Dubai, UAE, October 15, 2018:  Yousif Mirza will be part of the final UAE Team Emirates selection for the 2018 UCI World Tour season as the UAE National Champion heads to China for the Tour of Guangxi (16 – 21 October). The Emirati superstar will provide support for team captain Fabio Aru, who is looking to end his season on a high and get his first win in UAE Team Emirates colours. 

 

Joining the two riders in Southern China will be team-mates Jan Polanc, Alexandr Riabushenko, Ben Swift, Matteo Bono and Oliviero Troia. The riders will be guided through the six-stage race by Sports Directors Philippe Mauduit and Bruno Vicino.

 

Commenting ahead of the race Yousif Mirza said: “This has been the most remarkable season for me – my second as a professional cyclist. I retained my status as the UAE National Road Race and Individual Time Trial Champion, as well as winning the Asian Cycling Championship Road Race. I’ve also had a fantastic experience with the team on the UCI World Tour, travelling the world competing alongside some of the best cyclists in the world. Riding in the UAE colours, on the biggest stage is the highest honour for me and I want to do the team and my great nation proud by giving my all in the final race of the season.”

 

Former Italian National Champion, Fabio Aru added: “This is the first time in my career that I will be racing in China and I am very curious to try this new experience and discover a new country. Like the last races I’ve competed in, I won’t be under a lot of pressure to achieve results in China; however I really want to do my best in this competition, in a new frontier of world cycling. I’m going to give my all to the team. We are going to try to light up the race and show off our jersey.”

 

The Tour of Guangxi made its debut on the UCI World Tour last year. The format and route is largely the same as last year, with the second stage being the only major change in that it will depart from the port region of Beihai and finish in Qinzhou. The tour will consist of three flat stages and three hilly stages, with the biggest test coming on Stage five – the Queens Stage. This is the only route to go over 200km, with two category three climbs, a category two climb and a category one climb all set to push riders to their physical limit. However, with the final climb almost 34km from the finish line, the breakaway riders will need to be wary of the chasing pack – as we saw last year, with the stage being battled out in a bunched sprint finish.