Filipe Azevedo: Aiding the UAE’s rapid triathlon progress at Dubai’s Bespoke Ride

Ali Khaled talks to Filipe Azevedo, the pro-triathlete coach at Dubai's Bespoke Ride gym, about his role in boosting the popularity of triathlon in the UAE.

Felipe Azevedo is an accomplished triathlete in this own right and is now assisting the progress of the sport in the UAE. Reem Mohammed / The National

With the Dubai International Triathlon only days away, athletes would have been spending the last few weeks improving techniques and timing, making sure they watch their diets and avoiding any last-minute injuries.

One man who will be overseeing the progress of others is Filipe Azevedo, pro-triathlete coach at Dubai’s Bespoke Ride gym.

Azevedo is from Ponta Delgada, Portugal, and has been in the UAE for only a few months, but already he has seen enough to believe triathlons are only going to grow in popularity.

“Triathlon in the UAE is growing,” he said. “The competitive level of the athletes is still low compared to that of Europe and America, but with all the infrastructure that we have in the UAE and with this growth that we’re seeing in the sport’s community, I believe that, in the near future, the number of participants and the competitive level will be more similar to that of Europe and America.”

While the expertise level needs raising, there can be no complaints about opportunities.

“The triathlon community in the UAE is growing at a crazy pace,” Azevedo said. “It is clear that by the number of races held and the number of registrations throughout these last few years. I believe that this growth will only continue and the team at Bespoke Ride will be ready to help.”

With the sport becoming big business across the emirates, Azevedo, 22, and the other coaches at Bespoke Ride have brought in scientific methods to train the aspiring elite athletes.

“Working at Bespoke Ride has been an unique experience,” he said. “We’ve brought something completely new to Dubai so there’s a lot of work to educate the triathlon and cycling community about the amazing tools we have for athletes.”

“I’ve already had the opportunity to see similar projects, in several countries, but none were able to provide the conditions here.

“We have all the conditions needed, from outdoor training with technical support, to all kinds of laboratory testing, nutrition, bike fittings and much more. We can prepare ourselves for any race in the world without leaving Dubai. Our tools allow us to create any courses and we can ride them as many times as we need.”

Azevedo is an accomplished triathlete in his own right. As a youngster, he swam competitively for a decade and played football from the age of six to 12. Eventually, he focused on swimming and, in high school, triathlons.

Now he competes at the highest level the sport has to offer, and names winning the Cross Triathlon World Championship and the European Duathlon Championship titles as high points of his career so far.

Azevedo has recently returned from a trip to the US that saw him experience the highs and lows of the sport.

“My trip to Chicago was one of the main goals of the season,” he said. “I was going to take part in the U23 Triathlon World Championships. My preparation included an altitude training camp, at 1,800 metres, for a race in the French Pyrenees, and I was in good shape. I was positioned well within the lead pack but, unfortunately, another athlete crashed and damaged my bicycle badly enough that I couldn’t finish the race.

“It was very frustrating but these things happen in the world of sport.”

Later, in Portland, Oregon, he underwent several coaching programmes, an experience he called “enriching”.

He now passes on his expertise for those tackling the 1.9km swim, 90km cycle and 21km run on Saturday in Dubai.

“This year I’m not going to take part,” Azevedo said. “I will be accompanying Bespoke Ride’s athletes in order to provide them with all the info they need in order for them to accomplish their goals.”

Azevedo believes the climate and facilities in the UAE are ideal for him to continue taking part in and coaching for triathlons.

“We have excellent climate conditions for triathlons,” he said. “Only in the three months of summer it becomes a little more complicated due to the high temperatures, but with the indoor infrastructures we have, we can create great conditions for training. Other countries in Europe and America don’t have these infrastructures.”

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