Orekhov and Baleisyte excel at Dubai 92 Cycle Challenge
DUBAI: The Spinneys Dubai 92 Cycle Challenge marked its 14th edition at a fresh venue, Expo City Dubai, atracting an impressive record-breaking number of participants-over 2,700 cyclists registered for the various challenges, held in partnership with the Dubai Sports Council (DSC).
The streets of Dubai buzzed with the energy of thousands of cyclists over the weekend, culminating in exciting cycling, family fun, and an incredible atmosphere.
The 2024 UCI Gran Fondo World Series qualifier saw over 280 elite riders take to the course spanning 94.1 kilometers across the city. Throughout the ride, cyclists took in the traffic-free sites of Dubai, passing by the iconic Global Village, the bustling Dmcc/jumeirah Lake Towers, and the communities of Springs, Meadows and more, before heading home to Expo City Dubai for the Spinneys Eat Well Live Well Village.
In the elite category, male athlete Maksim Orekhov and female athlete Olivija Baleisyte were fastest across the finish line with respective times of 2:00:18 and 2:00:21, taking top spot in the standings and earning Dhs.10,000 each from the lucrative Dhs.36,000 prize pot.
Maksim was followed closely by Yacine Hamza and Franceso Lamon both securing podium positions with finishing times of 2:00:18 and 2:00:19 respectively. Similarly, Akvilė Gedraitytė and Maddison Black took second and third place with close margins, finishing with times of 2:00:22 and 2:00:22 respectively.
To cap off a remarkable Aster Pharmacy BIG 5 competition, in the Yellow Jersey Category it was Almir Mujic and Lorraine Mullarkey who took home the wins in the grand finale, with Almir crossing the finishing line in 2:00:27 and Lorraine completing the 94.1km course in 2:00:59.
The Aster Pharmacy BIG 5 Vets Category saw Gerry Van Den Eynde and Helle Bachofen Von Echt emerge as the male and female winners with incredible times of 2:00:48 and 2:14:58 respectively.
The local classic saw record participation from cyclists in all ages and stages of life, with young enthusiasts taking to the track in the Instashop Junior Rides on Feb.24 to kick off the 2024 event in style. This year saw over 650 litle ones take part in the Instashop Junior Rides.
An exciting inclusion for the 2024 challenge also saw the return of the Totalenergies Outride, with riders taking on the 35km course cycling out and back from Expo City Dubai on Saturday morning in the family friendly race.
The redesigned Spinneys Eat Well Live Well race village at Al Forsan Park, offered a lively ambiance for cyclists and guests to enjoy the post-challenge festivities. Whether top finishers gearing up for the 2024 UCI Gran Fondo World Championship in Denmark, or locals completing their longest ride to date, everyone found a reason to celebrate at the Spinneys Eat Well Live Well race village.