Iaphet Elli Three sprint stages and an uphill finish confirmed for
the October race under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al
Nahyan, Vice Chairman, Abu Dhabi Executive Council
The red, green, white and black jerseys to be sponsored
by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Nation Towers, Abu Dhabi Sports
Channel and Etihad Airways
 |
| From left: Talal Mustafa Al Hashemi, Director of Technical Affairs Sports, Abu Dhabi Sports Council; Muaammar Ibraheem Al Hadidi, Chief Property Officer, International Capital Trading; H.E. Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary, Abu Dhabi Sports Council; Yousif Mirza, Nasr Dubai; Abdulraheem Albateeh, Head of Government & International Relations, Abu Dhabi Media; Patrick Pierce, Vice-President, Sponsorship, Etihad Airways – Photo Credits: Luca Lombardi |
Abu Dhabi, 20 September 2016 – This
year’s edition of the Abu Dhabi Tour, the four-stage professional
cycling race organised by Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) in
collaboration with RCS Sport, will cover 555km over its four-day run
from 20 to 23 October.
The race which brings the
international season to a close just a few days after the 16 October
World Championships and 18 October UCI Cycling Gala, will start with two
flat stages dedicated to sprinters, followed by a mountain stage, where
climbers and puncheurs will fight for general classification. The grand
finale is once again confirmed for the iconic Formula 1 Yas Marina
Circuit.
And the official new competitor
jerseys, that will debut in exactly one month’s time on the podium in
Madinat Zayed, chosen for the start and finish of the first stage, have
now been unveiled. The jerseys reproduce the colours of the UAE flag and
are sponsored by ADSC for the leader’s red jersey and Etihad Airways for the black intermediate sprints. New jersey sponsors Nation Towers take green for the points classification while Abu Dhabi Sports Channel gets behind the white for the best young rider.
The Nation Towers race
headquarters will host the official Fan Zone from Friday 14 October to
Monday 24 October, the preliminary preparations, official press
conferences and, in conjunction with the adjoining The St. Regis Abu
Dhabi, will welcome and host athletes, media and officials. The St Regis
will also host the UCI Cycling Gala, where, on the evening of 18
October, the Tour’s teams and riders will be honoured.
His Excellency Aref Al Awani, ADSC’s General Secretary, said:
“First of all, we would like to acknowledge the generous patronage and
support of H.H. Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice Chairman of the
Abu Dhabi Executive Council to the second edition of Abu Dhabi Tour. We
are also grateful for the close attention paid by H.H. Sheikh Nahyan bin
Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, to the
world-class sport events taking place in Abu Dhabi.”
“We have aimed for the highest standards of accommodation, logistics and
sporting competition which is now reflected in the calibre of the teams
invited and the riders expected at the start.
“The success of the Abu Dhabi Tour has been recognised by the fact that
this annual sporting event will join the UCI WorldTour calendar in
February 2017. In addition to the race and the UCI Cycling Gala, we are
cultivating several side projects for the development of cycling in
schools and among the young. The short-term goal is still to become a
world class event but the longer-term focus is to spread the cycling
culture, to inspire people into healthy and active lifestyles.
“We would like to thank all those who contribute to the event, including
the UAE Cycling Federation, Abu Dhabi Police, the Department of
Transport, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority and the towns which
will host the stages.”bu Dhabi Tour 2016 boasts a
fast-balanced route alternating between the desert and the sea, and from
the mountains to the city. Under the spotlight in the first and third
stages are the famous oases of Liwa and Al Ain. The UAE capital is the
star of the second stage and takes in the city’s most famous landmarks,
from the magnificent Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, across Saadiyat Island,
the Corniche, and Khalifa City. The challenging roadway up Al Ain’s
Jabel Hafeet Mountain, the second highest in the UAE, will be decisive
for stage three. The Grand Finale at the famous F1 Yas Marina Circuit,
where cyclists ride twice a week on the free ‘TrainYas’ programme, will
see the peloton complete 26 laps of 5.5km each, before the final sprint
to the podium.
ROUTE INFORMATION
Stage 01 – THE ADNOC STAGE / MADINAT ZAYED – MADINAT ZAYED (147 KM)
Stage
The first stage runs entirely into the desert, with the first and last
parts of about 45km on straight, wide roads. Once in Liwa, first
Intermediate Sprint riders will find a short circuit characterised by
constant undulations over dunes, adding up to a significant total
elevation. After a second Intermediate Sprint passage in Liwa, the
second part of the stage takes the riders to Madinat Zayed, where, after
one pass of the finish line, a final 14.5km circuit will conclude the
stage.
Last km
A city path with only three proper bends, one to the right and two to
the left (the final bend being to the left). The last kms are on wide,
straight boulevards, punctuated by wide-curved roundabouts. The final km
is straight on asphalt.
Stage 02 – THE NATION TOWERS STAGE / ABU DHABI – ABU DHABI (Al Marina) (115 KM)
Stage
The second stage is mostly in the city. After the start, the peloton
will travel on wide roads towards the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, and
then towards Yas Island with a passage through Khalifa City, where there
are several roundabouts and speed humps. After the Yas Island first
Intermediate Sprint, the race goes to the Sheikh Zayed bin Highway
towards Abu Dhabi Corniche. It follows a route within Reem Island –
including the second Intermediate Sprint – then returns to the Corniche
finish line. The entire route is on wide boulevards with road furniture
constantly dividing the lanes.
Last km
The final 5km are on increasingly large roads with large semi-curves leading to the straight finish on asphalt.
Stage 03 – THE STRATA STAGE / AL AIN – JEBEL HAFEET (150 KM)
Stage
The third stage comprises both urban surroundings and mountains. The
first part, inside Al Ain city, is all on wide roads with roundabouts
and speed humps and is followed by a second part in the desert along
wide and predominantly straight roads. At 15km to go, the route starts
to rise slightly towards the final ascent, culminating in an uphill
finish at an altitude of 1025m, following an 11km climb with slopes with
an 11% gradient.
Last km
The final climb is on wide-ranging bends on a three-lane roadway. The
gradient is mostly around 8-9% with a peak of 11% at 3km to go. There
are short descents in the last kilometres before the final ramp with a
straight finish on asphalt.
Stage 04 – THE YAS ISLAND STAGE / YAS MARINA CIRCUIT (143 KM)
Stage
The final stage is entirely on Yas Island. There are 26 laps on the F1
Yas Marina circuit, each of 5.5km with three Intermediate Sprints as we
count down to the finale. The first Intermediate Sprint is at lap 11,
with 15 laps to go; the second at 10 laps to go and the last
Intermediate Sprints with just five laps to go.
Last year during the Yas Island Stage, for the first time ever in a
men’s professional road race, live on-board bike camera footage was made
available and used for live television race coverage.
Last km
On the perfect tarmac of a 5.5km Formula 1 circuit with wide roads and
large, sweeping bends. The final 250 metres are on straight, flat
asphalt.