The Abu Dhabi Tour – the professional cycling race run through stages across the emirate – has been included in the 2017 WorldTour Calendar of the international cycling union, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). The third edition of the Abu Dhabi event now joins the WorldTour which takes place 23-26 February next year.

The UCI has granted the Abu Dhabi event WorldTour status for the next three years, saying it reflects the quality of the Abu Dhabi Tour, which is a four-stage professional cycling race organised by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) with the collaboration of RCS Sport.

This year’s edition, which starts in the UAE capital and runs from 20-23 October, will see the very best professional cycling teams race across three sprint stages and one mountain stage.
 
Aref Al Awani, ADSC’s General Secretary, said: “This status upscale is proof of the commitment and sheer hard work delivered by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and our partners. We hope the global media attention it brings will also help build Abu Dhabi’s growing credentials as a significant cycling destination taking us centre stage in a discipline which is increasingly capturing the attention of the sporting world and local communities.

“Cycling is a sport which meets our objectives of nurturing local heroes and spreading a culture of healthy, active lifestyles among the entire community – resident or expatriate, young or old. Once our local cyclists have the chance to see the world’s best in action, and honoured, we hope to further inspire their own aspirations”.