By Yash Mudgal/Doha


The UCI World Road Cycling Championships will take place in the sand-swept Qatar countryside and Doha’s cobblestones when it will be held in 2016 for the first time in the Middle East.
“It is a great honour and also a huge responsibility for Qatar to host the championships with the participation of more than 1,000 athletes from 75 countries, 450,000 spectators, and millions of TV viewers all over the world,” said president of Qatar Cycling Federation and chairman of the organising committee of the world championship, Sheikh Khalid Bin Ali al-Thani, while launching the logo of championship yesterday.
 The first world cycling championships was held in 1921 in Denmark and since then no Middle East country has ever been selected to host cycling’s world championships.
“In 2012, Qatar received the right to host it and became the first Arab and Middle East country and the second in Asia after Japan (1990) to organise the championship. The championship will enhance Qatar’s position to host sporting events and it will also underline our ability to do it,” he said.
“Sport occupies a privileged position in the Qatar national agenda. The Qatari sports facilities have been evolving rapidly in recent years. Accordingly, Doha has become as one of the worldwide sport hubs, hosting various regional and international sports events.
“Through hosting such events, Qatar has been contributing in the promotion of sport in the world and in using it as means of communication and of strengthening ties between various nations and peoples,” he said.
“This will be another precious opportunity for Qatar to consolidate its image as a sport hub and further prove its ability and competences with regard to its long experience and knowhow in successfully organising the international Tour of Qatar since 2002 with the huge support of the country’s leadership,” he said.
 The racing will start on October 9 with trade team time trials and conclude on October 16 with the men’s elite road race.  
“The parcours will include an 80km circuit in the windy countryside to include space for the strong elite teams to create echelons,” said director of sport operations for the QCF John Lelangue on the eve of first stage of the Tour of Qatar.  
The individual and team time trial events will be based around Katara and the road races will be based around Doha, with the elite and Under-23 road races taking in the 80km loop through the countryside. The organising committee will present the details of that long loop at the 2015 worlds this September in Richmond, Virginia.
“It will be exposed to the wind and something like we’ve seen in the Tour of Qatar stages,” Lelangue said.
The route is still awaiting complete approval from the UCI, who were presented with the majority of the route in September of the last year.
Speaking on the occasion cycling great Eddy Merckx said he can’t recall a Worlds that broke into echelons. “If it is like it is in past Tour of Qatar editions or like in the Ladies Tour of Qatar on stage two, when Ellen Van Dijk won, we are going to see the race in pieces,” he said.
 Due to the extreme heat in the desert and the 2016 Olympics, the worlds will held later than usual cycling calendar.
“Lelangue said the average temperature for October 16 over the past 10 years was about 32 degrees Celsius. In 2008, the temperature hit 38 degrees, but that was the exception,” he said.
“To make sure we are covered, we are working with the UCI and giving attention to the feed zones to make sure every rider gets his feeding and considering motorbikes with water bottles like in the Tour de France or other big races.”

ABOUT THE LOGO
 The Doha 2016 logo design mainly focuses on the environmental nature of the region. The circular shape of the logo represents the shape of the wheels and the sun of the hosting country (Qatar), while the shape of the stroke signifies the shape of the sea waves of the Arabian Gulf.
Inside this shape appears the cyclist’s shape that represents the competition. The fine shaped line that forms the cyclist creates a sense of movement and energy in the design.
Colours are simple and dynamic. Orange, the color of the sun represents energy, power and passion of the game, it also conveys the generosity and hospitality of host country Qatar. While Black is bold and represents strength and power. The combination of the contrasting colors represents competition and it also gives the symbol dimension and depth and makes it more memorable.