Tour of Cyprus

Dubai: Former UAE national champion Bader Mirza won all three stages and the yellow jersey of the Volkswagen Cyprus Cycling Tour last week.

Riding for Frankie’s Cycling Team, Mirza finished one minute and 30 seconds ahead of second-placed Krysztof Skupke of Team Strassacker in the general classification.

“It was a good race over a tough course,” said Mirza. “I’d like to thank all the Frankies team for their support in helping me win, and I’m very proud to be bringing the winner’s jersey back to the UAE.”

UAE national team member Mohammad Al Murawwi was just off the podium in fourth place, only five seconds behind third place Yousuf Nader from Lebanon.

Mirza and Murawwi, of Al Ahli club, were taking part as guest riders with the Dubai-based Frankie’s Cycling Team. Frankie’s fielded 15 riders in the race, held over three demanding uphill stages around the island of Cyprus from March 23-25. The field of more than 100 entrants covered nearly 300 kilometres with more than 3000m of climbing.

Toufic Hobeika, Frankie’s Cycling Team manager, said: “To ride with cyclists of the calibre of Bader and Mohammad was a great privilege and experience. We are very grateful to the UAE Cycling Federation president Osama Al Shafar, the technical committee head Mohammad Mehrab Al Sabagh and also to Al Ahli club and their coach Humaid Al Sabagh for helping this take place.”

Frankie’s rider Yousuf Cummings won the Masters (41-50 years) category and finished in sixth place overall, with two more Frankie’s riders, Gilles Dumont and Paul Cheetham also in the top 10.

In the team contest, based on the best three riders, Frankie’s Elite team won the overall classification with the Masters team in second place overall.

Mark Shepherd, directeur sportif for Frankie’s Cycling Team, said the results showed the strength of cycling in the UAE.

“With new facilities, more competitions and open events, cycling in the UAE has been expanding rapidly,” he said. “There’s always been a big expat cycling community and strong local clubs, and we’re very proud to have put forward such a high-quality combined team in this international competition.”

There was further success for another UAE team, Air Arabia, with two riders in in the top 10 overall and taking third place in the team event to make it an all-UAE team podium.