Two roads closed for cycling tourney

Sharjah: Police announced on Sunday that two roads will be closed today for the next week for six hours each day to accommodate a cycling tournament.

The Operations Control Room at Sharjah Police said that the roads in Al Khan Corniche and Al Mamzar Lagoon will be closed to traffic in both directions from 5 to 11am every day.

The road closure starts on Monday and will run until December 31 for the Arab Cycling Championship that was inaugurated on Sunday.

Motorists are advised to use the alternate routes that have been set up by Sharjah Police, and police said they expect traffic to run smoothly. Residents said they were unaware about the road closure and said the closure will overload the main roads.

"It is unacceptable, especially as Al Wahda Road is already closed and this used to serve as an alternative road. This diversion will further burden our commute to Dubai," said Rania Hassan.

"The tournament should have been held during the weekend so that it would not affect everybody else. To accommodate to a handful of people, hundreds will have to suffer," said Mohammad Omar.

The 10-day event is being held in three categories for men, women and youth.

All participants belong to the UAE Cycling Association, which is headed by Shaikh Faisal Bin Humaid Al Qasimi.

The Arab Cycling Championship is an annual event that is hosted by different participating countries. The championship is being held this year in Sharjah with more than 300 cyclists from 16 Arab countries.