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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

BikingMan Oman scales new heights

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MUSCAT, FEB 26 - Eighty riders from 20 countries are battling it out in Oman’s picturesque mountain, desert and highway routes as the third edition of BikingMan Oman, an ultracycling race, will conclude in Muscat on Thursday.


The endurance cycling race is the longest and toughest cycling event of the Middle East.


In its third year, BikingMan Oman involves a course of 1,060 kilometres — 9,300 metres around Oman which will pass along the most beautiful cycling sites of the country.


The race is longer and tougher than the professional Tour of Oman and includes the dreadful Jabal Shams climb, the crossing of the desertic region of Al Sharqiyah and a challenging final stretch on the Muscat-coastal highway. All participants will have to ride the entire event without any external assistance nor support vehicles and manage their food, water and repairs along the way.


The kick-off was given on February 22 at 8 pm in Muscat – Shangri-La Hotel. The event is co-organised by BikingMan, Oman Cycling Association and Ministry of Sports Affairs.


Saif al Rushaidi, Chairman of Oman Cycling Association (OCA), said the event has made a mark of itself in international cycling calendar.


“This is the third edition and we can see the ultracycling race becoming stronger and stronger with a good participation from across the world,” Al Rushaidi told the Observer.


“BikingMan is a unique competition in many aspects and it opens the window to some of Oman’s exotic tourist and adventure destinations too,” he said.


OFF-ROAD GRAVEL CHALLENGE


French explorer Axel Carion, CEO of BikingMan, said the route for 2020 edition has been improved by adding some exciting challenges.


“The route has been improved this year. The new addition from the earlier editions make the competition further more challenging.”


“We have added gravel section off road which comes just before the Jabal Shams climb, the toughest in the course. The route is mandatory for all the participants also,” he said.


“This year, we also started race at night so that the riders come to the Jabal Shams during the day time.”


“And we have a special ‘King of Mountain’ challenge this time with the riders timing being controlled during the Jabal Shams climb,” the Frenchman said.


Jabal Shams (mountain of the sun) is the highest point at 3,009 metres of altitude in the Al Hajar mountain ranges.


ENDURANCE RIDERS


All the participants are amateurs with a sports background related to endurance. The line-up included the vice-champions of 2019 series: Guillaume Chaumont (Belgium - SOLO Man) and Cristian Auriemma and Jeff Webb (Italy and Canada), as well as the vice-champion of 2018 series: Niel Copeland (England) in the SOLO Man category.


New comers to the BikingMan series are Elisabeth Dunne (English ex-military living in Qatar), Laurent Boursette (France, 2x winner of the Race Across France), Darren Frank (English ultracyclist, survivor of a helicopter crash), and Andre Abreu and Miguel Veterano (Portugal, fastest team record time to cycle across the United Arab Emirates).


France Televisions, the public French television, is the official coverage partner of the event. BikingMan Oman is the first ultracycling race in history to benefit from a major broadcast network.


Oman is the kick-off event of 2020 BikingMan World Series. Over 500 athletes will get involved in the race on six stages: Oman, Corsica (April), Brazil (June), Peru (July), Portugal (September), Laos (October).


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