Doha: The rescheduled National Road Race Championships to be participated among elite riders will start from Dukhan Water Sports Club on Saturday, Qatar Cycling Federation (QCF) announced yesterday.
The race was cancelled in January during COVID-19 restrictions and has struggled to find a new place in the calendar as event organisers stake a claim on the few remaining weekends of the season.
However, the race is too important not to go ahead as it forms a critical part of the preparation of Qatar’s elite riders as they head to spring races overseas.
Reigning Champion, Abdullah Aljaaidi (Team Doha Cycling) continues to show some form this season – contesting the sprint at the end of the Dukhan Climber’s Race. The event is expected to see Aljaaidi having a similar battle against Bilal Alsaadi (Rasen Adventure Shop) on Saturday too, as both have been dominant on hillier courses.
However, the strength of Qatari cycling continues to grow. Ahmed Albourdainy (Team Doha Cycling) is always phenomenally powerful. He lays down attack after attack – a style of racing that doesn’t always pay off for him, but he took the win in Al Ghuwayriyah last week.
Previous champion, Fadhel Al Khater (Rasen Adventure Shop), Hamad Al Jaaidi, Mohammed Al Jarboa are all possible contenders, given the right conditions on the day.
Only Qatar riders are eligible for the National Championships but residents also compete to be Open Champion. In the Men’s Open, the contest is unpredictable as a Saturday race rules out many who must work on that day.
Thani Al Zarraa, Secretary General of the Qatar Cycling Federation stressed the importance of the event in Qatar:
“Our national team continues to represent Qatar internationally and have important races in the coming months. Staging high quality domestic events, where all the best riders will compete, is a vital part of their preparation and also encourages young riders to aim to take their place on the team. As a UCI recognised National Championships, the winners secure a place in the international records of the sport and achieve recognition for Qatar as a cycling nation. For these reasons, and despite the postponement during COVID-19 restrictions, Qatar Cycling Federation is delighted to be holding these National Championships and look forward to strong competition,” he said.
Entries will remain open until tomorrow morning at https://qcfnationalchamps.weebly.com/.
