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Tribune News Network
DOHA
Dutch great Erik Dekker and Pia Sundstedt aim to defend their Elite men's and women's titles at the 2018 Al Adaid Desert Challenge (AADC), to be held at the purpose-built course at the Sealine Beach on Friday.
Both the riders. along with other international participants and AADC Managing Director Dr Jamal al Khanji, were present at the weekly community cycling ride, organised by Qatar Cyclists in Losail. They also took a 5.38 km lap around the track and took part in the event promotional activities with AADC sponsors and officials.
Roman Van Uden (New Zealand), who was runner-up to Dekker in the Men's Elite Class of the AADC, recognised by the UCI as Class 3 event, and 2017 third-place winner Frederic Gombert (France), are also contesting along with veteran rider and national team coach Szymon Wasiak (UK), experienced MB rider Sophie Giovane (France) and Firaz Shokri (Iran), Asia's top UCI ranked MB rider.
More than 60 Qatari riders are set to compete in this year's edition, which will also count as the first Qatar National Mountain Bike Cross Country Championship. Many of them, including Qatar's one of top road cyclists Fawaz al Shmmari, were present at the event to learn some tips from experienced riders like Dekker.
The 2018 AADC is expected to see more than 350 participants in the cycling race and a newly-introduced running race.
Dekker, also a former Olympic silver medallist, said,"I visited Qatar many times before as a rider and manager at Rabobank Professional Cycling Team, It is really nice to be here. The weather is perfect at this time of the year, while it is minus 10 degrees right now in my hometown."
The Dutch legend expects more competition this year after comfortably winning last year's title in an impressive time of 1 hour 11 minutes. He added,"Last year was really fun, riding in the desert was special. My biggest rivals last year did not have the right tires, so it was much easier for me. This year they are ready, and we have a more challenging route. That will change the game a little bit."
Uden, who has plenty of road race experience in Qatar, especially in Tour of Al Zubarah, commented,"Last year, it was my first experience of riding on sand and I started with the wrong tires and wrong tire pressure. So I had to do a lot of running. Hopefully, things will be different this year as I start with the right equipment."
Pia Sundstedt (Finland) will be looking for her third straight Women's elite title at Al Adaid Desert Challenge. She commented,"I have been living in Qatar for six years. Taking part in the Al Adaid Challenge became a tradition for me and my family and it is a good opportunity to have fun."
The two-time Olympian is impressed by the fast growth of cycling in the country especially among women. She added,"Cycling has changed a lot over the past few years. There is a big cycling community, and what I see during Tuesday's community ride at Lusail has really impressed me. Hundreds of ladies from Qatar join us and many of them are getting into this sport. That's just fantastic for the future of cycling here."
French Gombert, a former France national MB marathon champion and an experienced mountain bike rider, said,"The Al Adaid Desert Challenge is a unique race. It requires a lot of hard work to focus on the route and climb and descend the sand dunes, but it is a very nice experience to cross the desert on your bike."
Fawaz al Shmmari, who will be one of the top contenders for the Qatar MB Cross-Country Championship title, said,"I cannot wait for the race. The Al Adaid Desert Challenge is one of the most beautiful races that all local riders eagerly wait for every year. It will not be an easy race, but I trained well for this. The more challenging route will add to the excitement and I will do my best to register a good result."
Talking about the growth of the event, AADC MD Khanji said,"In a very short period, the Al Adaid Desert Challenge has become one of the top one-day cycling events in the region. The turnout has reached record levels this year. We are keen on organising another successful edition and we are putting the finishing touches to welcome all the participants and fans."
"I would like to thank all our sponsors, partners and supporters who are encouraging us to host a perfect event. Our Platinum Sponsor, Qatar Tourism Authority played a huge role in helping us ensure a record participation this year. Also our Gold Sponsors Ooredoo and Doha Insurance Group provided crucial support to us."
Dr. Abdulaziz al Kuwari, President of Qatar Cyclists, said,"Cycling has seen enormous growth in Qatar during the past few years. The number of Qatar Cyclists members reached levels that we had never imagined when we launched the initiative few years ago. The Al Adaid Desert Challenge is one of the big events that is eagerly-awaited by every cycling enthusiast in the country. We wish success to all participants."
Qatar Cycling and Triathlon Federation President Dr. Mohammed Jeham al Kuwari said,"The addition of the Al Adaid Desert Challenge to UCI calendar last year was a proof that we are heading in the right direction. We are building on the legacy of the World Championships. The number of Qatari cyclists is increasing, more young kids are taking on the sport and the future looks bright.
"This year we have more than 60 Qatari riders taking part in the event as we decided that it will also act the Qatar National Mountain Bike Cross-Country Championship. We expect a very competitive atmosphere," he said.
Rashed al Qurese, Chief Marketing & Promotion Officer at QTA, said,"The QTA is proud to be once again supporting the Al Adaid Desert Challenge, a home-grown event which has steadily developed over the years. Leveraging Qatar's world-class sports facilities and unique natural assets is a key area of focus for us as we implement the Next Chapter of the National Tourism Sector Strategy 2017-2023. We are particularly proud of this sporting event as a public-sector event which promises to contribute to the growing sports tourism sub-sector in Qatar."
