Hello All,

 

I hope all of you are well.

 

Please have a look below about all the upcoming events in the next weeks.

 

We are planning a special cycling event on Friday the 16.02.2007 with FORESIGHT and we need people willing to support this event.

We will ride from Dubai to Fujairah with one tandem (one sighted and visually impaired cyclists) and hopefully a big group of riders to shelter the tandem from the wind.

The distance will be around 200 km and we try to ride the distance in a sporty way so all help and strong legs are welcome to support and as well to ride the tandem.

I am sure that we will have a great time and all the riders and helpers will remember this day as a special day in the Cycling “Life”

 

I am really looking forward to ride the tandem and hopefully see lots of you supporting this challenge and riding the 200 km with us.

 

Have a good week happy Cycling

 

Wolfi and Team

 

 

RIDE TO KHASAB RAK/OMAN

 

 

This Friday, several cyclists are planning to ride the scenic, coastal road from the RAK/ Oman border to Khasab, along the Mussandam peninsula.

 

The route will follow the main road as illustrated on the attached map; the route will be about 100kms round trip

 

We are planning to leave Dubai at 6am, meeting at the Emarat petrol stn on the AL Ain Highway; this is the FIRST petrol stn as you leave Trade Centre and before the Nad Al Sheba turn-off. We shall then convoy along the Emirates Rd to RAK border.

 

At the border we shall get visas etc and then cycle off... last time I went to the border it was about AED50 per person and AED100 for the car. If you take the car across you will need your insurance docs, but the minimum is your passport.

 

If you want to stay over at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Khasab, the number is 00968 26730777

 

If you want to come, please could you contact me before Thursday lunch time, so I can make a list and make sure all are present before we depart.. my mobile number is 050 651 5297.

 

 

Thanks and see you soon

 

Murt

 

 

 

 

 

Hatta Ride Friday, February 9, 2007

 

TIMING: Our goal is to arrive at the Hatta Fort Hotel parking lot by 07:15AM and start the ride PROMPTLY at 0730.

DIRECTIONS: It takes approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes to drive from Dubai to Hatta. You can find fog on the way so drive carefully and take this into consideration for the timing of the trip. The most direct route is to go east from the Defense Round about (Sheikh Zayed Road and the Dusit Hotel) and follow the signs to Hatta and Oman. You will be on the Emirates Highway E44 all the way to Hatta. You can also get to E44 from the Ring Road E311. The Hatta Fort Hotel is at the first roundabout on the left as you come to Hatta (you cannot miss it, there is a fort-like structure in the middle of the roundabout).

RIDING DISTANCES: Depending on the number of riders and interests there will be 3 rides to consider: Ride #1 - 70 km (2-3 hours) through the mountains from Hatta Fort towards Kalba to the first tunnel and return.  Ride #2 - 90 km (3-4 hours) Hatta to the top of the second tunnel and return; Ride #3 - 130 km (5-6 hours) Hatta to Kalba and back. Final discussions on routes will be made at the Hatta Fort parking lot at 0655.

PARKING: You will be charged 40 Dhs to get through the gate which will cover showers and the full amount will be deducted from any food or drink that is purchased. See you there. If you are not willing to pay the gate pass, you can park outside the hotel in the empty lots surrounding the roundabout.

MEETING POINT:  As there are several parking areas inside the hotel grounds and some may park outside the hotel, we will meet at 0725 by the Hotel Gate for a quick brief before the ride.

SUPPORT VEHICLES:  Volunteers needed. Please get in touch with Enrique

 

Questions: Enrique Klien: M (050) 551 8695, Office: 04 886 09691 (try this number if you get an Etisalat recording) or eklien@...

 

 

 

Be part of Cycle foresight

 

Friday 16^th February

 

The count down is on to Cycle foreSight, the first cycling event in the UAE to include sighted and visually impaired cyclists…and tandems!

 

Training update

The training has been going well – thank you to all the people who have been involved in introducing the cyclists to the tandems – many had never been on a bike before – and helping them to become proficient stokers on the tandems.

 

Be there!

I would like to encourage everyone come and join this coast to coast ride on Friday 16^th February.  It may not be the fastest 200km that you have ever ridden but it may be the most worthwhile.  The tandems will be ridden in relay, overlapping riders at the hand over points, so there will be no stops.  We will leave Le Meridien Mina Seyahi at 5am and aim to reach Le Meridien Al Aqah beach between 12 and 2 pm where there will be a welcome party.  Anyone cycling will need to arrange transport for the return journey for themselves and their bike – so please feel free to invite people to join us in Fujeirah.

 

A dedicated team

The team of visually impaired riders will include Katy Newitt, Chairwoman of Foresight, Jeannie Poyner-Woods who is coming from Qatar, Christina Fasser, President of Retina International, who is coming especially from Switzerland. All are partially sighted or blind through Retinitis Pigmentosa.  Other riders are Adel Al Zamar, Manager of the Emirates Association of the Blind and several other members from the UAE.

 

South African interest

A quick plea to anyone out there who might be able to sponsor a flight for 2 people. Theodore Schmeisser and his stoker Zetta from the South African Blind Tandem Association are really keen to join us.  Zetta is visually impaired with Retinitis Pigmentosa.  If anyone can help out please contact Catherine at Foresight a.s.a.p.

 

Please rsvp to events@... or ring Catherine on 050893 5732 and let her know if you would like to cycle or simply join the party.  We urge as many of you to take part as possible – this community event is a real first!

 

Thank you – the Foresight Team

 

 

 

Catherine Wallwork

Foresight – Event Manager

Tel +9714 3911443

Mob +97150 893 5732

Fax +9714 3911444

PO Box 500004, Dubai, UAE

 

 

RONDE VAN VLAANDEREN 2007
TOUR OF FLANDERS 2007

Dear Roadsters,

If you have already done the Cape Argus, you may want to consider the second most popular UCI Golden Bike race. The Tour of Flanders for amateur cyclists attracted 15,000 amateur roadies in 2006.

The Tour of Flanders is without a doubt the most exciting one-day classic. On the day before the Pro Tour race, all biking lovers will have the chance to get a sneak preview of the atmosphere at this biking event. The ultimate challenge is to cover the 260 kilometers that the professionals will have completed one day later. But you can also get to know the 140- and 75-kilometer loops together with some pretty tough hills. The 256 km race has about 18 climbs, the 140 km about 16, and the 75 km the last 7 of the official route.

Race Day: Saturday April 7th 2007 (Easter Weekend)

Interested roadies & mountain bikers can get in touch with me (Email: toufic.hobeika@...) (Tel: 050.5594056) for more details & maybe organize group discounts.

Toufic Hobeika

 

 

 

NORTH POLE FUNDRAISER

 

 

As you may be aware, I am aiming to raise awareness and funds for Leukemia and the Children's Hope Foundation from my forthcoming North Pole expedition - for which I leave the UAE on 12 Feb, hopefully reaching the Pole by the end of April.

 

Thanks to the extensive PR that’s part of the package, awareness has been raised somewhat - with a new desperate case being highlighted each week by some papers it seems - but I would be very grateful for all of your support to the hundreds of children suffering silently.

 

If you would like to contribute, which I very much hope you will, please log into www.adrianhayes.com, go straight to 'Charity Campaign' on the left hand menu and follow the simple instructions to make a donation.

 

A small gesture of Dhs 100 would be fantastic and, even better, if you could forward to your colleagues and work/social groups or wherever. If your companies wishes  to contribute please get in touch with me.

 

 

I aim to raise large funds for the Children’s Hope Foundation and Leukemia in the UAE from the expedition, and, as such, should any of you wish to contribute for this worthy cause please log in to www.adrianhayes.com  to see details of the campaign and for instructions on how to make a charity donation.

 

For Leukemia, suffice to say the disease has been very much under funded and under exposed in the UAE and the region, and there are 50 new children in Dubai alone diagnosed with the disease, with very little support to date. We hope this will raise the profile ten fold.

 

Grateful for all your support.

 

Many thanks,

 

Adrian

 

OMAN CYLING NEWS

If you missed the Nizwa ride, well, two events coming up, of course plus the weekly Fridays ride (the usual) and hope to re-start the Mondays ride at 16:00 from the French embassy.

Next big event is Jabal Akdar ride, as the following:

Date: 15th

Day: Thursday.

Distance: only 60.

The schedule: on Thursday morning, drive (CAR) to the checkpoint at the bottom of Jabal Akdar, ride up (bike) (not motorbike) to the hotel, have lunch , do little loop on the plateau.. ride back to checkpoint and drive to Muscat. (Spin legs on Friday ride).

Century ride 07 on the 23rd Feb 07.

Four loops of 40km , you can do one loop , two , three or all four..

Start time is still 07:00 , will let you know where we start from..

 

Take care have a wonderful day.

Train Hard ,

Peace and Respect.

Suleiman Al-Alawi

+968 - 9 - 9341350  please visit http://geocities.com/ironmanoman/

P.O Box 1360 P.C 130 Azibah.

 

http://www.freestyletriathlon.it/gara.htm

 

29th April Weekend in RAK!! Do an Ironman distance race or if that isn't enough, do a triple distance one. This link takes you to the details.. http://www.freestyletriathlon.it/gara.htm

 

Maybe we could make up teams?

 

Anyone interested?

 

Kevin and Paul

Kevin West [sharkmankev@...]