Shabab Al-Ahly champion of “Elite Ladder Cycling”

Reda Saleem (Dubai)
The Shabab Al Ahli team was crowned champion of the elite race in the eighth edition of the Ladder Cycling Championship, which started from Hatta Dam to Al Marmoum Reserve in Dubai for a distance of 182 km, with the participation of 314 cyclists from 42 nationalities. The “My Wash” team achieved second place, and the Dubai Police came in “A.” » Thirdly, the Slovenian Luka Mezzek, the rider of the Shabab Al-Ahly “1” team, topped the individual category, and his compatriot and teammate Matzev Juvekar came second, while the Greek Polichronis Tzortzakis from the “My Wash” team achieved third place.
The race was fast and full of excitement, as the average speed exceeded 50 km per hour in some stages, and the “Sprint” speed station that the organizing committee set up in the middle of the race, for which a prize worth 20 thousand dirhams was allocated, provided an additional incentive for the riders.
Mohammed Abdullah Al-Mousa, Chairman of the Logistics Committee, and Rami Al-Nabulsi, Chairman of the Championship’s Finance and Marketing Committee, honored the winners in the individual and team categories, while Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of the Dubai Sports Council, crowned the winner of the speed stage, which was Charalambous Kastraantas from the My Wash team and Bart Fun. Deer Drees from the Wolfie Racing Team, winner of first place in the Over 40 category.
The tournament, with a total prize pool of three million and 500 thousand dirhams, will continue with the Emirati amateur race called “The Race to Space” and “The Women’s Elite” on the 3rd and 4th of next February, then the Desert Ladder Race on the 11th of the same month.
Omair bin Juma Al Falasi, Chairman of the Supreme Organizing Committee of the Championship, said: “We are happy with the success of this race, which comes as a translation of the sponsorship, directives and support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, who launched the tournament under the directives of His Highness. Growth and development were achieved year after year under the patronage of His Highness and his keenness to follow up on the races and motivate the participants. Today, the success of this race confirms the great level reached by this championship, both in terms of the performance of the riders, and also the distinguished organization in which we succeeded, through our national cadres, in organizing a large race with the participation of more than 300 cyclists.
He added: “We are proud to organize this race, which represents a wonderful model for the development of the championship, and the success of our national organizational cadres and our riders in presenting an Emirati race with international standards, and I congratulate the riders for achieving a high average speed of 50 km in this great race.”
Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of the Dubai Sports Council, said: “The race came quickly compared to previous editions, which confirms the development of the level of riders, one of the main goals of the championship, and we applaud the choice of the race’s starting line from the Hatta area, which has become one of the best tourist destinations in the Emirates.”
Mohammed Abdullah Al-Mousa, head of the championship’s logistics committee, said: “The choice of starting from Hatta Dam to Saih Al-Salam was intentional, especially since two seasons ago there was the Hatta Expo race on the occasion of hosting the Expo, and now we are returning again to Hatta again to see this beautiful tourist city. And the development it has achieved at the level of facilities, tourist areas, roads and all aspects.”