Saeed Hareb, the chairman of the Dubai Tour organising committee, says he hopes the race will become recognised as one of cycling’s great events in future, alongside those in France and Italy.
Clearly, that is a long way off, and neither the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia could ever be truly rivalled, anyway. That said, this was an overwhelmingly positive debut for professional cycling in this city.
Stunning landscapes, set off by clear and crisp weather, combined with a course lay out designed for exciting sprint finishes, allied to a high-pedigree field made for a captivating four days.
However, a lot could still be done to ensure this really does become the grand tour of the Middle East.
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1. Be unpredictable
The lack of undulations on the course prompted a series of enthralling, bunch sprints.
Seeing Marcel Kittel, the vision of German engineering perfection, breasting the tape at searing speed ahead of a herd of svelte wildebeests on wheels for three days running was sport at its very best.
However, it meant the general classification title – nominally the most sought after jersey on any tour – was as good as settled 36 minutes and a few seconds into the tour.
Taylor Phinney was the 24th rider out on the opening day’s time trial. A shade over 12 minutes later he was back, the fastest in the field. It was almost impossible for anyone to bite into his 14-second lead thereafter.
By dint of finishing in the lead group each day, he never lost the lead again, meaning the most eye-catching legs of the tour were just a victory procession. Stunning from an aesthetic perspective, predictable from a sporting one.
“For me, it was perfect,” Kittel said of the lay out after yesterday’s win clinched his hat-trick. “I think it is the fastest way of sightseeing in Dubai.”
2. Get some silent partners
To remedy the problem, the tour needs some proper climbs. Not so easy to find in this emirate, even if Hatta did provide one scenic option.
That can be solved. The Grand Depart at this summer’s Tour de France, for example, will be staged in the north of England.
That does not mean they have to change the name to the Tour de Europe, or the Tour de France Plus a Bit of Britain As Well.
Similarly, it should not be too difficult for the Dubai Tour to keep its name, even if it does lean on its neighbouring emirates for a little more help.
The course would be more challenging if it ventured farther out to the Hajar Mountains of Ras Al Khaimah, as well as looking in on Fujairah. And still be pretty gorgeous, too.
3. Give a little notice
Organising a road race over four days through a city as busy as Dubai must be a fraught process, and there were definitely teething problems.
Given that many schools were closed on account of cloudy skies earlier this winter, they are used to having to shut their doors at the drop of a hat in these parts.
Most would have been grateful for a little more information – and a lot more notice – about the route of the tour, though.
“The race commences at 1pm today but we are unsure as to what time the roads will actually be closed,” one school wrote to parents on Wednesday morning.
There were plus points to the confusion, though. Many new fans had the chance to skip school and see professional cycling in the flesh.
And snaps of the “closed” signs on Sheikh Zayed Road, just on account of some cyclists, will become collectors items.
“I think we have to apologise to the city of Dubai for causing some traffic jams,” Phinney said. “But it sees like it has been very well received.”
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4. Reach for Sky
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This race was not short of stardust. Mark Cavendish, who is probably the most recognisable rider in the sport, was here – even if he was curiously absent from the front of the peloton at the end of the races.
And Kittel, his young rival, is the next big thing now – if four wins in last year’s Tour de France had not already secured that mantle. He is poised to dominate cycling.
But there were plenty of other big fish who did not take the hook.
Spain’s Alberto Contador marketed the tour when he was here last year, but was not competing.
Similarly, had the likes of the British riders Chris Froome or Sir Bradley Wiggins been here, the race would have promoted itself.
Team Sky might not be universally loved within cycling, but they would certainly elevate the status of this tour if they brought a squad of riders to compete.
“Teams have different strategies over the course of the season,” said Lorenzo Giorgetti, the commercial director of RCS Sport, the management company in charge of the tour. “This was a novelty and some of the teams would have wanted to see what was happening before coming here.”
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5. Embrace the social riders
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The staples of the Dubai sporting calendar which attract the biggest numbers are both inextricably intertwined with the amateur lifeblood of their sports.
Dubai Rugby Sevens thrives on account of the fact there are 12 or so competitions for Joe Public running concurrently with the international event, too.
Similarly, the Dubai Marathon attracts hundreds of competitors (not all over the full distance, of course) as well as the professional elite.
The Dubai Tour could surely find a way of integrating amateur enthusiasts in similar fashion. There were already some impromptu club riders out this week. Some Dubai Roadsters made an early morning start to beat the professional peloton to Hatta on Friday, while a separate team sponsored by Frankie Dettori’s restaurant rode that stage in reverse afterwards. And the city’s cycling aficionados loved it.
“A lot of people were bearing doom and gloom, but Dubai being Dubai managed to pull a spectacular event out the bag,” said Stewart Howison, the founder of CycleSafe Dubai.
[ pradley@thenational.ae ]
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