Sharjah: A decade of dominance was established by UAE Team Emirates’ local rider Yousuf Mirza after he picked up the National Road Race Championship for the 10th year running on Friday. The emphatic win comes just a week after the 30-year-old Emirati won his National Time Trial Championships in Sharjah — his eighth national title in that discipline. The win is also his 10th of the 2019 season in the UAE Team Emirates jersey.
Friday’s race kicked off early, with the start flag being dropped at 7am. The route was a 120km in length and made more challenging by the high winds blowing across the Emirates. Despite the conditions, Mirza decided to join the early breakaway with five other riders and stayed away until the group was eventually reeled back in with 5km to go. Despite the extra effort he expended being outside of the peloton for much of the race, the World Tour rider used his experience and talent to out sprint the bunch and earn another trophy for his ever-growing collection.
“I’m very happy to retain my National Championship jersey for one more year — making this my 10th title in a row,” Mirza said. “I’m also very proud to be able to represent UAE Team Emirates in the World Tour pro peloton wearing my national colours. I would also like to thank my team and all the staff for the ongoing support they provide me.”