"We want to provide the same quality as the men's racing" - UAE Tour Women continues to grow in popularity

The UAE Tour Women currently stands as the only Women's WorldTour race held in the Middle East. Having a women's race in this region carries significant importance, as it helps promote gender equality in sports and provides a platform for female cyclists in an area where such opportunities have traditionally been limited.

On Saturday, Elisa Longo Borghini claimed victory on the stage and took the overall lead in the UAE Tour Women. The 33-year-old made a solo move in the final three kilometres of the 158km stage, crossing the finish line in just under four hours. Her teammate Italian Silvia Persico led the chasing bunch to secure second place.

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Fabrizio D'Amico, chief operating officer of race organisers RCS Sport, shared insights into the event’s development in a conversation with Cyclingnews.

"We want to provide the same quality of race as the Tour de France and the Giro women now and to make the athletes feel, first of all, safe riding and to give something that they never experienced," D'Amico told Cyclingnews.

"I want to provide the same quality as the men's racing and be in line with the UCI guidelines.

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"But it's also really important that we bring gender equality and raise the prize money, which is in line with the men's race, but adapted to the four stages compared to the seven."

RCS has made several adjustments to the race based on rider requests, some of which are not commonly seen in other Women's WorldTour events, or other sports events either.

"It might sound a little bit strange, but we put toilets around the route for the first three stages in line with the CPA and the riders' requests," D'Amico said.

"We added more changing rooms at the start and at the finish line and more washrooms to help make the athletes feel comfortable."

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Now in its third year, the race has experienced significant growth, with this edition marking the longest yet. The logistical efforts behind the event are huge to say the last, and it is important that the race continues to grow in order to promote more equality in the area.

"A women's race was in the plan since around 2017/2018 as an idea for the development of cycling, but things needed to mature to get to the right point," D'Amico said.

"A well-done race takes a while to organise, and we needed to gain respect and credibility in order to attract the best teams," D'Amico concluded with.

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