مرحباً (MARHABAN!) FROM STAGE 1 OF THE ABU DHABI TOUR

Madinat Zayed,20 October 2016 – (Marhaban!) from Stage 1 of the Abu Dhabi Tour (20-23 October 2016), organised by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council with the collaboration of RCS Sport. Starting and finishing in Madinat Zayed, the largest town and the administrative centre of Al Gharbia, the largest and westernmost region in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the stage will be 147km long, raced mostly in the desert.

During the stage, 36 Green Jersey Points (of a race total of 152), 16 Black Jersey Points (of a race total of 72), and 16 seconds in time bonuses are up for grabs. Details of time bonuses and the various sub-competitions are given below.

The peloton, 106 riders strong, passed km 0 at 13.15. Did not start: dossard number 173, Matteo Busato.

DOWNLOAD

Abu Dhabi Tour official start list

Abu Dhabi Tour official roadbook

Abu Dhabi Tour route details

WEATHER

Madinat Zayed, 13.00: sunny, 34°C. Wind: NNW 11km/h.

Madinat Zayed, 17:00: sunny, 32°C. Wind: NNW 18km/h.

STAGE AND TIMINGS

Stage 1 – ADNOC Stage (147km)

From Madinat Zayed to Madinat Zayed

Finish: Approx. 5.00pm

Race Headquarters: Al Dhafra Stadium, Madinat Zayed, UAE

JERSEYS

Red Jersey, sponsored by Abu Dhabi Sports Council (General individual classification by time), and White Jersey, sponsored by Abu Dhabi Sports (Best Young Rider born after 1 January 1991).

NOTE: Time bonuses: Intermediate Sprints: 3, 2 and 1 seconds for positions 1, 2 and 3. Finish line: 10, 6 and 4 seconds for positions 1, 2 and 3.

Stages 1, 2 and 3 have two intermediate sprints and a maximum possible 16 seconds of time bonuses. Stage 4 has three intermediate sprints and a maximum possible 19 seconds of time bonuses. The maximum possible time bonuses for the whole race is 67 seconds.

Green Jersey, sponsored by Nation Towers (General individual classification by points)

NOTE: Green Jersey Points - Intermediate Sprints: 8, 5, 3 and 1 points for positions 1, 2, 3 and 4. Finish line: 20-16-12-9-7-5-4-3-2-1 (points for first ten riders).

A maximum possible 36 points are up for grabs in each of stages 1, 2 and 3; and 44 points are available for stage 4.

Black Jersey, sponsored by Etihad (Intermediate Sprint classification by points)

NOTE: Black Jersey Points - Intermediate Sprints only: 8, 5, 3 and 1 points for positions 1, 2, 3 and 4.

A maximum possible 16 points available for each of the first three stages, and 24 points are available on stage 4.

POINTS OF INTEREST

MADINAT ZAYED - Start

Madinat Zayed, the administrative centre of the Al Gharbia region with 29,000 inhabitants, was founded in 1968 by Sheik Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The main tourist attraction of the town is its camel racing track.

BAYNOUNAH INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - 147km to go

Top class educational complex with four-storey buildings to accommodate more than 3,000 students. In addition to classrooms, laboratories and lecture halls dedicated for each educational institution, the complex includes a 1,200-seat auditorium, libraries for boys and girls and sport facilities.

SHAMS SOLAR POWER STATION - 147-141km to go

Shams is one of the world’s largest solar power stations, with a capacity of 100 megawatts covering an area of over 2.5km2. The parabolic trough mirror system of solar collectors concentrates the sun’s rays that are then transformed in electric power through a turbine. The power station’s impact can be compared with planting 1.5 million trees or reducing the road traffic in the country by 15,000 vehicles.

LIWA OASIS - 87-55km to go

A historical oasis at the outskirts of the legendary Rub Al Khali (Empty Quarter), in the Al Gharbia region, Liwa is famous for its vast desert sand plains and high dunes. It features a large date palm plantation of over 100,000 trees – an ecosystem that has been officially recognized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), as it is a valuable mine of genetic resources and biodiversity, and a site of great cultural heritage.

TV COVERAGE

The 2016 Abu Dhabi Tour is being shown in 177 countries, across all five continents; 13 TV networks are broadcasting the race, seven of them live.

Abu Dhabi Sports, host broadcaster of the event, is producing and showing the full coverage of each stage, from the first turn of the pedals to the finish line victories, in the United Arab Emirates and across the whole Middle East and North Africa region.

Eurosport is broadcasting the event live on its European and Asia Pacific channels, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Live coverage is also available to cycling audiences in Italy (on the free-to-air channel Rai Sport 1), China (thanks to LETV), Japan (on the new platform DAZN), New Zealand (on Sky Sports network), Mexico and Central America (thanks to TDN).

Highlights of the race are being offered by ESPN all across South America and the Caribbean, by Fox Sports in Australia, by True Visions in Thailand and by FPT Telecom in Vietnam. Next month, highlights will also be available on Cycling TV.

The press agency SNTV is distributing the event news via its international circuits.

• Abu Dhabi Tour website
• Abu Dhabi Tour YouTube Channel
• Facebook page
• Twitter page
• Google+ Profile
• Instagram official

The Abu Dhabi Tour, organised by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council with the collaboration of RCS Sport, will take place from 20 to 23 October. 

#UCICyclingGala

The second edition of the UCI Cycling Gala, an event conceived to celebrate the end of the UCI professional road cycling season and its stakeholders, will take place in the evening of October 18th. The event will be produced by Abu Dhabi Sports Council in collaboration with RCS Sport, in the presence of biggest names in professional men’s and women’s road cycling, UCI Management Committee members, representatives of national federations, international media and all the athletes that will take part to the upcoming Abu Dhabi Tour: during the evening the UCI Cycling Gala will also feature the official Team Presentation of the Abu Dhabi Tour. The following day (19 October), race preliminary operations and Top Rider press conference are scheduled.

Abu Dhabi Tour Media Kit

From the official online pressroom the media can download high resolution pictures of the 2015 race, the various press conferences, the opening ceremony and the final evening which was dedicated to the very first UCI Cycling Gala.

In order to download the pictures, just go to http://pressroom.rcssport.it/ (username: press / password: press), select “Scarica contenuti/Download contents” on the top right, choose “2015” or "2016" from the menu on the left, then “Ciclismo”, and then “Abu Dhabi Tour”. The photos are free of charge for editorial use, as long as both the Abu Dhabi Tour and the photographer’s name is quoted.  

In addition to the photos, the official promo video is available for the same purposes. The clip is free of charge for editorial use exclusively on internet, as long as Abu Dhabi Tour is accredited. Here is the link.

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