Dubai: The UAE men's team produced an astonishing finish on the last day of the AGCC Cycling Championship, claiming the top six places in the 140 kilometre race in Manama, Bahrain, on Friday.
The nation won six medals - three gold, two silver and one bronze - in the six-day championship. But despite their excellent performance in the men's division, the UAE failed to hold on to the overall title they won last year in Fujairah. The team gathered 17 medals - ten gold, four silver and three bronze - at the time.
But the UAE's superlative performance on Friday was the talk on the last day as even the hosts, Bahrain, could not match them. The other participants in the championship were Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Bader Mirza set the tone for the team's clean sweep on Friday, followed in second place by veteran cyclist Humaid Maharab, with Mohammed Hassa Al Murrwi, third.
Mirza's brother, Yousuf, Bader Shambia and Ahmad Qayed completed the UAE's dominance in that order.
The failure of the youth under-18 and junior under-16 teams to place well in the medal count, however, cost the UAE its overall title.
