Abu Dhabi Sports Council and Velon sign a significative deal for the debut Abu Dhabi Tour

A three-year partnership will bring some of the best cycling teams and their top riders to the UAE capital to promote the race

Abu Dhabi, 8 September 2015 - The Abu Dhabi Sport Council (ADSC) and the Velon group of WorldTour teams are glad to announce an historic agreement to support the Abu Dhabi Tour and the newly created UCI Cycling Gala awards ceremony. From 2015 to 2017 ADSC and Velon will work together with marketing and technology support to transform the Abu Dhabi Tour into a new magnificent race at the end of the season.

“This partnership confirms our strategy and ambitions,” said Mr. Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council. “A great race needs great characters and Velon guarantees their presence. Moreover this pro-cycling teams venture is showing clearly its focus on innovation. It’s exactly what we want: the Abu Dhabi Tour looks to the future and we’re proud to collaborate on the technological development of cycling.”

Velon CEO Graham Bartlett said: “This is a new race with big plans and Velon is delighted to be part of it. We’ve partnered with other race organisers in the past but this agreement is wider ranging then anything before. Our shareholders formed Velon for it to make these kind of partnerships.”

With ADSC’s support Velon will continue to bring fans into the heart of pro cycling experience with on-bike and behind the scenes footage in the first Abu Dhabi Tour and further innovations in future years.

About Abu Dhabi Tour

The Abu Dhabi Tour will take place from 8 to 11 October. It consists of four stages covering a total distance of 555km; three stages favour the sprinters, while the remaining stage (the third), finishing uphill after a 750m climb with gradients touching 12%, will probably decide the General Classification.

In the evening of the last day the Tour will have the honour of hosting the very first UCI Cycling Gala. It’s a unique event to celebrate the end of the UCI professional road cycling season and its stakeholders in Abu Dhabi. www.abudhabitour.com

About the Abu Dhabi Sports Council

The Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) has been established based on the decision of H.H. Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, No. 16 of 2006. The ADSC embodies the visions and ideas of our wise leadership to develop Sport and youth activities in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.

The ADSC’s goal is to develop the sport sector in the emirate of Abu Dhabi through the development of sport clubs, sport institutions and sport events. This is being achieved by delivering an integrated sporting environment in terms of legislative, organizational, technical, administrative and infrastructural aspects in order to meet and to fulfil the needs and requirements of the community. It creates opportunities for children, youths, and other age categories to have a professional sportive environment to enable them to practice and to enhance their sportive and educational skills, prepare them to compete strongly in championships and competitions at local, regional, continental and international levels.

The ADSC’s goal is also to promote sport investments and to spread and disseminate the culture of sport professionalism through the application and implementation of the latest and best international practices.

About Velon

Velon is a business venture formed by pro-cycling teams in 2014 to foster longer term stability for its members and the sport. It is wholly owned and controlled equally by the 11 shareholding teams. Headquartered in the UK, the commercial organisation was founded by BMC Racing Team, Etixx - Quick-Step, Lampre - Merida, Lotto Soudal, Orica GreenEDGE, Team Cannondale - Garmin, Team Giant - Alpecin, Team Lotto NL - Jumbo, Team Sky, Tinkoff - Saxo, Trek Factory Racing. www.velon.cc