Q Life Magazine Q Magazine (US) December 2015 | Page 52
| Issue 1
A Thrilling Bike Race
Through the Desert
In October 2016, Qatar will host the World Cycling Championships.
It will be the first time that the world’s most important cycling event is held
in the Middle East—and the latest in a long string of major sporting
events hosted by Qatar.
T
he annual competition is
run by the Union Cycliste
Internationale (UCI), cycling’s
international governing body,
and includes several races over
one week from October 9–16.
The climax will be a 50-mile
(80-kilometer) loop through the
desert outside Doha, starting and
ending at the Exhibition Center,
a popular venue by the seaside.
At a briefing on September 24,
2015, at the Jefferson Hotel in
Richmond, Virginia, Qatar Cycling
Federation (QCF) President Sheikh
Khalid bin Ali Al-Thani expressed
Qatar’s vision for using sports as
a tool to strengthen ties between
nations and peoples by hosting
regional and international sporting
events. He said that Qatar has the
capabilities and infrastructure to
create an unforgettable experience
for the racers, as well as the 30,000
fans from all over the world expected
to attend the event and the millions
who will watch it on TV or online.
John Lelangue, Doha 2016 Director
of Sport and Technical Operations,
said that the course will be fairly flat,
but that the unpredictable desert
winds are sure to provide plenty of
drama. Lelangue also predicted that
the desert heat would not be a big
factor in the race. The temperature
in Qatar in October is warm, but
no more than an average July day
during the Tour de France.
“We want the world to see our love
for sports, and to participate in our
efforts to bring people together
through sport,” says Ambassador
Mohammed Al-Kuwari. “Through
these sporting events we hope to
develop greater cultural exchanges
between our regions and promote
deeper understanding. The objective
is to create a peaceful message for
one world.”
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