Staying on track at all times

Abu Dhabi: From a nine-year-old who took up cycling for fun, UAE’s cycling ace Yousuf Mirza has come a long way. Not even in his wildest dreams had he imagined that his passion for riding through the bylanes of the capital would one day help him earn a place in a UCI World Tour team and make him the face of UAE cycling.

However, Mirza’s road to glory was daunting and gruelling.

“I had so much passion that I just wanted to be on that bike all the time,” he said. “I started cycling with various clubs and then was competing in events inside the UAE. Slowly, I began participating in events outside for the national team,” reveals the 29-year-old, adding that the toughest part was to be a full-time cyclist shouldering the family responsibilities.

“When you get married and have kids, your responsibilities increase. I was 24 when I got married and now I’m 29 when I’m part of a World Tour team. I have two kids and thankfully, I have managed to keep going despite the responsibilities,” said Mirza, who acknowledged that UAE has played a great part in helping him achieve his goals.

Apart from winning laurels for UAE Team Emirates, Mirza’s main aim for this year is to win a medal for the UAE at the Asian Games in Jakarta next month.

“I lost the medal in Incheon, South Korea, in 2014 because I showed all the riders that I was keen on winning the medal. It was heartbreaking to finish fourth and I want to put that record straight this time,” he said.