AlUla, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia –
The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) has underscored its ongoing commitment to the development of cycling in the region by hosting a three-day specialist camp in partnership with the Saudi Ministry of Sport, Saudi Cycling Federation and UCI World Tour outfit Team Jayco-AlUla.
The three-day camp, which involved group rides across scenic AlUla as well as educational sessions and workshops, took place in AlUla from Saturday February 4 to Monday February 6, commencing less than 24 hours after the successful conclusion of the Saudi Tour, the 2.1 category UCI road race hosted by RCU around the incredible cycling terrain of the AlUla region.
The camp was developed by all four stakeholders as part of a strategic roadmap which will encourage cycling and promote a healthy lifestyle within AlUla and Saudi and take the sport to the next level while developing the pool of talent across the country.
Phillip Jones, Chief Tourism Officer of the Royal Commission for AlUla said: “We believe AlUla has the potential to become the cycling capital of Saudi Arabia, therefore it makes sense to work in partnership with the Ministry of Sport, the Saudi Cycling Federation and Team Jayco-AlUla to develop a strategic pathway that will create meaningful opportunities for cyclists of all levels.
“We are investing a significant amount of money into infrastructure here to support cycling on a year-round basis as we believe the sport is aligned with our identifed target visitors. We are equally keen to support the nation’s healthy-living ambitions, so it is important that we work hard to grow a culture of cycling across the country. This can happen by encouraging people to enjoy cycling, and also by creating elite-level heroes for Saudi that the country can then support and aspire to.”
Abdullah Alwathlan – President of the Saudi Cycling Federation, Vice President of the Arab Cycling Federation, said: “We’re happy to be participating in a training camp with Jayco-AlUla Team in AlUla for three days. This event plus other local and international training camps will help us in our efforts. Two years ago, we put a strategic plan together for the national team and we’re seeing it come to life. The Saudi Cycling Federation will continue its effort to support and develop its athletes.”
Brent Copeland, General Manager Team Jayco-AlUla, said: “The camp is a win-win for us, AlUla is a great place to be – it has the perfect environment for a short-term training camp, and it is good to support the development of cycling in the area and the country.
“The Team Jayco-AlUla values include encouraging a healthy lifestyle, supporting women in sport and promoting sustainable living and an environmentally friendly sport.
“We are also looking at ways we can work here to help Saudi develop their riders. The idea of the camp is very much to brainstorm ideas, and to show how a UCI World team is run. We have seen that there is some real talent here, but you need to train and race at a certain level to improve, and this is about creating an environment where the riders can get to the next level.”
Day one of the camp started off with a community group ride alongside the stars of the Jayco-AlUla team and the heroes of the Saudi Cycling Federation team who took part in their first ever Saudi Tour event.
The 50k steady ride started off at the popular Wheels Bike Hub, a key resource for the community and tourists looking to hire bikes for transportation and enjoyment, and took the group out to Hegra to see the ancient Nabataean tombs and offer some active recovery after five days of intense efforts on the Saudi Tour.
Post recovery ride, the teams then bonded over lunch at the new Tawlat Fayzah restaurant, where they enjoyed a farm-to-table organic menu inspired by the founder’s grandmother around a communal table – ideal for discussing their experience of the Saudi Tour race. After an afternoon of networking and brainstorming, the members of the camp then convened for dinner at Somewhere.
Day two started off with another group ride, before the camp took more of an educational slant, with the Jayco AlUla backroom team hosting a series of sessions focusing on topics such as the impact of nutrition on mind, body and soul, equality and training goals.
The highly informative sessions all combined to highlight the serious work that goes into preparing a team widely regarded as one of the top three teams in the world of pro cycling.
Day three’s sessions focused on the pathway to elite level for promising young amateurs, while also giving an insight into the lives that professional riders lead, offering the Saudi Cycling Federation some invaluable insights on the development of young cycling talent.
RCU’s other commitments to cycling in the area include a second-name sponsorship deal with the Australian-based Team Jayco Alula, aimed at putting the destination of AlUla on the map to 1.7 billion road cycling spectators.
Two mass participant events were arranged in AlUla on the sidelines of the Saudi Tour, which was broadcast in full on the Experience AlUla YouTube channel for the entire MENA region.
Cycle paths, desert biking tours, mountain biking options and electric bikes for transport around Hegra, the country’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, are also available along with bike hire at the Wheels Cycle Hub, making cycling a realistic transport option around AlUla for tourists and locals alike.
