Cycling is one of the most exhilarating sports out there. And in a landmark move to stage the first UCI Women’s World Tour race, several routes will be closed in Dubai. As a result, Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) announced the closure of several roads across the Emirate for the inaugural event. Here’s more about the closed roads that you need to keep in mind before you step out.
Routes Closed In Dubai For UAE Tour Women 2023 cycling
On Wednesday, Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) took to Twitter to announce the closure of several roads. The inaugural UAE Tour Women’s 2023 cycling event will affect the traffic on these routes. The inaugural event will affect the routes between 1:30 pm and 5 pm, starting on Thursday, the 9th of February. As a result, the RTA urged motorists to plan their journey accordingly and to travel ahead of time to avoid any rush.
For stage 1, the race will be flagged off at Port Rashi, and cover locations like Ras al Khor, Meydan Racecourse, Umm Suqeim, and Dubai Sports City to reach Dubai Harbour.
Also Read: Jumeirah Beach, Dubai: Rules To Follow While Jogging & Cycling
A Timeline For The Event
The cycling event will continue till Sunday, the 12th of February, and will be carried across four stages. As such, each of these will present several challenges for the riders, with three for the sprinters and a stage suited to the climbers. For those who aren’t aware, a sprinter is a road cyclist who can finish a race quickly by accelerating to a high speed. And a climber is a road bicycle racer who can ride exceptionally well on inclined routes. This race will conclude atop the Jabel Hafeet.
Route Map For The Four Stages At A Glance
As the event will be happening in four stages, the route map for them is as follows :
- Stage 1 will cover a distance of 109 kilometres between Port Rashid and Dubai Harbour
- Stage 2 will cover a distance of 133 kilometres between Al Dhafra Castle and Al Mirfa
- Stage 3 will cover a distance of 107 kilometres between Hazza bin Zayed Stadium and Jebel Hafeet
- Stage 4 will cover a distance of 119 kilometres between Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy and Abu Dhabi Breakwater
A First In The Middle East
Organised by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the UCI Women’s World Tour race will happen ahead of the fifth edition of the Men’s World Tour race. This will be held between the 28th to 26th of February. As it happens, UAE Team ADQ comprises 15 riders from countries, such as Belarus, Canada, Slovenia, Switzerland, Russia, New Zealand, Italy, and of course the Emirates, aged between 19 and 36. While some participants are international champions, others are students.
Cover Image Courtesy: Instagram/uaeteam_adq