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Two of Bahrain Women’s National Cycling team members tackled breath-taking mountain terrain to compete in one of the most thrilling road races in Italy.
The Maratona dles Dolomites- Enel, known as a ‘Gran Fondo’ which means ‘big ride’, attracted around 8,000 cyclists from around the world, including the kingdom’s athletic Wafa Joozi and Mariam Almoayyed.
They both wanted to take on the challenge and showcase their raw talent as they raced on ‘from flat route Bahrain to conquering some of the toughest climbs in Europe’.
“We enjoyed the breathtaking views in the Italian Alps, the camaraderie amongst the cyclists and consistent cheering throughout the course from organisers to supporters,” said Almoayyed, a 28-year-old dual qualified Bahraini-English lawyer from Janabiyah.
“Not to mention, it was a well-organised event attracting 8,000 participants of which there were approximately 800 women from various parts of the world.
“It was a proud moment to represent not only our beloved Bahrain but also to participate as the only female GCC participants in the largest amateur race in Europe.”
They heard about the event from Ebrahim Touq, the Bahraini ambassador of Grand Tours Project, which arranges cycling tours. It is a unique and challenging cycling adventure in the heights of the Dolomites, northern Italy, consisting of thrilling climbs and steep descents.
“Despite the large number, it was the safest and smoothest start and finish,” added Almoayyed. “It also catered to all levels by giving three courses to choose from on the day, depending on the cyclist’s stamina and condition.”
The event, which is open to riders aged 19 and above, starts and finishes in Corvara, best known as a winter ski resort. It features a 138km ride with 4,320 metres of climbing and there are two shorter routes. The three routes are the Maratona Course (138km), the Middle Course (106km) and the Sellaronda Course (55km).
Almoayyed completed the 138km challenge in 7:59:44.2, making her the first GCC female to conquer the long course. Her category position was 16.
Meanwhile, Saar resident Joozi completed the Sellaronda loop, which has a 1,780m elevation, three times within 10 days for a total of 165km distance and 5,340m elevation gained. She placed 27 in the category position and 96 overall. “I secured the fastest time on race day of 3:57:33.2,” said the 45-year-old personal assistant to National Bank of Bahrain’s chief executive officer. “Practice really makes perfect!”
The duo trained hard in the lead up to this month’s event.
Almoayyed’s coach, Mikel Calahorra, set up the race course virtually and she trained fully indoors at fitness centres, gradually building up the elevation and mileage required.
“In two weeks, my training load was a total of 20-plus hours with more than 400km in distance achieved and more than 10,000 elevation gained,” added Almoayyed. “It was mentally tough but thoroughly rewarding to have endured the gruelling training and successfully complete the challenge.”
Joozi similarly was building up her mileage and stamina relative to her challenge indoors given that Bahrain is both hot and flat.
All participants of the Maratona received a medal made by local valley craftsmen using natural materials, including the must-have ciüf (the local term for flower-flora), the symbol of this edition.
Both cycling buddies are now on the lookout for a new adventure and they advise people to ‘not be afraid of challenges – set, plan, train and execute’.
For details, follow
@wafajoozi and
@mariam_almoayyed on Instagram.
