Sharjah24: Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, the ninth edition of Sharjah International Cycling Tour begins on Friday, January 26, 2024 and continues until Wednesday, January 31, as 168 riders representing 28 teams from 21 countries will pursue their ambitions to capture the highest places in this year’s edition.

All arrangements have been completed for the launch of the major international event, which will be held in 5 stages over a distance of 503 km and will be accompanied by a local youth tour and a special race for the disabled. The launch will be attended by His Excellency Issa Hilal Al Hazami, Chairman of the Sharjah Sports Council, and His Excellency Abdul Makk Muhammad Jani, Vice President of the Council, Chairman of the Supreme Organizing Committee of the Tour, And Dr. Yasser Omar Al Dokhi, Tour Director, Chairman of the Technical Committee and Judges, members of the Technical Committee and Judges, representatives of the Emirates Cycling Federation, members of the Board of Directors and a number of officials, in addition to representatives of institutions and entities sponsoring the winners’ shirts and supporting the event, and representatives of various media outlets.

The first stage is titled “The Fortress” and begins at 2 pm on Friday, January 26, from in front of Sharjah Fort to Kalba Fort, a distance of 134.46 km. The second stage, “Sustainability”, begins on Saturday, January 27, at 11:00 am, for a distance of 137.66 km. From in front of Bee'ah Group to the most beautiful place in Hamriyah... and the third stage for professionals, "Al-Heera Beach", begins on Sunday, January 28, at 11:00 am, for a distance of 10.12 km, and begins and ends in front of the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization. On the same day, the first stage of the Youth Tour is held, for a distance of 10.12 km, and begins at 10 am from the same place and ends there as well, while a race for the disabled “against the clock” will also be held on the same day and for the same distance for the categories of wheelchairs “H” and special bicycles “C”, and the fourth stage “East Coast” begins Tuesday, January 30 at 11 am. For a distance of 125.57 km, in front of Kalba University and ending at the Shees Park in Khorfakkan, and the fifth and final stage, “Shees Rest”, begins on Wednesday, January 31 at 11 am, for a distance of 95.08 km, and begins from Shees Park and ends at Sharjah Safari in Al Dhaid.

The T-shirts of excellence that will be given to the winners of each stage are: “yellow” sponsored by the Sharjah Police General Command, and the winner of the best time in covering the distance of the stage will be awarded it, “green” sponsored by the Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority and awarded to the first place holder in climbing the hills, and “red” “Sponsored by the Sharjah Municipality and awarded to the one with the best average speed, and the “White” T-shirt, sponsored by Sharjah Sports Channel, for the first place holder for youth under 23 years old, and the “Emirates Flag” T-shirt sponsored by the Sharjah Sports Council for the Emirati cyclist who achieves the best time for the distance of the stage. As for During the local youth tour, the same shirts in the mentioned colors are distributed, and the white shirt is given to the one with the best time in the under-16 category.

• The 21 participating countries are “Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Greece, Belgium, Austria, Portugal, France, Saudi Arabia, Sultanate of Oman, Iraq, Bahrain, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Rwanda, Mauritius, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, in addition to Host Emirates.

• The Sharjah Tour Village was opened on Wednesday, January 24, in cooperation with a number of government and private agencies and institutions. It includes a range of entertainment and community activities, pavilions for various services, and participation from some of the emirate’s clubs. It opens its doors daily from 4:30 pm to 10 pm and extends over several days. The weekend is until eleven in the evening, and continues until next February 1.

• Monday, January 29, is a rest day for the contestants, and they will be entertained with a tourist tour in Sharjah.

• The ninth edition of the Tour enjoys wide media coverage, and live television broadcast from within the UAE, in addition to international channels and platforms for various social media channels.

• Seven committees work under the banner of the event organizing committee: media and marketing, ceremonies , medical committee, support services, public relations and transportation, technical and referees committee, and performance and development.

• In the language of numbers: There are 9 teams, 7 teams from Europe, 4 teams from Asia, a team from Africa, and 7 teams from the Emirates. There are 48 cyclists in the Youth Tour and 15 competitors in the Paralympic race, and the list of sponsors and supporters includes 65 governmental and private entities.