Abdullah Al Hammadi Crowned UAE Nationals Champion, Marwa Salman Wins Women’s Nationals Title Over 1,000 Riders Take Part in the 4th Edition of Bike Abu Dhabi Gran Fondo

• Ukrainian Serhii Sydor of Al Wathba Team claims the overall men’s title
• Dutch rider Nina Kessler secures the overall women’s crown
• Dubai Police Teams named best men’s and women’s teams at Abu Dhabi Gran Fondo 2025

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – 21 December 2025

The fourth edition of the Bike Abu Dhabi Gran Fondo attracted more than 1,000 male and female cyclists, who completed the 150-kilometre racecourse and competed for total prize money of AED 2 million.

One of the UAE’s premier sporting events, the race brings together amateur and professional cyclists alike. It commenced at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain and concluded at the Sheikh Zayed Festival in Al Wathba, which hosts a wide range of cultural and heritage activities highlighting the UAE’s rich traditions.

The race started at 7:00 a.m., with participants representing 68 nationalities. The first group included professional men’s and women’s riders as well as registered teams, while the remaining participants were divided into groups based on their average speeds.

At the conclusion of the race, Ukrainian cyclist Serhii Sydor of Al Wathba Team claimed first place in the overall men’s classification, completing the 150km distance in 2 hours, 57 minutes and 30 seconds. Dutch rider Cornelis Vermeltfoort finished second, just one second behind, while Russia’s Anton Popov secured third place by fractions of a second.

In the overall women’s category, Dutch cyclist Nina Kessler claimed the title after finishing in 2 hours, 57 minutes and 37 seconds, followed by Nora Jenčušová of Slovakia in second place, and Yona Vandamme of the Netherlands in third.

In the UAE Nationals men’s category, Abdullah Al Hammadi of Abu Dhabi Cycling Club secured first place with a time of 2 hours, 57 minutes and 33 seconds. Salem Al Shmeili of Dubai Police Team finished second, while Ahmed Al Mansoori took third place.

In the UAE Nationals women’s category, Marwa Salman of My Whoosh Team claimed first place with a time of 3 hours, 31 minutes and 14 seconds. Her teammate Noura Al Ghafli finished second, while Aisha Foulad, also from My Whoosh Team, came third.

In the team competitions, Dubai Police Team claimed first place in the men’s category, followed by Shabab Al Ahli Dubai in second and Abu Dhabi Cycling Club in third. In the women’s teams category, Dubai Police Team finished first, followed by Dubai Residency Team in second and Astro Falcon Team in third.

The race was officially flagged off by Sheikh Hamdan bin Sultan bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, Director of the International Events Department at the Abu Dhabi Sports Council; His Excellency Mansour Bu Osaiba, President of the UAE Cycling Federation; His Excellency Talal Al Hashemi, Executive Director of the Events Sector at the Abu Dhabi Sports Council; Abdulrahim Al Zarouni, Director of the Corporate Communication Office at the Council; and Brigadier (Ret.) Issam Abdullah, Board Member of Abu Dhabi Cycling Club.

The awards ceremony was attended by Sheikh Hamdan bin Sultan bin Hamdan Al Nahyan; His Excellency Dr. Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of the Department of Community Development; His Excellency Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council; His Excellency Matar Suhail Al Yabhouni, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Abu Dhabi Cycling Club; His Excellency Ahmed Abdullah Al Qubaisi, Assistant General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council; His Excellency Ahmed Al Marzouqi, Board Member of Abu Dhabi Cycling Club; His Excellency Hamad Adel Al Afifi, Executive Director of the Intelligent Transport Systems Sector; Fouad Darwish, representative of Palms Sports; Hadi Al Askari, representative of Mubadala; Walid Tawfik, Chief Operating Officer at Burjeel; and Islam El Sheikh, representative of Bin Hamoodah Automotive.

Expressing his pride in the event’s success, Aref Hamad Al Awani said: “For the fourth consecutive year, Bike Abu Dhabi Gran Fondo has achieved remarkable success with participation from 68 nationalities, reflecting our commitment to community engagement and the development of cycling in the UAE and the region.”

He added that the event continues to serve as a key driver in positioning Abu Dhabi as a leading global destination for cycling, combining competitive racing with broad participation from amateurs and professionals.

The race was sponsored by Tissot, Burjeel Medical City, Bin Hamoodah Automotive, Palms Sports, Mubadala, Tadweer Group, Al Ain Water, Maurten, and Wolfi’s, with support from Sheikh Zayed Festival, the Department of Municipalities and Transport, Abu Dhabi Police, Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, and Al Qattara.

The Abu Dhabi Sports Council placed strong emphasis on safety standards, deploying specialised medical teams along the route, in addition to comprehensive technical support, including assistance vehicles sponsored by Bin Hamoodah Automotive, emergency response units and transport services, ensuring rapid response to cyclists’ needs.

The fourth edition also featured the launch of the Race Village at the Sheikh Zayed Festival in Al Wathba, offering fan engagement activities, rest areas for riders, family-friendly spaces, and dedicated zones for exhibitors and event partners, delivering a fully integrated experience for visitors and participants.

Abu Dhabi Sports Channel provided live television coverage of the race, including a dedicated analytical studio before, during and after the event, along with on-ground reporting and comprehensive coverage of all race categories and results.