GOOD MORNING FROM STAGE 3 OF THE UAE TOUR
The Ras Al Khaimah stage is the first of the two mountain stages of this edition. Who will conquer Jebel Jais?
Nasser Al Zaabi, Director of Communication Office at Abu Dhabi Sports Council, gave the start to stage 3
Al Marjan Island, 21 February 2024 – Good morning from Stage 3 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 Ras Al Khaimah stage is the first mountain stage of this edition as the riders will tackle the 21 km long climb of Jebel Jais. Who will succeed to Einer Rubio?
The peloton, 137 riders strong, passed km 0 at 12.01.
Live coverage of today’s stage is available at https://theuaetour.com/.
WEATHER
Al Marjan Island (Start): Sunny, 23°C. Wind: moderate W – 24km/h.
Jebel Jais (16.30 – Finish): Sunny, 11°C. Wind: moderate W – 14km/h.
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1 – Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates)
2 – Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates) at 2″
3 – Mikkel Norsgaard Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates) at 4″
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 – Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates)
- Green Jersey, leader of the Points Classification – Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) – worn by Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step)
- White Jersey, Best Young Rider, sponsored by Nakheel – Ilan Van Wilder (Soudal Quick-Step)
- Black Jersey, leader of the Intermediate Sprint Classification, sponsored by Bin Hamoodah Auto – Mark Stewart (Team Corratec – Vini Fantini)
STAGE 3, AL MARJAN ISLAND-JEBEL JAIS, 176 KM – RAS AL KHAJMA STAGE
The route
The first of two mountain stages of the UAE Tour. The stage is divided into two distinct parts. The first approaches the final mountain undulating through the desert, while the last is characterized by approximately 20 km of continuous climbing up to the finish. Starting from Al Marjan Island, the course reaches Ras al Khaimah and returns to the desert. After the Ras al Khaimah airport, the race heads straight for Jais Mountain. The final climb is approximately 20 km long at constant 5% gradient, with slightly higher gradients around 7% in the last 2 km.
Final kilometres
The final climb winds through hairpin bends on a very wide roadway. Gradients are mainly around 4-5% in the first part and 5-7% in the second one, with a peak of 9% around 2 km from the finish. The finish is on straight asphalt roads.
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.
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