Thani Luijsterburg win inaugural Dubai Gran Fondo cycling event
Date
3/23/2015 7:37:30 AM
(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Over 320 amateur cyclists turned out for Dubais newest cycling event the Dubai Gran Fondo.
The pack of riders vie for the lead in the Dubai Gran Fondo cycling race. — Supplied photo
Dubai: UAE cyclist Bader Thani and Nicolien Luijsterburg of the Netherlands won the men’s and women’s title repectively in the Dubai Gran Fondo the newest cycling event for amateurs. The top 25 per cent of finishers in each age group qualified for the World Championships which will be held in Denmark on September 3-6.
Over 320 amateur cyclists turned out for Dubai’s newest cycling event the Dubai Gran Fondo. This is the first time a UCI World Cycling Tour event has been held in the Middle East and organisers were delighted with the success of the inaugural event. The Dubai Gran Fondo is the third event on this year’s UCI World Cycling Tour a series of road races held around the world. The tour consists of 13 UCI-sanctioned races which also serve as qualifying events for the UCI World Amateur Championships in Denmark in September.
The race attracted competitors from across the region as well as a huge number of international cyclists who competed in eight different age group categories for men and women. The 125km race started at the Al Qudra cycle park and wound around the streets of Dubai.
“This event would not have happened without the full support of the Dubai Sports Council and the UAE Cycling Federation. We wanted a route that would be challenging for the cyclists with minimal public disruption and the Dubai Police and the RTA have been incredible in their organisation and support. The number of international competitors was fantastic ” said Donal Kilalea of the organisers Promoseven Sports Marketing.
“Dubai’s cycling calendar is expanding rapidly and the addition of this event is an important step in the development of amateur cycling in Dubai. We have so many keen cyclists here and it is fantastic to give them the opportunity to represent their countries on the world stage.
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