When & Where
| Date: | Friday, 10.12.2010 |
| Start Time: | 06:00am |
| City: | Dubai |
| Country: | UAE  |
| Location: | Outside the Dubai Autodrome - details to follow |
Average ratings
“Start up line was arranged in group wise and I was keept towards the end, which affected my final result. I sugest to change the system and if posible to start all at once.”
“As the first event of its kind in Dubai, my congratulations to Stewart for pursuing this through, despite many obstacles and hurdles. Many people have commented on the route, please do not blame the organiser, the route was forced upon him by outside agencies. If all the competitors had taken the time to carefully study the route, that was available on the web site, then they would not have got 'lost'. I do agree that there could have been much better signage of the route; I did not see a single sign. The finish was downright dangerous, too tightly bunched around such sharp bends into the Autodrome, was always going to result in a crash, and sure enough there were two crashes in the leading bunch. I would much prefer to see a completely straight finish next year, mainly for safety reasons, and to prevent the cheating that took place, as people cut across the 'run-off' areas around the Autodrome. The stadium needs to be accessible from the Spinneys side, both before, during and after the event. My wife, a volunteer, was locked out after the start, and had to take the long way around to get back, as did several competitors after the event.”
“The course markings were very poor. I was glad I rode with a group the whole time who knew where they were going. Not sure why, after being grouped at the start, everyone couldn't start all at the same time. Riding on open roads is always pretty dangerous and having police cars fly pass you only to jump out at large intersections and leave their car doors open is asking for trouble. The final ride into the Autodrome in the lead group was complete carnage and to watch the cyclist next to me ride through a very large traffic cone sitting in the middle of the road is simply irremissible on the part of the organisers. Let's hope next year the race can take part on roads which are closed.”
“Was a great race with very friendly and efficent race organisers. Course tho was very badly marked and several people (including me) got lost. The finish at the Autodome was great! ”
“This event can only grow from strength to strength! The interest shown has exceeded expectations and will no doubt see many enthusiasts traveling from afar to participate in the future. ”
“This was a fantastic race, only improvement would be better route signage, especially for the out of towners as we had no idea where we were or where we were meant to go!!!”
“Other than the Al Khail road in both directions, the course was excellent and as expected. If this is run again, either there needs to be a different route to the Downtown area or better marshalling along the Al Khail road. It was fine in a large group but a few of us dropped off on the return leg and felt very exposed. Given that we were experienced cyclists it was not a problem but there were still a lot of riders alone on those stretches”
“The race was unsafe!. No Marsdhals, signage for the route and on of dubai's busiest roads! ”
“It was not quite clear what the exact route was. A lot of riders have not riden the correct 92 km. Our group of at least 50 riders did nearly 7 km more while others have done less. It was totally not clear where to turn on the Al Sufouq road between Madinat and the Palm. Our group for instance drove all the way up to the Marina roundabout beyond Meridien and Westin while no-one of the 50 riders knew exactly where to turn and was not visible on the road itself nor support cars around. We overtook many riders again that we did before the turn. I enjoyed the race and had for me an amazing average of nearly 38 km per hour on my speed meter. For me an enormous good performance but of course did not see it in the final results as we did more kilometers (99 km) than any-one else.”
“It was a great experience and the route was great!!! Our only problem was that as we were on a tandem we could not stay with the big bunches all the time and had to find our own way at times without any police escort. The signage at the turn-around point on beach road was not sufficient and we ended up turning at the Westin - a marshal at this point would have been essential! The other big uncertainty was the round about where we had to go on Al Khail road towards Burj Khalifa - there was only one sign and this sign was to the finish! Two signs would have been more clear - one directing us on route to Burj Khalifa and one to say FINISH that way! We did a few extra km until we realised this was wrong and even the support car driver could not confirm the correct route. We turned around BUT all this cost us valuable time and we ended up doing 102km ilo the 92km!! All the info before the race indicated that the route will be marked clearly! If we knew that we had to find our own way, we would have at least have a copy of the route with us as we are from AD and not so familiar with the Dubai roads! Other than this - it was great!!! Thanks for all the hard work!!”
“Field spread out, was ok for leading group but everyone else had to fend for self. Route indicators were very poor they need to be much bigger. Many people went wrong way at turnaround point resulting in the Spinney's 98km challenge! Felt sorry for back markers they needed more support vehicles. Lane closures would have been nice making it a great race. I thought the route itself was very very good. Great effort by organizers given it's the first one... Good luck on future events. Would love to race it again oneday if still in Dubai.”
“I would like to see a better area to cycle through without going on a highway, that some bikers ended up in the middle off due to lanes merching. I would have liked to see better signage so i did not do the extra 13 km, which i am not the only one doing it! There is no support because you can not expect them to stop there car on a high way!”
“I have really enjoyed the Friday morning build up rides to this challenge. Having never cycled before, it has definitely got me hooked. I completed the 65 and 80k time trials too and got a great time for me, it has definitely pushed my limits. The organisation ahs always been great, supportive and really enjoyed chatting to new faces as we cycled alone each week. Unfortunately for me I fell ill in the week prior to the final ride but even though I was only about 50% I had to give it a go. The start was fine, quick and efficient. Unfortunately, the lack of marshals or police at junctions for me was nothing more than scary and those that were there didn't seem to be paying much attention to loan or a few riders, so we were having to wave, or slow down for assistance on where to go. I also was among the group who had no indication where to go on the beach road, so did an extra 10 k, which I personally could have done with out and then was very disappointed with my time, as this was obviously not taken into account. I am glad I did it, challenge was right, it gave me what I wanted and well done to the guys who have put an awful lot of effort in. It was unfortunate they didn't have the support they required to make it even safer and better. Training and lots of support would be required. I am sure for future events, schools like JESS where I teach would be willing to get the older students to be support for such an occasion.Just let us know. ”
“The main issues were last minute information and lack of marshalling along the course route, a group of around 50 cyclists took the wrong course at Dubai Marina resulting in an additional 10k cycling. Also following a stop to repair a burst tyre we were left to negotiate the round abouts on Al Khail road without any safety support - this was an experience to say the least!! Groups were well supported but solo's and small groups were left to it - road or at least a lane closure would have been much safer. ”
“Very well organised but would benefit from a bit more Police support out on the road. Approach to the finish, entering Motor City & the Autodrome, was a bit dangerous and caused real frights to less experienced riders. An alternative route would overcome that problem if available. If not, warning signs in advance would help or marshalls could have helped.”
“Look forward to next year!!”
“The start and finish were relatively well organised, but everything in between was terrible. Though I understand that some support was provided to large groups, I suffered a flat tyre about 1/3 into the race and so completed it largely alone. There were no signs or marshalls at major intersections and many riders proceeded all the way to Dubai Marina as no U-turn was indicated earlier. Similarly at the roundabout on Emirates road, there was no indication which way to proceed on the return leg from Burj al Arab and riders who do not know Dubai well ended up cycling back to Motor City and having to turn around. The routing along Emirates Road was an appalling choice. With no hard shouulder on the way out to Business BAy, lone riders or small groups of riders were left without protection from trucks and other traffic along the road and at intersections. In addition, the pollution on this heavily travelled road was very bad. Given the number of quieter roads in the desert, a better circuit could have been chosen. ”
“First time I've been on a bike for 20 years so it achieved the objective of getting people cycling. Start of race was fine but went downhill. (i) No proper indication of where to turn in JBR. With a load of people, I ended up doing an extra 15K into the Marina; (ii) Will not be able to get away with Al Khail Road again. You can't have cyclists and industrial traffic in the same lane!! There's not even a hard shoulder for much of this a. (iii) If you weren't in the pack, you were left behind. Didn't see a support vehicle orfrom 9am onward”
“1. not enough toilets at gate 8 at start and finish 2. confusion at al the khail roundabout 3. confusion at dubai college or royal mirage u-turn 4. the race therefore should have been in a closed loop from autodrome to burj al arab then beach road to lime tree cafe then al wasl road then at life pharmacy al safa road towards defense round about then burj khalifa loop then al khail road and back to autodrome. this would have prevented much of the confusion. 5. last: Dubai 92 as a sponsor should have broadcasted live during the race with marshals informing DJ or Steward on the progress of the different groups, interrupted by music. Participants should be told to bring a mobile phone with FM radio and a one side earphone to listen to radio station while race in progress. That would have been great. ”
“See above, key issue was the signage at Burj Al Arab turning point, but signage generally very poor. Drink stations should have water in cycle bottles. Otherwise enjoyed the event. thanks”
“More signage needed, and much larger. Distance points so we know how far we've gone, better traffic control, I was nearly hit by a car coming out of a palace on Al Sufour rd. More police with perhaps traffic cones to ensure the vehicles stay out of the way. earlier refreshment, halfway was too late. And lastly not really a bad point, but when offering bananas, could they peel them as it is a little difficult when you need your hands on the handle bars :)”
“I really enjoyed the Spinneys Dubai 92 Cycle Challenge and would definetly do it again. Overall I think it was well organised and well run. The timing chips worked perfectly and the speed which you got your results was great. The comments I would make are that the signage (directions) could be bettwe as a number of participants (including me) were directed the wrong way. Also, as we were riding on major roads it needed to be clear as to whether intersections were being closed for cyclists or not as the police seemed to be confused as to this issue. However, as I said overall from my view the event ran pretty well and all those involved should be congratulated. ”
“All in all the race was great and with a few changes could be better... the finish was way too dangerous for the elite riders, no marshals on important turns or danger areas, traffic cones placed on route by organisers make it very dangerous and several riders paid the price for these mistakes which is crazy. With the B Group catching the A group this should never have been allowed to happen as the A Group has its own race and for the first 20 minutes have a lot of accelerations and slowdowns allowing the B Group to sit on the back and take a minute out of all the lead riders... these are the negatives on the positive side it was a great fun event and I hope we have a lot more learning from the first, a big thank you to all involved for making this possible...”
“I sugest to have Tour Dubai race in future, between 100-150K to go all arround Dubai city (bur Dubai & bur Dheira)”
“While the aid stations were great, the course markers were the worst I have ever experienced. Signs should be at every single intersection and place where there could be the smallest question of which way to go. The bag itself for the good bag was cool but the contents were very disappointing (especially only having men's deodrant when there were plenty of women riding!)”
“Shame that some cut the route a bit short: this was a 92km challenge so they will all know that they did something wrong! Even worse, several drafted their support vehicles. Additional timing mats at the extremities would have prevented route mistakes, but it's hard to stop cheats from cheating. Dubai Police underestimated the resources required to make the route safe - not the organisers fault. Overall, an excellent event marred by a 'win at all costs' attitude from a few and lack of moral fiber from those who blindly followed. Well done Stewart for the excellent communications and overall organisation, you did all that you could.”
“Great idea, poor execution. Dubious route was confirmed to be a bad choice for non-competitive riders. The course was incredibly badly signposted, start line was misinformed by the organisers even on the morning itself, many riders ended up doing an additional 12+km through a lack of marshals or signs. Traffic police although present at "some" junctions, failed to see the danger in allowing cyclists through and then cars immediately behind them.”
“The start/finish of the event was great. Unfortunately, we dropped off the big groups and were left with no support at all. Had to stop at traffic lights, no support vehicle on the Al Khail Road, so the junctions were extremely frightening. Got lost as didn\\\'t know where the turning point was, very poorly signed and no marshal. Ended up doing 105 km with next to no support from police or support vehicles. Big shame because I know that the Race Director put a lot of hard work in, and anyone who was lucky enough to be in a big group probably really had a fab ride. My cycling partner stopped for a toilet break and from then on we were on our own. Finished in just over 3 hours 40 min. Would definitely do again but hope that riders outside the pack would be better looked after next time. Thanks to the race organisers though, for all their tireless work. It was a life changing event for me!”
“Total lack of signage on the route (apart from 1 on Al Khail) led to riders taking wrong turnings. No signage at all for the turn-around point on beach rd - some riders did 90km whilst others clocked up 96 !!!. Each and every intersection has to be marshaled by joe public and possibly motor bike marshals and escorts organized for each big group of riders. Drag in the Wolfies guys that did not race,as marshals - no requests were made to my knowledge. Police need better instruction regarding stopping traffic properly - chaotic and dangerous at times !! Put up route markers and distance signage so novices etc know where to go and how far they still have to suffer. For a first attempt it was OK but needs far more careful planning for the next time. Would happily do it again !!”
“We missed the turn around on the beach road and went 5km too far. There were no marshals or signs at the turn and many people missed this turn! This is UNACCEPTABLE in a race!!!!!!”
“Great Event. Really enjoyed it. Need more signage and way markers, distance markers - the turning at Dubai College for example. Would be nice to start a little later and go down roads that spectators would be able to stand next to - a long time spent on Al khail. But great first time event for Dubai - looking forward to the next one.”
“Signage could have been better. on some junctions it was very easy to go the wrong way. eg. U turn on beach Road. no signs at finish telling me where to go for Medal!! so i didnt recieve a medal”
“I entered the Dubai 92 with great hopes that it would achieve the goal of encouraging more safe cycling in the UAE. I have more than 30,000 km of cycling on these old bones of mine - having done lengthy trips in the far reaches of the world and several organized events ("centuries" - 100 miles each day). However, this event was first and foremost for elite racers ONLY - in my opinion, they were the ONLY group that got any kind of support! As the rest of the pack (who were making good time) came up Umm Suqeim Road to the Al Khail roundabout the racers were coming through heading to Burj Khalifa - several in our group went wayward with them. POOR SIGNS! There was also a large pack of us that went way out to the end of the Jumeirah / Marina district as there was no VISIBLE turn sign. Same goes for lost people I found who didn't see any sign at the Dubai Financial Road turn off. If you had not downloaded the maps before the event (I did, but still was unsure of the route!!) it was very difficult. The final straw was coming in the Autodrome - for those of us from Abu Dhabi who had never been there before, we finally had to beg a worker to accompany us to the finish line OR we would still be out there. Surely, you could have used paint (on the roads that could have been washed off later? OR chalk? Or had a volunteer at each turn? Otherwise, what did we pay AED 250 for? Spinney's provided the Snickers bars ... the timers are reuasable .... the medal probably cost AED 10 at most. You made a whack of money on this my friends and left lots of cyclists upset and lost. Please figure it out a bit better next time. ”
“Everything was great about this race except the most vital part. The course. What a pity that the authorities do not get behind such a fantastic event which could be used to elevate Dubais' image and support with partial road closure. There were many times that I was concerned for mine and my fellow cyclists safety. ”
“Stuart and his team an exceptional job for their first time. Congrats to him and his team: 1. Spinney's build up rides - Excellent 2. Registration - Excellent 3. Communication - Excellent 4. Route - Average: For the stragglers like me it was a case of taking our lives into our own hands especially at the business bay/Burj Khalifa junctions where riders needed to cross multiple lanes multiple times without any police controls present to assist. Due to road works on Al Khail road there were long stretches with no hard shoulder...and we all know how a lot of drivers in Dubai move along that road!!! The more or less 10km uphill finish did not exactly fill me with joy either. 5. Marshalls and signage: Extra 10km's I had to ride due to no marshall's or police being present at the turn point really did not help the cause. Surely there had to be marshall's or police at the turn point to avoid the issue of the extra distance being done. I hope that the points will be seen as constructive as I certainly wish to be participating again next year.”
“The last 2km for those in the race, was quite dangerous, with the use of the service road with speed bumps, before turining onto the race circuit. Maybe there is a better route to access onto the circuit. Also, once on the circuit, many riders in the Elite race took short cuts across the run-off areas.”
“Enjoyed the event a lot. Course was cool and distance was perfect. But yet again the dangers of riding on Dubai roads cause concern. I haven't ridden on the roads since a Coast to Coast a number of years back when a Land Cruiser drove into the pack. On the 92km ride this weekend there were a number of incidents near junctions that were very sketchy. At least two riders in our bunch hit road cones/bollards. And I noticed a couple of packs of riders didn't make it right out to the turn at media city! Not enough markers and marshals. That said, was a good ride and organisation at the start and finish was very good. Thanks. Sean”
“A very good event that was very much enjoyed. However I think more support drivers were needed especially along Al Khail Rd, plus the support drivers that were there needed to know the course, we needed up doing 107kms due to our Speedy lead car getting lost. Not the end of the world but slightly frustrating. If we could avoid Al Khail road next year it would be great. Over all well done on getting this off the ground and so many people out on there bikes!”
“Route markings and marshalling was inadequate. The whole route down from the Al Khail roundabout down to JBR and back had no marshalls and no clear indication of the route. The same was true for the turn to Burg Khalifa and round there. Somewhere I managed to put in an extra 7 kilometers, making my race a 99K challenge. In some cases where there were traffic officials, they were too busy talking on their mobiles to bother to notice that there were cyclists about. The part of Al Khail road that has no shoulder because of roadworks (on the return) could perhaps have a lane cordoned off with police presence. I was nearly knocked over by a truck there.”
“The overall route was pretty good but could have done with being better marked in places - I ended up riding in a pack for the 2nd half and there places where nobody was quite sure which turnings we were to take. The support vehicles in front were good to follow when they were available but felt sorry for anyone riding alone guessing their way through the course. Apart from that a massive congratulations for initiating the challenge (and the build up rides) with such success - it is exactly what is needed to encourage new entrants into the sport as must be all too easy to start off and be intimidated by all the people who have fancy kit and know what they're doing (supposedly)....”
“Registration very easy Maybe next time the start could be set up into expected finish times rather than when you registered Support stations looked OK but there wasnt much advance notice so in a big group I couldnt get to the side Enjoyed the course - there were just a couple of times the group had to slow / stop for traffic lights as the police assistance took some time to catch up. Saying that they then supported the group well over the final half of the course”
“Driving through the streets of Dubai is dangerous enough and you expect bikers to contend with trucks and reckless drivers? At the VERY least place security at ALL merging areas/danger zones but even BETTER change the course so that 99.9% of it is NOT on major highways!!!! Ridiculous race that I would never ever recommend to ANYone if it remains the way it is. VERY VERY VERY POOR signage as well. There needs to be CLEAR arrows especially at all forks in the road and a good recommendation would be to put "follow-up" arrows/signage after an intersection/fork is crossed to assure a rider that he is still on route. I was too busy trying to save my life and making sure I wasn't getting lost to "race" or even enjoy myself. Also, ridiculous that t-shirts weren't part of the race fee and that they needed to be purchased!”
“Thanks to the organisers, volunteers and sponsors for getting this event up and running. It got my wife and I out on the road training again after a long riding drought. I enjoyed the ride but I need to voice some frustration regarding the event. There's a taste of an old Dubai Marathon issue here: Great focus on the elite group and forget there is an event happening behind them. Marshalling/marking is a golden rule of any course race, even at schools level. Get it wrong and people will lose morale at best or possibly be demanding their money back. I was in a large group (50 plus at the time) with no marshall for our turning point still early in the race near the Palm. My race ended at around 97km. My wife was not in a bunch at a time when a policeman waved her on in the wrong direction. Website route is not bad although people see that out of interest and don’t expect to have to know their own turning details. My wife’s race was 77km! We rode the empty streets of the autodrome to make up 92. We both enjoyed our riding, but did we get the product we paid for? We don't have a time we can compare to next year and there isn't even a t-shirt included without ordering it separately. Dhs 500 for 2 medals. The medal is fine, the sponsored goodies are useful. My bunch did a fair bit of signalling to motorists to wait or allow us to change lanes. I would not wish this on someone who is alone in between bunches at the time and I don’t think it is appropriate in a big organised race event. Other aspects of the race seemed fine, although I can't see why it needs to start before sunrise in the cool season. If a large bunch of registered riders couldn’t start that early (DNS x53) I guess we can’t expect spectators to come out. That leaves it up to our word-of-mouth to market future events. I remember commentator Phil Liggett being surprised at a road race starting in the dark. The Cape Argus, in that case, needs the dark start because it has 50 times more riders, it's a longer course and it has the reputation of a true classic, which in turn attracts social riders who will take much longer over a hilly course. Without wind the Dubai course is easy. Is it a case of the authorities not wanting to spend the effort to manage Friday morning roads an hour or two later? I can understand this on a local rest day, but then we must not dream of creating "classic" cycling/running events in this city. The route is efficient but it's not a classic type of route. For a route that crosses bridges or takes in beach views or a hill we would need active police intervention and possible road closure (which would happen in some cities if they are serious about developing the event). So spectators are ruled out. On a brighter note the Autodrome is a good start /finish point, with some of the best hills in the city! I only wish I had more climbing left in my legs to enjoy them. We do appreciate the weekly use of the Autodrome, thanks to Spinneys and the organisers. I think the organisers did what was expected of them but are trying to develop an event that is not yet understood in this region. Like when people ask me “Did you win?” Things are changing on the athletic front, but slowly. If it’s the elite avenue we need to follow to show the exciting side of the sport first, then perhaps we need some aggressive criterium racing in a few select high density areas. Then the authorities just have to close off a car park and they can do it at a more comfortable time of day. I’ll go and watch, and take some non-cycling friends along. Thanks for getting this event started. Dubai needs more like it. Andrew Jennings ”
“Thanks for fun and enjoyable race. Suggestions for next time: 1) Better design and manage the route. Have the race route go into the desert or on low traffic roads (with few speed humps). This course route was not very well marked and at times on very busy roads with vehicle traffic. At times the ride felt unsafe. Why not have the race from Spinney’s Motor City to Bab al Shams and back (plus a few additional spurs to reach the total of 92km)? 2) Include an additional race of fewer kilometers to attract more first time riders, slower riders, and children. Maybe have the 92km race and a 45km race option as well. It might be easier to manage as the slower riders and first time racers would opt for lesser km distance. 3) Mark the turns for the race on the asphalt/pavement. Spray paint arrows on the road. Make the turning signage much bigger. 4) Seed riders based on their submitted race times. 5) Have more sponsors and more of a fair like atmosphere after the race. Sell race t-shirts at the end. 6) Make the pre-race instructions much simpler. Give concise instructions and maps of where to go and what to do. Make the language in the standard, non-colloquial English. 7) Market this race more in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Oman and other GCC countries. To get more people to race market the race to more than just the expats from English speaking and European countries. 8) Include prize money. Have more sponsors for the race. 9) Have hot food for sale after the race. ”
“I think the lead up to the event was excellent - good advertising, and the buildup races were a great idea (although I was travelling and couldn't attend). The start of the event was also well planned, I liked the progressive start. However, to be honest, having participated in many similar races (bike/tris/runs) before, the signposting was awful. Our pack could not find the turnaround at JBR so we did 103km, there was no clear signage or event staff to indicate or police the turnaround. We saw lots of cyclists coming back from the end of JBR so thought we had to continue, and the support car followed us and also clearly didn't know where the turnaround was. Finally, I realise that Dubai doesn't have much to offer in way of nice roads, but Al Khail is a nightmare for cyclists by themselves (which I was on the way back). However, for a first time, I think it was a great effort although I am unlikely to participate unless its a different course as I didn't really have what you call a "pleasant" cycle for the last 30km. For fitter cyclists who were protected in a pack, they probably didn't quite feel the same. Also, could packs be available over a longer time or 2 different places over 2 days? Driving all the way to the Autodrome on a work day wasn't the most convenient. But good effort for the event, and I hope that next year might bring a few improvements for the day itself. The championchips worked very well and the speed of the results was brilliant. I hope the event only gets bigger and better!”
“My only observation is, I could not find the route to follow clearly on either the writen instrctions or map to get to the car park. It read as if every one had been to the pits before! other than that very pleased with the whole event”
“Thanks to all organisers and sponsors; an event of this nature takes serious effort and this was successful. Areas for improvement: 1) Signposting of the route - larger & more signs required, more marshalls at key points. (I'm from Abu Dhabi, don't know all the landmarks noted on the route map, our group did an extra 15km past the Marina/JBR with support car blissfully in tow) 2) Route choice - know this is difficult and I guess dictated by Police, but should ideally be more circular, ie avoiding U-turns and repeated use of same stretches of road 3) Safety - get away from the trucks! The early groups are OK but there will always be stragglers towards the end and Al Khail road was intimidating. Despite above criticism, it was great for a first run.”
“Most enjoyable, fast & nice”
“No sign boards at critical turn-points. Although one cannot expect an entire roadblock which would provide guidance for the event, one can expect route signs along the road! As if it is not clear that turning points are the most riskful locations along a route, several critical ones were not manned! For example the turning point on Jumeirah Beach Road/ Al Sufouh Road (i.e. coming from Souk Madinat towards Marina) was unmanned and a very large group of riders (50+) went straight into the Marina. I am not talking about going as far as reaching the Westin on right hand side, the entire group went as far as the Sheraton at the end of JBR Walk! There was even a support car with us and asking them about the route they were NOT able to answer the direction to go, they blindly followed us? Is no one able them a route map? This group did more than 10k extra ending up not in participating in a 92km but in a 102km race. No support for visitors, friends, family Family was at starting point (on the bridge) to support, cheers the crowd etc. But on the way back to Motordrome, the gate back to pitlane and support staff refused to open the gate! Father (62y) had to climb over the fence along with others. What a disgrace. When going home to pick up others to cheer, re-entry to Motordrome was refused due to the path for riders. While I respect that riders should avoid mingling with cars on the road, I can clearly say that the part on Al Khail road was a tad more “dangerous” than having cars and bikes mingling on the access road to Motordrome. There was no other way! Alternatively, the idea was – as a rider – to go through the gate again up to Spinneys. But again, the gate was closed and locked. What a disappointment in terms of organization. Can’t signboards be triple-checked and roadmaps be given to support cars? ”
“Unfortunately the course was badly signed and I did not finish the whole race because even one support car (driver, marshall) indicated the wrong direction (twice!). I came back to startfinish after 23 of the race with two other competitors, and , of course, this was very disgusting. Going back than to the point where the wrong way was indicated was dangerous because of the upcoming traffic and I even could hardly motivate myself. In summary, if only the first three or four groups will find support by marshalls and police, I will not participate again, though I like very much races as they are very rare here in the UAE. One reason was also that the map provided before the race was very unclear and should be revised the next time, for example as a handout with good zoom before the race (race bag). On the other hand the organisation staff was very friendly, and I hope that these problems can be solved in the future, I am looking forward!”
“Great event, improve marshalls at roundabouts, these were a little hairy at times, otherwise a great event. Thanks to all the organisers.”
“While I enjoyed the event and thought that over all it was well organised I did find the website entry process confusing and on the day I found the signage to be very poor and got lost on the course twice. I don't know whether some of the signs had been moved or where not in the right place to start with. Most of the confusion was around areas on the course which were visited twice ie the Al Khail rd round about first visit heading down to beach road and then the second passing heading out towards Khalifa. Ie the signage changes based on what stage of the race you are at. Thanks”
“My biggest complaint is the marking of the course. At times it was confusing and other times just wasn't there leaving a person confused, aggravated and sometimes going in the wrong direction. I am aware that I was not the only one to go in the wrong direction. There was many. I don't know what my true placing in this race is because some people did extra kms while others did less. My goal this year was mostly to just accomplish the course and I did. My hope for next year is to have this problem sorted out. I understand the kinks need to be worked out for next year and hope that this helps. Overall, it was great. My only other complaint is not receiving information on a timely basis. Some information should have been available much earlier than it was received. ie: e-mail sent to me about when and where to pick up my package was sent on the 8th to be picked up on 9th and i didn't check my e-mail until it was too late. i don't live on my computer. It should have been sent upon registration or atleast 1 week before.”
“There wasnt enough event support on the roads especially on the busy sections of road which made it dangerous. Road signage was poor leading to me doing 106KM. More volunteer support would make for a safer and more enjoybale event next year.”
“The signage should be more clear-the sign at the Dubai College was not seen by many riders and incorrect signage was placed at the Al Khail roundabout and many riders did not do the route around the Burj Khalifa. The map on the website was pathetic-it should be more detailed. Otherwise I did really enjoy the ride. Thank you to everybody.”
“The Police presence was great and in the main very helpful - particularly for large groups however they were not so sure of what to do with individual riders. Some roundabouts (Al Khail) were unmanned and the traffic (generally) appeared unaware of the 'Challenge' - hopefully that will change in time...”
“Guys, racing the elite section, the last 2-3kms should never have been allowed to be raced on, way to dangerous and this was vindicated be a couple of accidents, fortunately no one to injured. Alsoalthough not un expected the behour of the local teams needs to managed better by the federation, it is totally unproffessional including the cheating by cutting substanial sections along the autodrome. That being said i would like to say it was a fantastic event and extremelly well organised, thanks Stewart and is an example of how best to promote a great sport. Well done and i look forward to 2011 edition!”
“No marshalls @ u turns - also some intersections. Timing matts @ critical places to prevent riders cheating and achiving good times.”
“Well organized for the 1st Spinney 92 event!!”
“Not enough signages Wrong signages Not enough safety on the road I over paid ”
“For participants who do it for fun and not a pro the course is downright dangerous with no support from cops or volunteers. It is such a shame! The event could easily have been one of the best ”
“Al Khail road was scary and the route markings near the police college were completely missed resulting in a 12 km extra distance which while not a problem ruined my target time to finish. I think this has the makings of a great annual event that will gain momentum and participants if it is run consistently as well as todays event. Thank you for the great organisation”
“Great Concept, good event which would have only been better if there had of better better directions and marshals out on the course to give guidance. On 3 seperate occassions we went to go the wrong way. The First U-Turn should have had a marshal there, The turn (roudn about) should have had a live person or electronis sign, the round about hedaing back in people went to go right instead of straight ahaed due to poor signage. The turn down near Dubai school also lead to confusion. BUT hey it was a magnificent effort and that can only grow instaure with support from sposnors, the community, gov't agencies and securing volunteers. It is bloody hard to do, but I must congratulate the organisers on having the commitment to see it through. WELL DONE !!!!!!”
“I live here as an expat for over 20 years. It must be very difficult to organize such an event. This is a first time something like this happens here. I am very thankful to all those who took part in this organisation, and admire the initiative. The map with the race course was very clear and anyone (including me!) who rode the wrong way (past Dubai College) can avoid this by learning the map first, as recommended in the letters sent prior to the event. I loved it, and look forward to more, and next time I will not listen to anyone that tells me -it is this way-.”
“Definitely catered for Elite riders who know the course. The route was badly sign posted which resulted in most of us (non elites) getting lost more than once. No presence of marshals/police in the most dangerous roads. I had to head back after 70k, because I took a wrong turn and there was no one to point us to the right direction. The registration fees were TOO expensive, considering the money is not even going to charity. Disappointing experience...”
“I am terribly unhappy with the seeding process. The last two build-up rides, I was in the top 5 finishers (time wise). I expected to be seeded in the top group as "participation & timings" of the build-up rides would determine seeding group. I was seeded in group C!!! Despite beating most of the guys seeded in group A (the team from the "other Emirate") on the last build up ride. Also strange, I do not recall seeing 90% of these higher seeded riders at the build-up rides I participated in. Also, strange to see the owner of a local bike shop in a higher seeded bunch - 100 percent sure I did not see his name on any of the records online. O yes, personal friend of mine did the last build-up ride. I beat him with over 50 minutes. He was seeded in the A bunch... Success in a cycle race is greatly determined by the bunch you ride with, hence why I took the build-up rides (the two I could participate in) VERY seriously. This is part of my prep for a bigger race in South Africa (Argus). I even suggested to the Argus organizers two months ago that this Spinneys ride should be considered as a seeding event for the Middle East - a suggestion they though was good. Guess my opinion now? The seeding + build up rides was a farce. When I saw this blatant wrong / silly seedings, I decided to move down a couple of bunches to be with a couple of friends - and of course had a way slower time than I would have had, had I been seeded correctly. I would like to see transparency on this matter please (i.e. how seedings were decided) as this is not as per the fine print so many cyclists signed up for.”
“The marshalling and signage at key points was extremely poor with the result that the large group that I was in rode all the way to the end of Dubai Marina and back to give a race distance of 106km! Sure maybe I should have studied the route map better but when in a group, you follow and if there is a marked change in direction there should be a marshall with a big flag! No mats at key points to ensure that everyone covers the distance (some riders missed the Al Khail Road leg). Riding along Al Khail rode is a big mistake and life threatening - change the route for next year. The Police were helpful but also had no idea of the route - I saw a Police Vehicle escorting a young rider down Al Soufah Road! A big thank you to the others riders in my group and the cameraderie experienced.”
“Really good start to hopefully a large annual event. Feedback 1- not enough officials on the race route showing which way to go - we missed the turn on Beach Road and ended up racing 105 km 2 - Poor marking of entry into Autodrome for families comint to the end 3 - Insufficient route markers on the course 4 - could have been marketed better (next year I am sure this will be resolved) 5 - some faily big intersections had no policing and particularly for those that were riding outside of a bunch I would like to see every cyclist in Dubai get behind the race and also every bike shop in Dubai - this is great for the sport Fast course and the riders were all out there looking after their lines and keeping safe I will definately be there again next year Thanks to the organiser”
“Congratulation Steward and your team for organising the race! There are more positives than negatives to todays race. Some points to consider for next years race: Toilets at starting point. (specially for the ladies) If possible a more circular route - how about making more use of beach road -same start but then when at Westin all the way down to flag then via Al Safa Str to Burj Khalifa Boulevard and then via Al Khail to Auto drome. Route better marked with more Marshalls - today at stages one was not exactly sure where to go - luckly I did check map before race - not everybody did. More police to block intersections - in general they did a great job - but on Umm Suqeim some magor intersections was unprotected resulting in long stopping - specially for the slower riders later on in the race. More marketing buildup in weeks and days before the race in order to draw more spectators and participants. BEER TENT AT THE END!!!!!!!!!! :) (joking) If you put out an official request for volunteers to help with next race - we will be there!!!!! I know there must have been a mountain of red tape and frustration organising this event - well done keep going and looking forward to next years race with at least 2000+ participants!”
“It was an excellent experienced & the organization of the race was good except of 3 things; 1-lack of marshall in the turning point & signals/junction area especially in some major turns. 2- there should be a sort of an award to those who finish first in there respective group. 3- In the water station, who are giving bottles...they should know how to give & hold the bottle properly.”