My cycling journey has been very different to most currently riding on the UCI World Tour.
Thinking back to my upbringing in New Zealand, cycling was always prominent. I remember being in school and having to choose a winter sport – most people went down the rugby and cricket route, but for me, it was always going to be mountain biking. Being in the outdoors and that adventurous feeling was really attractive. From there, I fell into road cycling and happened to be quite good at it!
I remember transitioning from amateur to professional cycling and being amazed at the jump in level. The similarities were clear between the two; important factors to high performance like nutrition, recovery, hydration, and training schedules are still crucial as an amateur, there’s just an even bigger spotlight on them at the professional level.
Especially at UAE Team Emirates, who are the cream of the crop of UCI World Cycling. The standard here is so high that the levels of professionalism are unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
Thinking back to some early wins in my career, I was victorious at the National Time Trial and Road Race event. These are certainly memorable for me and something I look back on with pride. Whilst they weren’t necessarily personal victories, it opened doors for me in Europe, and my name certainly became known within the peloton. However, I was competing in a really strong generation of cyclists, so it made it harder for me to stand out on my own when racing within a team.
As the years progressed and opportunities started to become scarcer, I sort of accepted that my professional cycling journey had run its course. I felt content with this, and it actually led to some of the best form of my career due to the absence of stress or worry.
I started to compete across several countries, with Asia becoming a regular location in my racing calendar. I was churning out consistent performances over a period of time, and ultimately the legs I had were what got me into this team. While I came through the MyWhoosh platform, there was still vigorous testing when I arrived here, which thankfully I passed!
The MyWhoosh platform is relatively unknown around the world but is certainly becoming more and more prominent. My journey with the program began through a friend in Christchurch. Initially, I struggled to get to grips with the platform, but after three or four races, I became instantly hooked and it was super rewarding.
Some riders will respond to it better than others. The events differ from road racing as you’re always 100 per cent fresh. It’s not like riding on the tour and heading into day seven of an event and feeling fatigued. MyWhoosh racing sees you put out peak numbers all the time. I describe it as the hardest Classic or one-day event on the Tour…just packed into a 1-hour race!
Focusing on the 2023 season with UAE Team Emirates, the Tour Down Under was my first World Tour race. It was close to home and the stages weren’t super long, so it was nice. I wasn’t coming into the event off a big base of training due to getting the call up to the team quite late and having only really competed in MyWhoosh races. However, with the group we had at the Tour, and Jay (Vine) being so strong, it meant we were in a good position to work together and to our strengths to produce an awesome result. All in all, it was a dream scenario.
I’m really looking forward to competing in some longer stage races during the season. I think these best suit my skillset as a rider as I have quite a big engine and aerobic capacity. Harder days in the saddle are often the ones I respond best to.
Lastly, to the people of the UAE, it is an honour to represent you as part of UAE Team Emirates. I’m super stoked for the season and the potential victories we can secure for all of our fans!
Manchester City 4
Otamendi (52) Sterling (59) Stones (67) Brahim Diaz (81)
Real Madrid 1
Oscar (90)
The specs: 2018 Renault Koleos
Price, base: From Dh77,900
Engine: 2.5L, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 170hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 233Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.3L / 100km
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
Company profile
Company: Eighty6
Date started: October 2021
Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Hospitality
Size: 25 employees
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investment: $1 million
Investors: Seed funding, angel investors
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
RESULT
Bayern Munich 3 Chelsea 2
Bayern: Rafinha (6'), Muller (12', 27')
Chelsea: Alonso (45' 3), Batshuayi (85')
The%20Hunger%20Games%3A%20The%20Ballad%20of%20Songbirds%20%26%20Snakes
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%C2%A0Francis%20Lawrence%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3ERachel%20Zegler%2C%20Peter%20Dinklage%2C%20Viola%20Davis%2C%20Tom%20Blyth%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do
Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.
“First, are they happy with that or do they want more?” he says. “Job-seeking is a time-consuming, frustrating and long-winded affair so are they prepared to put themselves through that rigmarole? Before they consider that, they must ask their employer what is happening.”
Most employees bring up pay rise queries at their annual performance appraisal and find out what the company has in store for them from a career perspective.
Those with no formal appraisal system, Mr Greaves says, should ask HR or their line manager for an assessment.
“You want to find out how they value your contribution and where your job could go,” he says. “You’ve got to be brave enough to ask some questions and if you don’t like the answers then you have to develop a strategy or change jobs if you are prepared to go through the job-seeking process.”
For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.
“However, this can only really have any chance of success if you can identify where you add value to the business (preferably you can put a monetary value on it), or you can point to a sustained contribution above the call of duty or to other achievements you think your employer will value.”
