UAE Team Emirates leader and defending Abu Dhabi Tour champion Rui Costa has said the team will tailor their tactics to support sprinter Alexander Kristoff in the first three stages of the race that begins today.
Kristoff enters the Abu Dhabi Tour three days after winning the final stage of the Tour of Oman. The European champion made his debut for UAE Team Emirates two weeks ago at the Dubai Tour where he claimed a ninth-place finish in the sprinter-friendly race.
“He’s our man for the first three days of the Abu Dhabi Tour that’s likely to finish in bunch sprints,” Costa said of his Norwegian teammate at the pre-race conference at the Yas Events Centre at Yas Marina Circuit on Tuesday.
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Read more:
Fabio Aru determined to 'get off on the right foot' in UAE Team Emirates debut
Alexander Kristoff 'can't wait' to make UAE Team Emirates debut at Dubai Tour
Abu Dhabi Tour: Mark Cavendish excited to return to wide open cycling race
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“The first three stages of the Abu Dhabi Tour suit him best and we’ll all support him for a good finish on the first three days.”
Costa’s return to action was delayed because of illness and the Portuguese, who finished 10th in the Tour of Oman general classification standings, revealed he still wasn’t at 100 per cent fitness.
“I missed a few days of training in January and still recovering,” he said. “I was satisfied with the work in Oman and hopefully be better for this race.”
Consequently, Costa was non-committal on his chances of retaining his Abu Dhabi Tour title, insisting the competitiveness of the event means a host of riders are likely to be in contention.
“It’s very hard to say who will win this year with so many of the world’s best riders in the race,” he said. “The first day as always is important because of the jersey classifications. Of course we’ll take one day at a time but our goal for sure is to win the home race in front of our sponsors and fans.”
The Abu Dhabi Tour, which is part of the UCI World Tour, has drawn 17 of the 18 World Tour teams and their lead riders, including former grand tour champion Fabio Aru, who will be making his UAE Team Emirates debut in the capital.
“I’m delighted to start the season with my new team here,” the Italian said. “It’s my third time racing the Abu Dhabi Tour. The time trial makes it a slightly different race this time. It will put more riders into the mix for the overall victory.”
Other general classification contenders include Team Sunweb’s Tom Dumoulin, Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana), Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha-Alpecin), Rohan Dennis (BMC), Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), and Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors).
However, the spotlight falls on the sprinters for the first three stages. Team Dimension Data rider Mark Cavendish, Elia Viviani (Quick-Step Floors), Marcel Kittel (Katusha-Alpecin), Andre Greipel (Lotto Soudal), Caleb Ewan (Mitchelton-Scott), and Dan McLay (EF Education First-Drapac) are among those looking to rival Kristoff.
The opening Al Fahim Stage starts at Madinat Zayed and finishes at the Adnoc School, covering a distance of 189 kilometres.
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TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
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Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
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THE SPECS
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 285bhp
Torque: 353Nm
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On sale: Q2, 2020
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Sabri Razouk, 74
Athlete and fitness trainer
Married, father of six
Favourite exercise: Bench press
Must-eat weekly meal: Steak with beans, carrots, broccoli, crust and corn
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if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
LIKELY TEAMS
South Africa
Faf du Plessis (captain), Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Lungi Ngidi.
India (from)
Virat Kohli (captain), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wkt), Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.
The specs
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Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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TICKETS
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
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Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Warlight,
Michael Ondaatje, Knopf
