Photos: Sheikh Hamdan joins over 20,000 cyclists in Dubai Ride
Published on November 20, 2020 at 17.44
Sheikh Zayed Road turns into 14km cycling track in event held as part of Dubai Fitness Challenge 2020.
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Sheikh Zayed Road turns into 14km cycling track in event held as part of Dubai Fitness Challenge 2020.
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More than 20,000 cycling enthusiasts lay siege to the city’s main artery, the Sheikh Zayed Road, as early as 5am on Friday, as they participated in the first-of-its-kind cycling event Dubai Ride, held as part of the Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) 2020.
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The ride kicked off at around 5.30am and the first batch of cyclists were escorted by a cavalcade of police vehicles that were cheered on by the crowd.
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This year due to Covid-19 pandemic, authorities ensured that all cyclists brought their own bikes and apart from wearing the regular biking gear such as helmet, all cyclists had to don an additional accessory – face mask.
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Much to the delight of Dubai Ride bikers, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, also joined them in the early morning ride on the Sheikh Zayed Road.
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Sheikh Hamdan expressed his happiness at the exceptional response from the community to the event, saying the high participation reflects growing awareness about the importance of fitness and the benefits of integrating sporting activities into one’s lifestyle.
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The Crown Prince encouraged the community to explore simple ways to incorporate fitness activities into their daily routines, so that we can enhance our health, wellbeing and happiness. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed expressed his appreciation for the efforts of the organisers, the support extended by stakeholders and the enthusiasm shown by participants, which combined to make the event a success.
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Moved by the enthusiasm and the large turnout of the residents for the event, who came out in huge numbers despite being amidst a pandemic, Sheikh Hamdan tweeted: “More than 20,000 people participated in #Dubai Ride today... To every single rider, thank you for your positive energy and passion. This truly is the dynamic heart of Dubai that makes us proud and optimistic for our future.
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With a pleasant 23°C and a cool breeze blowing at 8kmph, cyclists were seen cruising at a safe distance from each other whilst enjoying the early morning ride on both sides of the five-lane Sheikh Zayed highway.
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This historic event that for the first time saw both directions of the Sheikh Zayed Road open for cyclists only allowed participants to bike along two different routes – a 4km family-friendly, fun ride in Downtown Dubai that was open to participants as young as five years old; and a more challenging 14km open ride on the main Sheikh Zayed highway to motivate cycling enthusiasts aged 13 years or older.
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The ride was a non-competitive, free-to-enter, community event where participants could cycle at their own pace, and register for either of the two routes at their nominated check-in time.
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International athletes, as well as the city’s leading cycling clubs and communities, joined the riders for a once-in-a-lifetime experience of cycling around Dubai’s iconic landmarks including Emirates Towers, The Museum of the Future, and the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).
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Families and children as young as five joined enjoyed the 4km bike ride around Souk Al Bahar, Dubai Opera, The Dubai Fountain and Burj Khalifa.
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The event also featured high participation from people of determination, who joined the cycling tour around Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard.
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The local stakeholder network extended overwhelming support to the Dubai Ride event, with public and private sectors rallying to contribute to realising the city’s vision to embrace a healthier lifestyle.
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Government organisations, as well as schools and educational institutions joined participants in a socially distanced setting, testament to Dubai’s commitment to creating a safe environment for people to be physically active.
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The ride was a non-competitive, free-to-enter, community event where participants could cycle at their own pace, and register for either of the two routes at their nominated check-in time.
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For the first time, both directions of the main highway opened exclusively for cyclists.
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Dubai Fitness Challenge 2020 will continue until November 28.
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