Reynders dominates 11th Sharjah Tour opener

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, the 11th edition of the Sharjah International Tour kicked off on Friday,

Sheikh Dr. Salem Bin Abdulrahman Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Ruler’s Office, attended on the launch of the first stage, titled “Pride and Giving”.

The opening stage started from Al Noor Island in Sharjah City and concluded at the Wheat Farm in Mleiha, covering a distance of 129.6 kilometres.

Sheikh Rashid Bin Saqr Bin Hamad Bin Majid Al Qasimi, Director of the Central Finance Department of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Cycling Club, gave away the prizes to the winners of the opening stage.

Jens Reynders of the Qatar Pro Team took first place, with Mohammad Al Mattioui from the UAE Team Emirates Gen Z Development Team finishing in second. Lorenzo Nespoli of the MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort Pro Team rounded out the podium in third.

Abdullah Sultan Al Dah, Board Member of the Sharjah Sports Council and Chairman of the Tour’s Organizing Committee; Mansour Bou Saiba, President of the UAE Cycling Federation; Mohammad Obaid Al Hasani, Secretary-General of the Sharjah Sports Council; Mohammad Sultan Al Khazooni, Chairman of Mleiha Cultural and Sports Club; Dr. Yasser Omar Al-Dokhi, Tour Director; Hamad Al Mahmoud, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority; Ahmed Aqeel, Sharjah Sports Channel; and other officials and sponsors, were also present on the occassion.

Earlier, the opening ceremony featured marine displays by Sharjah International Marine Sports Club, alongside traditional and heritage performances. Sheikh Dr Salem bin Abdulrahman Al Qasimi then gave the official signal to mark the start of the race.

The tour spans a total of five stages and also includes a local youth tour and a dedicated race for people of determination, alongside the professional competition. The event runs until Tuesday, , with the participation of 162 cyclists from 18 countries, including the UAE, representing 27 teams and national squads.

The international event continues over the coming days, covering a total distance of 503 kilometres across five stages.

The second stage, titled “Al Jubail”, spans 129.56 kilometres, starting from Al Jubail Market in Sharjah City and finishing at Al Jubail Market in Kalba.

The third stage, “Al Heera”, is a 9.8-kilometre individual time trial that starts and ends in the Al Heera area of Sharjah. The fourth stage, “Eastern”, covers a distance of 133 kilometres, beginning from Dibba Al Hisn Island and concluding at Al Sahab Rest Area in Khorfakkan.

The fifth and final stage, “Heritage and Civilisation”, spans 100.09 kilometres, starting from Sharjah Falconers Club and finishing at Sharjah Grand Mosque.

Participating in the tour are several international teams and national squads, including UAE Team Gen Z, Malaysia’s Terengganu team, Thailand’s Roojai team, Hungary’s MBH team, Italy’s Toscana team, Turkey’s Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality team, the Netherlands’ Universe team, Japan’s Kinan team, Slovenia’s Factor team, China’s Li Ning Star team, and the French regional team Haute-Savoie.