GOOD MORNING FROM STAGE 2 OF THE UAE TOUR

The 12.1 km time trial in Hudayriyat Island is the first test for the GC riders

(Nick Clements – Chief Marketing Officer at Presight – and Shekar Tamasker – from Modon – gave the start to stage 2)

Hudayriyat Island, 20 February 2024 – Good morning from Stage 2 of the sixth edition of the UAE Tour, the one and only UCI WorldTour race in the Middle East, organised by Abu Dhabi Sports Council and taking place from 19 to 25 February. The Presight stage is the first clash among the GC riders as they hit the 12.1 km time trial of Hudayryat Island. The course is mainly flat and it suits the pure specialists.

The first rider to start was Elia Viviani (Ineos Grenadiers). The last rider to start will be the Red Jersey Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) at 16:18.

Live coverage of today’s stage is available at https://theuaetour.com/.

Tim Merlier, leader of the general classification

WEATHER
Hudayriyat Island (Start first rider): Sunny, 23°C. Wind: moderate W – 23km/h.
Hudayriyat Island (16.30 – Finish): Sunny, 23°C. Wind: moderate W – 21km/h.

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1 – Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step)
2 – Arvid De Kleijn (Tudor Pro Cycling) at 4″
3 – Jakub Mareckzo (Team Corratec – Vini Fantini) at 6″

THE OFFICIAL JERSEYS

The leader jerseys of the UAE Tour are provided by ALÉ

• Red Jersey, leader of the General Classification, sponsored by International Holding Company – Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step)
• Green Jersey, leader of the Points Classification – Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) – worn by Arvid De Kleijn (Tudor Pro Cycling Team)
• White Jersey, Best Young Rider, sponsored by Nakheel – Loe Van Belle (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)
• Black Jersey, leader of the Intermediate Sprint Classification, sponsored by Bin Hamoodah Auto – Mark Stewart (Team Corratec – Vini Fantini)

STAGE 2, HUDAYRIYAT ISLAND ITT, 12.1 KM – PRESIGHT STAGE

The route

Stage 2 is an individual Time Trial that takes place entirely inside Al Hudayriyat Island. The route is very fast and is characterized only by a few right angle bends and two U-turns. The road is perfectly flat, wide and with wide-ranging turns, which will allow riders to hold very high speeds (wind permitting).

Final kilometres

Wide curves, wide road, excellent pavement. The finish line is on asphalt.

Adam Yates during the time trial recon

TV COVERAGE

The 2024 UAE Tour will be broadcast all over the world.

Host broadcasters Abu Dhabi Sports and Dubai Sports will produce live international feed for every stage, and also provide local cycling fans in the UAE and in the whole MENA region with full live coverage of the event. This includes the team presentation before each stage every pedal stroke in the race accompanied by both Arabic and English commentary.

Eurosport will broadcast live across South East Asia and Europe.

The coverage in Sub-Saharan Africa will be provided by SuperSport, while J Sports will be the official broadcaster in Japan, and DirecTV will air the race in South America.

The one and only UCI WorldTour race in the Middle East will be available also in China on Zhibo TV.

Traditional broadcast distribution will be complemented by the live streaming services of Discovery+.

In Italy it will be possible to follow the race on the Giro d’Italia YouTube channel.

Lorenzo Milesi, U23 ITT World Champion in 2023

VELON

The Velon rider data tracking system is being used again in the UAE Tour. Riders are carrying a small unit under their saddles and highlights from the data will be used on @veloncc @roadcodecc and the race’s social media channels after each stage.

Once again, Velon is also producing onbike camera highlights throughout the race. The footage will be published on the same social media channels and www.roadcode.cc

To find out more about the UAE Tour, including details of the official race route, jerseys and sponsors, visit www.theuaetour.com

#UAETour

Photo Credits: Sprint Cycling Agency