There will be two editions of the Abu Dhabi Tour in the space of four months as the emirate race steps up to the WorldTour next season, and the move has organisers braced for expansion and diversification in the years to come.
As was the case with last year's inaugural edition, this year's race will take place in October, but the race was included in the 2017 WorldTour calendar with a new slot in February.
While the move to WorldTour should ensure a stronger field and enhanced exposure for the race, it's not the new-found status in itself that's getting the organisers excited, but rather the possibilities afforded by the calendar shift.
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"The race will change not because it's becoming WorldTour but because in February we have a completely different temperature," Lorenzo Giorgetti, CEO of RCS Sport – who run the race with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council – told Cyclingnews in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, where the temperatures were in the 40's.
Indeed, last year's opening stage had to be shortened due to the heat, and this year there is a modest total distance of 555km across four stages, with the final stage taking place at night under the spotlights of the F1 circuit.
"Going to February is a completely different story. We can have much longer stages. This is the largest emirate of the UAE, we could do 20 stages in Abu Dhabi – there's a lot to show, a lot to see. So from a race perspective we could decide if it's a race for sprinters, for climbers, or anyone, because the territory offers a lot," added Giorgetti.
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