Islamabad: In its largest edition ever, the Tour of Islamabad, Pakistan’s premier road cycling edition, saw athletes from all four provinces compete for the trophies. 95 professional riders, male and female, took up the challenging three-day course in and around the capital city.
The race started on Friday with the first challenge, an individual time trial from Islamabad Zoo up the Pir Sohawa Road to the top of the ridge of Margalla National Park. The winding road is particularly difficult as it is impossible to find a steady rhythm due to the varying gradient. Despite the challenging parkour, several riders finished the stage well under 30 minutes, including Islamabad’s own Danish Mand Khan.
The second stage brought more climbing, albeit of a different kind: the ride along the Expressway to Lower Topa required riders to pace themselves well and manage their energy over the long, grueling climb of more than 1500m.
For the final, on Sunday the race returned to the heart of the capital. The riders had to complete 6 loops on 7th Avenue from Margalla Road to China-Pak Friendship Center. Tactical and good bike handling skills were required as riders battled for positions in the large peloton group at high speeds.
Chief Commissioner Islamabad, Muhammad Usman Younis, together with Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon distributed the prices at the closing ceremony. He praised the efforts of the riders, their determination, and their team spirit. He expressed appreciation for the Islamabad Cycling Association for having put together such an impressive event together with the Pakistan Cycling Federation with the support of the MCI, CDA, ICTA, and Police. Stressing the importance of sports and regular exercise for health and general well-being, he outlined ongoing efforts and further plans to improve the infrastructure of the capital city to facilitate cycling as well as other outdoor activities for all citizens.
Race Director and main organizer, Haroon General from Islamabad Cycling Association thanked the Chief Commissioner and all agencies for their good cooperation. He pointed out the increasing interest in cycling in the country, not only as a sport, but also recreational activity and as an active mode of transportation.
Shawali from Bikestan Cycling Academy claimed the trophy of the best male rider overall for the Tour of Islamabad. Shabeer Hussain from the Balochistan team ranked second, followed by Muhammad Bilal from the Army Team. Basim Chaudhry from Islamabad, riding for Bikestan Cycling Academy, won the women’s category with a clean sweep of first places for all three stages and the overall first rank. Her example has the potential to inspire other women to take up cycling or other sports and pursue their dreams.
Daniel Clauss from Germany, who competed in the Master’s category, praised the event and stated:
“At the foot of Margalla Hills, Islamabad has a huge potential for sustainable outdoor sports and recreation. For this potential to be realized, the exceptional environment must be protected while dedicated infrastructure will enable athletes and citizens to enjoy nature in a sustainable manner.”
The event was organized by Islamabad Cycling Association in cooperation with Pakistan Cycling Federation, Capital Development Authority, Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad, and ICT Administration