Dubai: Following the success of its summer youth academy, in which over 180 budding cyclists took part in indoor clinics, UAE Team Emirates has continued its commitment to developing the sport in the UAE by hosting a development workshop in France with members of Abu Dhabi Cycling Club.
As guests of UAE Team Emirates’ president, Matar Suhail Al Yabhouni Al Dhaheri, who is also vice-chairman of Abu Dhabi Cycling Club, over 20 riders and staff met with manager Mauro Gianetti, to discuss all things cycling, in particular the development of the sport and riders in the emirates.
Gianetti said: “It’s always amazing to meet young cyclists so hungry for knowledge about cycling. The Abu Dhabi Cycling Club is very well organised and we pay a lot of attention to the new talent coming from the UAE. It’s important we work closely with them to develop riders and that they look at us as the ultimate goal.”
A mixture of male and female cyclists, who were in France as part of a 24-day training camp and rode a total of 1,700km across a variety of terrains and distances, took part in the workshop and were given invaluable guidance and direction that will be put into action in the UAE.
Mohammad Al Hammadi, chief executive officer of Abu Dhabi Cycling Club said: “We are extremely grateful to UAE Team Emirates for giving us the opportunity to learn more about cycling and how we can help take our club and riders to the next level. Cycling is becoming one of the most popular sports in the UAE and we are determined to be one of the driving forces that help it reach its full potential. To have the support of a UCI World Tour team to achieve that is extremely valuable and we look forward to building on our partnership over the coming months.”
As part of the ongoing partnership, UAE Team Emirates will continue to help Abu Dhabi Cycling Club develop and attract more youngsters with the hope of finding youngsters who can compete professionally.
Elsewhere, UAE Team Emirates have announced the signing of Slovenian Tadej Pogacar and Italian Alessandro Covi. The team continues its UCI World Tour exploits on Tuesday as they tackle stage 10 of the Vuelta a Espana — the final Grand Tour of the season.
