The stage is set for one of the biggest cycling races held annually in the kingdom.
The fifth edition of the Abdul Hakim Al Shammari Group Holding Cycling Race will take place on February 8 along the highway next to Al Jazayer Beach in Zallaq, with riders from at least 20 nations competing.
The hugely popular event is being organised by Abdul Hakim Al Shammari Group Holding in co-operation with the Bahrain Cycling Association (BCA).
It will be the first competition organised along the all-new 50-kilometre Nasser Bin Hamad Cycling Track, which was inaugurated earlier this month by His Majesty King Hamad’s representative for humanitarian work and youth affairs and Supreme Council for Youth and Sport chairman Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
Details of the race were announced in a Press conference last night held at Jumeirah Gulf of Bahrain in Zallaq. In attendance were BCA president Dr Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Abdul Hakim Al Shammari Group Holding owner Abdul Hakim Al Shammari, and other officials.
Dr Shaikh Khalid highlighted the significance of the race to Bahrain’s cycling community.
“This event is one of the most important on our calendar,” Dr Shaikh Khalid told the GDN last night.
“It has contributed to developing cycling in Bahrain, especially since it provides a very competitive race for our riders. This is very important as we work to develop a new generation of cyclists, getting the sport to be more popular and getting more people involved in cycling.
“The race itself year by year has increased in terms of what they are doing – the quality of the race and the competitiveness level.”
The race is open to all interested participants as young as six years old. There will be nine different age categories for the riders. These include a pro class, a Bahraini category, a ladies’ race, a race for people of determination, and five classes for youth, both boys and girls, aged six and seven, eight and nine, 10 and 11, 12 and 13, and 14 to 16.
The first event is scheduled to begin at 7am on race day.
The competitors include top-level riders from Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and the UAE, while regionally based expatriates and other top cyclists are also expected to fly the flags of Britain, France, Italy, the Philippines, India, and Egypt, to name a few, organisers said yesterday.
“We can see that this race is very popular – not only in Bahrain but also abroad as we have more people coming from outside the country to compete rather than from here,” added Dr Shaikh Khalid, who revealed that plans are in place to have the race registered as part of next year’s Union Cycliste International (UCI) calendar.
“This race has really developed a good reputation, and people want to come and ride. The level of organisation, the distance, and the technical aspects of the race have all created an event that people want to be a part of.”
Bahrain national team rider Sayed Ahmed Khalil was crowned champion of the previous event. Qatar’s Mohsen Arhaili was the runner-up while Saudi’s Ahmed Abdulla came third.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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