The support of a four-wheel outfit is being marked at the start of a world-class race in Abu Dhabi for stars of the two-wheel scene.
Emirates Motor Company (EMC), which is supporting the Abu Dhabi Tour by providing 70 support Mercedes cars, has given its name to the first stage of the cycle race that begins today and is now called the Emirates Motor Company Stage.
The official automotive sponsor for a third year in a row, EMC was joined by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and delegates from the Abu Dhabi Tour as they officially launched the 2017 event.
The first stage of the race was previously called the Western Region stage due to where it takes place. The sprinter stage gets underway in Madinat Zayed today before touring the various towns and villages in the region and returning to the start.
“The partnership we have with Emirates Motor Company to support sporting events in Abu Dhabi runs a lot deeper than just sponsorship,” said Aref Al Awani, the general secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council.
“The global events, such as the fantastic Abu Dhabi Tour, are vital in driving sustainability by attracting investment into the city and country, but they also give people living here something to aspire to as they set out to achieve greatness through their own sporting activities.”
EMC is the authorised Mercedes-Benz distributor in Abu Dhabi and flagship company of Al Fahim Group.
Khaled Abdul Karim Al Fahim, a member of the Al Fahim Group board, will award the trophy for the first ever Emirates Motor Company Stage in Madinat Zayed this evening.
“We’re absolutely delighted to be the automotive sponsors of the race again this year and pleased that our continued support has been marked in such a fabulous way with the first ever Emirates Motor Company Stage,” he said.
The three-day Abu Dhabi Tour is the only Middle Eastern race on the 2017 UCI World Tour calendar. The Emirates Motor Company Stage of the race runs entirely in the desert, with the first and last parts of approximately 45km taking place on straight, wide roads.
The Abu Dhabi Tour will see 16 UCI World Teams and four UCI Professional Continental Teams, consisting of some of the best riders in the world, battle it out over four gruelling stages.
chnelson@thenational.ae
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