Abu Dhabi Tour
{{Infobox cycling race
| name = Abu Dhabi Tour
| current_event =
| image =Abu Dhabi Tour-logo 2018.png
| date = October (2015 and 2016)
February (2017)
| region = Abu Dhabi
| english =
| localnames =
| nickname =
| discipline = Road
| competition = UCI Asia Tour
| type = Stage race
| organiser = RCS Sport
| director =
| first = 2015 Abu Dhabi Tour
| number = 4
| last = 2018 Abu Dhabi Tour
| firstwinner = {{Flagathlete|Esteban Chaves|COL}}
| mostwins = No repeat winners
| mostrecent = {{Flagathlete|Alejandro Valverde|ESP}}
}}
The Abu Dhabi Tour was a men's cycling stage race that took place in the United Arab Emirates, held annually between 2015 and 2018. In 2019, the Abu Dhabi Tour merged with the Dubai Tour to become the UAE Tour.{{Cite web |date=2023 |title=Abu Dhabi Tour |url=https://firstcycling.com/race.php?r=3827 |website=FirstCycling.com |language=en}}
History
When inaugurated, it was part of the UCI Asia Tour, ranked as a category 2.HC event, the second tier of professional stage races.{{cite web|title=Abu Dhabi Tour 2015 - General Classification|url=http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Abu_Dhabi_Tour_2015-preview|website=ProCyclingStats|accessdate=1 April 2015}} The race was initially scheduled for October, as one of the last races of the cycling season, occupying the calendar slot formerly held by the cancelled Tour of Beijing. The event is organised by RCS Sport, which also organises the Giro d'Italia and the nearby Dubai Tour.{{cite news|last1=Brown|first1=Gregor|title=Abu Dhabi Tour added to 2015 race calendar|url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/abu-dhabi-tour-announced-october-2015-150309|accessdate=1 April 2015|work=Cycling Weekly|date=22 December 2014}}
In 2015 UCI organized the first International Cycling Gala on the evening of the final day of the Abu Dhabi Tour, to celebrate the end of the cycling season. The event's organizers expressed their hope that the race be included in the UCI World Tour.{{cite news|last1=Farrand|first1=Stephen|title=Inaugural Abu Dhabi Tour route announced|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/inaugural-abu-dhabi-tour-route-announced|accessdate=1 April 2015|work=Cyclingnews.com|date=25 March 2015}} In 2016 the Abu Dhabi Tour started two days after the Cycling Gala in the week following the Road World Championships in Qatar.{{cite web|title=Cycling's stars gather for end-of-season celebration held in Abu Dhabi|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/new-world-champions-sagan-dideriksen-dazzle-uci-gala-gallery/|website=cyclingnews.com|date=18 October 2016 |publisher=Immediate Media Company|accessdate=20 October 2016}}
The third edition of the Abu Dhabi Tour was added to the 2017 UCI World Tour and scheduled to be held at the beginning of the season, in February 2017.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci-expands-worldtour-to-37-events/ |title=UCI expands WorldTour to 37 events |accessdate=2 October 2016 |work=Cycling News|date=2 August 2016 }}{{Cite web|url=http://www.uci.ch/pressreleases/the-uci-reveals-expanded-uci-worldtour-calendar-for-207/ |title=The UCI reveals expanded UCI WorldTour calendar for 2017 |accessdate=2 October 2016 |work=UCI}}
In 2019, the Abu Dhabi Tour was merged with the Dubai Tour to become the UAE Tour.{{Cite web |date=11 September 2018 |title=CyclingPub.com - Dubai Tour and Abu Dhabi Tour merge to create WorldTour race UAE Tour |url=http://cyclingpub.com/article/4644/Dubai+Tour+and+Abu+Dhabi+Tour+merge+to+create+WorldTour+race+UAE+Tour |access-date=2023-04-06 |website=cyclingpub.com}}
Route
The first two editions of the race were made up of four stages; three of which flat and suited to the sprinters and one mountain-top finish at Jebel Hafeet. The final stage is a circuit race around the Yas Marina motor-racing track which take place at twilight, as does the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Overall winners
{{Cycling past winner start}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2015|name={{sortname|Esteban|Chaves}}|nat=COL|natvar=|team={{UCI team code|OGE|2015}}}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2016|name={{sortname|Tanel|Kangert}}|nat=EST|natvar=|team={{UCI team code|AST|2016}}}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2017|name={{sortname|Rui|Costa|Rui Costa (cyclist)}}|nat=POR|natvar=|team={{UCI team code|UAD|2017b}}}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2018|name={{sortname|Alejandro|Valverde}}|nat=ESP|natvar=|team={{UCI team code|MOV|2018}}}}
{{Cycling past winner end}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Official}}
{{Abu Dhabi Tour}}
{{UCI World Tour}}
Category:Sport in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi
Category:Recurring sporting events established in 2015
Category:2015 establishments in the United Arab Emirates
Category:Defunct cycling races the United Arab Emirates