Yousuf Mirza inspires UAE team to strong finish

Dubai: Led by the inspirational Yousuf Mirza, riders from the UAE national team swept the podium in the men’s open professional category in the road cycling race at the Fifth Nad Al Sheba (NAS) Ramadan Sports Festival.

Mirza led the break-away peloton midway through the race as the remainder of the field tried desperately to keep pace with the UAE team. None, except two riders, managed to do this. But once the peloton entered the final 20km of the 75km race, there was no one left to challenge the front pack.

“This is the result of all the hard work that we’ve been putting in at altitude training at our base in Italy,” Mirza told Gulf News.

“There are tougher battles up ahead and this race was an important part for all of us as we go into a very busy season,” he added.

Salah Amin, Vice-Chairman, Organising Committee and Board Member of Dubai Sports Council (DSC), was joined by Ahmad Al Kamali, IAAF Council Member and President, UAE Athletics Federation, Osama Al Shaffar, President, UAE Cycling Federation and Tournament Director Hassan Al Mazroei at the presentation of trophies to the winners.

Mirza ended the 75km distance in a time of 1 hr, 36.08 minutes, leaving teammates Majid Mohammad Al Baloushi (1:36.13) in second, while Mohammad Yousuf Al Mansouri (1:36.20) finished third in a field that had attracted nearly 400 UAE-based professional riders.

The UAE national squad has been doing specialised altitude training for the past three weeks at their base in San Pelegrino. “But this is one race that we never like to miss as we have all competed here on all four previous occasions. This race holds a special position for all of us, and now that we have won it we can move back to Italy before we spread out to various locations for competitions,” Mirza said.

Mirza’s next race will be in Slovenia followed by a move back into training before heading off to the US for the race in Colorado. “In the past four years it has been one of the UAE riders winning the NAS race, and this year there was no way we were going to surrender our position,” Mirza said.

“Our leaders always push us towards being number one, and that was the number on our mind when we returned for this race this year. Winning all three positions on the podium just shows how well we have been working as a team,” he added.

Al Baloushi, who had done well tailing Mirza throughout for his second place, was thrilled at the podium cleanup from UAE squad members. “He [Mirza] is our leader. On the one hand we were protecting him during the race, and at the same we were being pushed in giving off our best. We went all-out from the start and no one managed to keep pace with us, except a couple of riders from the Trek team and Al Ahli. But eventually, they too couldn’t stay,” Al Baloushi said.

“Yousuf sets the standard for all of us, and we learn so much from him at every moment. He is truly inspiring and it is a pleasure to give of our best for the sake of the team,” he added.

RESULTS

(Open Men’s Professional Category) 1. Yousuf Mohammad Mirza (UAE National Team/1 hr, 36.08 mins); 2. Majid Mohammad Al Baloushi (UAE National Team/1:36.13); 3. Mohammad Yousuf Al Mansouri (UAE National Team/1:36.20).