First Haute Route Oman cycling event next year

To be held from March 1-3 next year, Haute Route Oman will provide an international field to experience the extreme challenge of high-altitude mountain riding

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Haute Route riders have a tantalising new cycling challenge to look forward to in 2019 with the launch of the Haute Route Oman, an exciting and prestigious new addition to the Sultanate’s cycling calendar that is pegged to be one of the toughest Haute Route destinations ever.

To be held from March 1-3 next year, Haute Route Oman will provide an international field with the opportunity to explore the unparalleled beauty and hospitality of the Sultanate and to experience the extreme challenge of high-altitude mountain riding. Riders are encouraged to pre-register their interest to ride this unforgettable event as entries will sell out fast.

The world-renowned Haute Route events offer a ‘professional’ road cycling experience for keen amateur cyclists, providing highend hospitality, rider services and expert event management in a setting that mirrors the culture of the professional road racing circuit and features the best and most challenging mountain ranges worldwide.

Haute Route events include iconic locations such as the Alps, Rockies, Pyrenees, Dolomites and Norwegian fjords, and a recent test event in the Sultanate of Oman demonstrated the country’s outstanding suitability to join this exclusive global portfolio.

“This is the best cycling I have done in a very long time,” said Ade Hill of Alpcycles, one of the invited test event riders. “Having the opportunity to escape the winter to ride my bike in such incredible scenery is truly amazing.

“True to its DNA, Haute Route Oman will definitively be one of the most challenging but the views are worth every single minute of pain.”

Oman already features a varied range of cycling events that celebrate the Sultanate’s idyllic riding conditions and unrivalled scenery, notably the annual professional Tour of Oman road race and the amateur 100-mile Muscat Century Ride. At the same time, a rapidly expanding network of off-road cycling and hiking trails highlight Oman’s fast-growing appeal as a world-class sports tourism destination.

“The Haute Route has always selected striking and iconic venues around the world for their events and having the Sultanate of Oman added to the programme in 2019 is a great achievement that we can celebrate,” said David Graham, CEO of Oman Sail, Oman’s world-class event management organisation.

“Hosting an Haute Route event in Oman is a fantastic opportunity for the country as cyclo-tourism will continue to play a major role in driving inbound visitors to the Sultanate.

“The test event proved that the demanding terrain and breathtaking landscapes have enormous appeal for cyclists and that this will provide one of the most challenging routes in the Haute Route calendar,” he added.

Full story @ timesofoman.com/sports