The inaugural edition of the Abu Dhabi Tour will feature some of the world's top cyclists.
Mark Cavendish, Joaquim Rodriguez, Philippe Gilbert and Peter Sagan will all participate in the event, which will be held Oct. 8 to 11. The 555 km race will be divided into four stages.
Cavendish is a gold-medal winning cyclist and has won 26 stages of the Tour de France. Rodriguez currently ranks second in the Union Cycliste Internationale world rankings. He also finished third overall in the 2013 Tour de France. Gilbert won the 2012 World Race Championships and Sagan is hailed as one of the sport's finest young riders.
In total, 18 teams will be part of the race, each including six members. Two teams will hail from the UAE.
Earlier in the year, the overall course for the tournament was revealed. It will feature three stages dedicated to sprinters and one in the mountains.
"I believe riders are going to love the Abu Dhabi Tour," Mr. Aref Hamad Al Awani, secretary-general of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, told The National.
"But my belief is not just a hope. The high level of our assets and our organisation guarantees a successful tour. In this part of the world it is not easy to develop such a varied and richly interesting race. This is why there’s a great expectation surrounding the event."
Find the complete list of participants and teams here and the route information here .