Our final tour of our season gets underway on Thursday as we take to the start of the inaugural Abu Dhabi Tour. The UCI 2.1 event that takes place in and around the capital of the United Arab Emirates will cover a total distance of 555km over 4 days of racing with 3 stages for sprinters and 1 for the climbers.
Stages 1, 2 and 4 will suit the fast guys as there will be very little climbing before riders enter a local circuit on each stage to complete a few laps before a probable sprint finish. The one factor that sprint teams will have to consider is the infamous desert crosswinds. The 4th stage takes place on the Yas Marina motor racing circuit, well known for hosting the Formula 1 Grand Prix each year. Stage 3 is the day for the climbers as riders will finish at the the summit of the Jebel Hafeet, a 11km climb that has an 7% average gradient.
Team MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung will have 4 guys prepared to duel it out with the other sprinters in the form of Theo Bos, Matthew Goss, Andy Stauff and Youcef Reguigui. Completing our team will be Daniel Teklehaimanot and Songezo Jim as they look for their opportunities throughout the race and particularly on the 3rd stage.
Songezo Jim – Rider
Jens Zemke – Head of Performance
Go boys