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Today, Qatar will witness the Ride of Champions, a mass celebration of cycling, which will be the biggest such event in the country’s history.
A record number of 1,000 participants, from 72 different nationalities and residing in 38 countries, have confirmed their attendance. It will be the biggest-ever turnout of local and international cyclists for an event organised in the country.
The Ride of Champions will be spread over a 15-75km long course, and has a maximum participation of 1,000, a total that was reached very quickly.
Sheikh Khalid bin Ali al-Thani, chairman of the UCI Road World Championships Doha 2016, was delighted to welcome the event and the riders to Doha.
“This will be the biggest gathering of amateur cyclists the country has ever seen. In fact, it will be double the number of participants for the previous biggest event — The Heart of Qatar — earlier this year.
“We reached our maximum capacity quickly, which is very heartening to see. One of our key aims in hosting the UCI Road World Championships Doha 2016 was to encourage Qataris and residents to incorporate healthy habits into their lifestyles. This event shows that cycling in Qatar is becoming really popular,” said the top official.
A number of VIP guests, including officials from the French, Dutch and Belgian embassies to Qatar, are expected to take part in the event.
Saudi Arabian enthusiast Omar al-Inizi, who rode a bicycle from Riyadh to Doha to watch the UCI Road World Championships Doha 2016, said he could not wait to be a part of the Ride Of Champions.
“I registered for the Ride Of Champions as soon as I heard about it. For me, a chance to ride the competition circuit of the UCI Road World Championships Doha 2016 was very exciting. I have prepared for the ride well and am eagerly looking forward to it,” he said.
At the Ride of Champions, each participant will get an opportunity to cross the finish line for his or her own ‘champion moment.’ The race has been limited only to registered riders.
The Ride of Champions is limited to 1,000 participants and registration is full. As such, the organisers cannot accommodate any other requests, and cycling fans who have not signed up are advised not to attend the start line. However, all fans are welcome to the Fan Zone in the Pearl-Qatar, where they can spend the day spectating the Ride of Champions and the Elite Women’s event.
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