Doha, September 06 (QNA) - The Qatari cycling team concluded their summer camp, which began last July, with the participation of teams of different age groups, and was held in the city (Novo Mesto) in Slovenia.
The camp achieved its goal, as the junior team competed with the European teams with continental and international experience, classified by the International Cycling Union, in addition to participating in some of the most powerful races ever in their sporting career. The performance and level of Qatari riders and the achievement of long-term goals, which must leave a clear imprint in upcoming competitions such as the 2022 Asian Games, and pave the way to the 2030 Asian Games.
During their camp last July and August, the Qatari national team participated in many races in Slovenia, perhaps the most famous of which is the road bike race approved by the International Cycling Union in Kranj.
Qatar national team coach Szymon Wasiak said, "Although we came to the camp mainly with the aim of training, we also sought to compete and participate in many races." In which we relied on three competition weekends, in which Qatar's riders gained the experience they needed, after the team's long break from international racing.
On the other hand, during the camp period, the Qatari team traveled to (Vienna) to participate in the Austrian Cup on the road, where the cyclist Bilal Al-Saadi presented a strong performance for the Qataris over a distance of 172 kilometers and ranked 38th, one minute and 48 seconds behind the race winner Manuel Bosch. From the Felbermayr Simplon Wheels team.
Coach Wasiak confirmed that the camp experience represented a mainstay in the annual training program, in order to increase the number of events that cyclists can participate in, and to gain technical experience for the riders and technical staff. It fosters a team spirit which is definitely a crucial point in preparing a strong team.. I say it is a hierarchy of racing classes which is more important than the training itself, because it pushes the riders to reach their best level.
He added that the rest of the team members, who are: Marwan Al-Jalham, Bilal Al-Saadi, Abdullah Afif, Nayef Al-Musallam and Ahmed Al-Bardini, will race in Oman by participating in the Salalah Tawaf, which will last for 4 days in mid-September, pointing out that this intensive schedule is the cornerstone of the team. And this may be the first time that the team participates in a group of competitions in this amount since the imposition of global restrictions following the outbreak of the Corona epidemic crisis.
These efforts compensate for the time the team was unable to participate in any of these competitions, and the team is fully supported by the Qatar Cycling Federation.
Secretary-General of the Qatar Cycling Federation, Thani Al-Zaraa, explained the federations plan, saying: "As a national federation, we must encourage such training programmes. The Qatari team is thirsty to participate in international championships, which, of course, return to their technical level positively, as the riders come into contact with their professional competitors from all sides. around the world, which will give them the required experience, which will inevitably lead them to raise the flag of Qatar high in the end."(QNA)