Cycling is the newest gem in Saudi Arabia’s expanding col-lection of sporting jewels as the Gulf monarchy and its neighbours invest hugely in sports to burnish their international image and diversify their economies.
This week’s Saudi Tour is the first of three stage races in the Arabian Peninsula in Febru-ary, with competitions also scheduled in Oman and the United Arab Emirates.
Among the riders are Dutch sprinter Dylan Groenewegen, a winner of five stages at the Tour de France, and German veteran John De-genkolb, who has claimed titles at Paris-Roubaix and Milan-San Remo.
The event is unfolding in a vast region of northwestern Saudi Arabia the size of Belgium that is home to UNESCO-listed archaeological sites and canyons — but few spectators.
An ostentatious competition launch last weekend featured a dazzling drone show, while the competitors are feted at every presentation, with podiums erected in the middle of the desert or atop exposed boulders.
The absence of large crowds — only a few dozen fans gathered at the finish line of stage one on Monday — offers riders a more relaxed atmosphere, with some able to sip a coffee shortly before the start.
A demanding course snaking through high-lying plateaus tests the teams’ endurance as the riders contend with fierce winds, a sandstorm and the threat of camels and donkeys crossing the road.
But the real stakes are arguably diplo-matic. The tour in Al-Ula adds to Saudi Arabia and its regional neighbours’ long-term quest to wield soft power through sport and wean economies off the huge revenues generated for decades by fossil fuels exports.
This has included Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr signing football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and investments in teams such as Newcastle United — potentially the prelude to a successful World Cup bid after Qatar organised last year’s edition.
On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia was se-lected to host football’s 2027 Asian Cup, adding to a portfolio of major events including the 2029 Asian Winter Games — to be held on artificial snow — and the 2034 Asian Games.
According to media reports, the kingdom has also tried to acquire the ownership of Formula One. Cycling is no exception to the trend. Apart from this month’s races, three of the UCI World Tour’s 18 teams have a Gulf country as a major sponsor.—APP
