Dubai: Cycling enthusiasts from around the UAE and the globe, missing the outdoors due to the precautionary closure of public space, will be able to get their competitive kicks next week by participating in the Dubai Sports Council’s (DSC) ‘Virtual Tour Challenge’.
A five-day event with five different stages, the Virtual Tour Challenge will take place from April 19 to 23, between 5pm and 8pm each evening, via Dubai Sports Council’s Dubai Cycling app, which is available on both the Android and iPhone platforms.
Being organised as a part of DSC’s ‘Be Fit, Be Safe’ campaign, the Virtual Tour Challenge is open to people of all ages, abilities and nationalities, and they can register through the Dubai Cycling app, using their Google or Facebook accounts.
To take part in the Virtual Tour Challenge, participants will need to sync their smartwatches with the Dubai Cycling app and make sure their bikes are hooked up to an interactive Smart Tacx Trainer, which will measure speed, power, cadence and distance, and send the data to the Dubai Cycling app for display on the leaderboard.
The opening stage of the Challenge will be the 85km virtual Al Qudra Track, followed by the 8.2km Nad Al Sheba course on day two. On April 21, the participants will take to the hills of the 8.5km Hatta Green Loop, before returning to the 8km Jumeirah Kite Beach track for Stage 4. The finale then will take place on the virtual 4.4km Mushrif Park track on April 23.
Podium finishers will receive virtual medals, while stage winners in four different classifications will get to wear four unique-coloured virtual jerseys. There are exciting prizes on offer as well for the eventual podium-finishers.
DSC’s Virtual Tour Challenge aims to give an opportunity to cyclists to compete from the safety of their homes, as well as encourage others to embrace this sport and continue working on their fitness at home.
That is the main focus of the “Be Fit, Be Safe” campaign, which is running under the hashtag #DSCchallenge. The “Be Fit, Be Safe” initiative has received widespread support with top football stars like Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs, former Spain international Michel Salgado, rising Portuguese star Joao Felix backing the campaign alongside greats like Luis Figo of Portugal, Brazil’s Roberto Carlos and Frenchman Nicolas Anelka.
