With deep pockets and unlimited financial resources the United Arab Emirates continues to win over the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and build a large portfolio of UCI World Championship events – all in a country with six months (May-October) of average high temperatures well over 100F and humidity near 60%. Leading some industry observers to ponder on the country’s long term goals and if corruption or even bribery played a role in the UCI’s recent decisions.

This past week MyWhoosh (funded by the UAE government) wrote another big check to acquired rights for the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships through 2026, with UCI President David Lappartient joyfully saying “There is more to come…”

In addition to the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships, the UAE also has rights to the 2024 UCI Urban Cycling World Championships (just like in 2021 & 2022), the 2028 UCI Road World Championships, the 2028 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships, and the 2029 UCI Track World Championships. Not to mention they own the current #1 World Tour team – UAE Emirates – with 2x Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar. 

“Abu Dhabi [UAE] possesses extensive experience hosting major sports events and is constantly extending and upgrading its cycling infrastructure. After the highly successful UCI Urban Cycling World Championships in 2022, I am convinced that this UCI Bike City will also be an excellent host of the world’s best road cyclists in 2028 and track cyclists in 2029,,” Lappartient said via press release.

It is no surprise that with all of the upcoming UAE based world championships scheduled to take place during the hottest months, the UCI is updating its high heat temperature protocol to “reduce the risk of heat-related accidents” at UCI sanctioned events, including the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships – which lost a rider to heatstroke in 2017.  

In total, the UAE has been awarded six UCI World Championship events over the course of just a few years. No other country in the world has ever hosted as many world championship cycling events in such a short time frame.

All of this seems to send clear signals of a UCI-UAE partnership with joint ambitions to build the desert country into the world’s hottest cycling destination.

Photo Credit: MyWhoosh

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