The key points:

Ø 125 riders representing 18 teams from 4 continents have been introduced to the public in Riyadh on the eve of the first ever stage of the Saudi Tour.
Ø Mark Cavendish (Bahrain-McLaren) and Nacer Bouhanni (Arkea-Samsic) are ready to bring their experience of the desert in the sprints as they take on new challenges with their new teams in 2020.
Ø “Spring classics are pretty early in the season so it’s important to already be in a strong condition”, Niki Terpstra (Total Direct Énergie) highlighted.

READY TO ROLL FROM RIYADH
The first edition of the Saudi Tour is ready to roll as excitement mounts in Riyadh on the eve of the first stage, starting Monday in the Kingdom’s capital. 125 riders representing 18 teams from all around the world have settled in Riyadh and familiarised themselves with their new surroundings as they headed out for their training rides. In the evening, they were introduced to the public with a team presentation held in the spectacular Ritz Carlton Hotel of Riyadh.
“It’s a very open race with tricky roads that could induce many surprises, as soon as stage 1”, race regulator Jean-Marc Marino said after designing the route. The first stage will lead the riders into the desert, travelling from the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee to Jaww. Stage 2 has been slightly amended, with a finish now set in Al Bujairi and counts a total distance of 187km.

CAVENDISH AND BOUHANNI DISCOVER A NEW DESERT WITH NEW TEAMS
Mark Cavendish has been a prominent figure in the rise of professional cycling in the Middle-East and he is looking for more success participating in his 20th race in the Arabian peninsula with his new team Bahrain-McLaren. “I was looking forward to starting the season here with these new colours and hopefully we can inspire the riders of the future”, the sprinting legend said on the stage of the team presentation.
Nacer Bouhanni (Arkéa-Samsic) is also used to beginning his season in the region. “There are different sprint stages and the team will commit to these”, he said on Monday. “There are also two harder stages where we’ll play different cards but I’m focusing on the sprints. I’m here with the lead-out men who will ride with me for most of the season so I’m eager to see how we do and to build a strong relationship in race.”

CLASSIC EXPERTS ARE READY TO UP THE ANTE

Intense racing in the desert is the perfect way to kick-off the season for the elite riders aiming for success in the Spring classics. Among them, Paris-Roubaix and Tour of Flanders winner Niki Terpstra (Total Direct Energie) admits he is “always nervous when the season starts. The winter break was long for everyone so the condition is a big question mark. Spring classics are pretty early in the season so it’s important to already be in a strong condition.” The Dutch star appeared upbeat in the pre-race press conference, recalling the first edition of the Dakar in Saudi Arabia in January. “When I saw the images, I was really excited to come here”, he said. Will he race the Dakar some day? “You never know!”

CYCLING FOR ALL AUDIENCES
The Saudi Tour is the perfect occasion to show the local population the benefits of cycling as a sport and a means of transport. The Kazakh rider Artyom Zakharov (Astana) joined representatives of the race as they visited Najd National School and Al-Rowad School and participated in activities dedicated to the children. In addition to the epic action from the pros, the fans will be able to enjoy side events such as a public ride and a Junior race in Al Bujairion Thursday, as well as a womens‘ ride on Saturday through the Princess Nourah University.

MEDIA COVERAGE

Coverage on 190 countries throughout the 5 continents
Production of an International Live Signal of 2 hours for each stage
40 media rights agreements including 10 Live broadcasters
@ASO

Key points:
 The 1st edition of the Saudi Tour, which will take place between 4th and 8th February, offers a programme combining desert scenery and skyscrapers, with five stages around the capital Riyadh.
 The alternation between flat profiles and more undulating stages promises for battles between sprinters, interspersed with exploits by punchers or even breakaway specialists.
 Among the specialists of the final straight, the Saudi Tour will be hosting the return to business of Mark Cavendish in his new colours of the Bahrein-McLaren team, whilst Nacer Bouhanni will be trying on his Arkea-Samsic jersey for the first time. As regards attacks from far out, a watchful eye will have to be kept on Niki Terpstra, Enrico Gasparotto, Rui Costa or also Angel Madrazo, all of whom will be eager to try their luck.

A new territory is ready to welcome the elite of cycling with the first edition of the Saudi Tour to be held from Tuesday, February 4th until Saturday, February 8th. Over five stages set between the skyscrapers of the capital Riyadh and the Arabian desert, the route aims to highlight the cultural history and the modernity of the Kingdom, outlined by its sporting facilities.
The 1st stage will start in front of the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee headquarters, where the country’s sports federations are hosted. The riders will get a first taste of the desert while riding on leg-sapping roads leading to an uphill finish in Jaww.
The 2nd stage, the longest, will bring more spectacular views with a start next to Sadus Castle, a first loop on open roads that could lead to echelons and a finish on the modern Riyadh Turky Road.
The 3rd stage, from the King Saud University to Al Bujairi, may be the most challenging with a demanding circuit and a total of nine climbs. The riders will be on the edge again as they ride into the desert the next day and tackle a 5-km climb with a gradient around 5% in Qiddiya, where the 2020 Dakar also finishes. Eventually, the 5th stage will start in front of the Princess Nourah University and finish at the Masmak fort after travelling through Riyadh, in the shadow of the skyscrapers.
Each stage will feature several intermediate sprints, on the flat or atop climbs, and the participants will score points in a single classification rewarding the most aggressive rider of the Saudi Tour. These sprints may also influence the race for the overall victory with time bonuses of 3, 2 and 1 seconds up for grabs in the last intermediate sprint of the day, set inside the last 25 kilometres.
18 TEAMS: THE MAIN PARTICIPANTS
Bahrein
Bahrain-McLaren: Cavendish (GB), Bauhaus (Ger)
Belgium
Bingoal-Wallonie Bruxelles: Vanendert, Planckaert (Bel)
Circus-Wanty Gobert: Offredo (Fra)
Denmark
Riwal Readynez Cycling Team: Havik (NL)
France
Arkea-Samsic: Bouhanni (Fra), McLay (GB)
B&B Hotels-Vital Concept: Debusschere (Bel)
Nippo Delko One Provence: Navardauskas (Lit)
Total Direct Energie: Terpstra (NL), Bonifazio (Ita), Gaudin (Fra)
Germany
Bike Aid: Carstensen (Ger)
Great Britain
Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling: Lampier (GB)
Kazakhstan
Astana Pro Team: De Vreese (Bel)
Malaysia
Terengganu Inc. TSG Cycling Team: Reguigui (Alg)
Russia
Gazprom-RusVelo: Chernetskii (Rus)
South Africa
NTT Pro Cycling: Gasparotto (Swi), Kreuziger (Cz), R.Janse van Rensburg (SAf)
Spain
Burgos-BH: Madrazo (Spa)
Caja Rural-Seguros RGA: Malucelli (Ita)
United Arab Emirates
UAE-Team Emirates: Costa (Por), Conti (Ita)
USA
Rally Cycling: De Vos (Can)
@ASO

Key points:
 The first edition of the Saudi Tour, a new race that will kick-off the cycling season and the Middle Eastern swing, will take place in 100 days. This 2.1 category race registered in the UCI calendar by the Saudi Arabian Cycling Federation will be held from 4-8 February.
 The race will be organised by Amaury Sport Organisation whose teams have designed a star-shaped course around Riyadh, the Saudi capital, at the heart of beautiful landscapes.

With the creation of the Saudi Tour, a new challenge will be presented next February which will open a Middle Eastern chapter that will continue with the Tour of Oman. The world’s top riders will compete on the Riyadh city capital of Saudi Arabia roads during this new five-stage race. The size and diversity of the Saudi territory make it possible to plan new routes each year to discover a different region as well as offer cyclists varied profiles, providing several types of riders opportunities to standout.
For the 2020 edition, the exploration of the country begins in its capital Riyadh, whose region in the broad sense will be visited by the peloton. The five-stage race will be run in a desert and canyon scenery as well as urban circuits at the heart of modernity. The small hills near Riyadh will allow for alternating between stages for sprinters and more rugged courses for punchers. On roads often exposed to the wind, the ability to cope with crosswinds will be an important asset for the teams that will look to dominate the race. On the Saudi Tour, the Flemish classic-style riders will be the ones to beat.
Sabah Al-Kraidees, President of the Saudi Cycling Federation: “It is an honour for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Saudi Cycling Federation to host an international sporting event of this magnitude. The Saudi Tour is a great opportunity to publicise the country’s varied territories and historic sites and to let visitors discover our sense of hospitality. For this first edition, world-class riders from around the world will ride on the surrounding roads of the capital, Riyadh. This initiative fits perfectly with the ambition of Saudi Arabia to promote the Kingdom beyond its borders while promoting sport and especially cycling.”
Yann Le Moenner, A.S.O. CEO: “For several years, the cycling seasons have enjoyed highlights from around the world. We are involved in the emergence of a new racing scene in the Middle East, which corresponds to the riders’ demand at the beginning of the year. The creation of the Saudi Tour and its sustainable installation in the calendar is part of this movement. This new race both represents an exciting organisational challenge, a coherent sporting event for an entire category of riders and a nice opportunity for the television viewers who follow the race to discover new landscapes. This is also for us an occasion to contribute to the development of cycling across the Kingdom”.
Press contact
Fabrice Tiano
+33 (0) 6.33.86.28.64
@ASO