Emirati keen to show what UAE riders can do

Denzil Pinto 19:25 21/09/2016
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  • The Abu Dhabi Tour lineup was revealed this week.

    The 27-year-old Emirati skipped last year’s inaugural edition, as it clashed with his commitment to qualify for the Rio Olympics.

    But Mirza will be among the names in action this time in a strong field that includes Tour ambassador Mark Cavendish, Bradley Wiggins, Alberto Contador and Vincenzo Nibali when the season-ending event begins on October 20.

    “This is a good opportunity for me to do well in front of our home support,” said Mirza, who is the leader of the Nasr-Dubai team.

    “The target is to show-off our team and kit in the race. I want to show people that we have a cycling team and that we are strong.

    “The big riders are here which is great as you can learn so much from them. But I have not set myself personal targets in this race. We just want to concentrate on the race and take each stage as it comes.

    “We have some good local riders and we’ll try our best. We have to show ourselves in this country and these conditions, especially the hot weather will suit us.”

    With still four weeks to go, Mirza insists they will train hard to ensure they are in the best possible shape before management decide on which six riders will represent the team.

    Mirza will go into the 2.HC category event on the back of a bronze medal in the Track Asia Cup in New Delhi earlier this month.

    “That was a very good competition for me and it will give me a lot of confidence going into the Abu Dhabi Tour,” he said.

    “It was a very difficult race as I had to compete indoors and ride 20 laps as fast as I could. It was hard but you need to work hard to get medals and the other riders were very strong.”

    It will be the second time in two months that Mirza will be rubbing shoulders with some of the world’s best stars.

    At the Olympics in Brazil, he became the first Emirati to compete in the road race at the Games, but could not cross the finish line, retiring 70km into the road race having fallen way behind the rest of the peloton after a crash blocked his path. Despite the disappointment, Mirza focused on the positives.

    “It was a big experience for me and it gave me a lot of confidence. The experience that I gained from that is something that I will carry for all the races that I compete in including the Abu Dhabi Tour. I will try my best to do well in my home race,” he added.

    Unlike last year, where two UAE outfits were flying the home flag at the Abu Dhabi Tour, Nasr-Dubai will be the only local team competing in the capital next month with Skydive Dubai-Al Ahli Club, being a surprise omission from the list of invitees.

    Asked about the reason behind Skydive Dubai’s snub, Aref Al Awani, the secretary general of Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC), who are organisers of the event, said: “We are trying to promote cycling here and there are a lot of clubs in the UAE. We have already co-ordinated with the UAE Cycling Federation that every year we should choose one team.”

    Mirza refused to speak about their absence but insists his team-mates are ready to do the UAE proud.

    “I don’t have anything to say about this. We are here and this will determine us even more to put on a good show,” he said.

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