Dubai, United Arab Emirates – 2nd February 2025 – The highly anticipated L’Étape Dubai by Tour de France made its grand debut in the UAE this weekend, bringing together over 1,000 cycling enthusiasts, from hobby riders and amateurs to elite athletes, and recording the highest number of participants for the first edition of any amateur cycling event in the history of the UAE.

The main race, held on Sunday, February 2nd, saw hundreds of competitors set off from Dubai Design District (D3) on a thrilling 101 km route, navigating Dubai-Al Ain Road (E66) before a decisive push by Syrian national and UAE resident, Ibrahiem Alrefai, along Zayed Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street (D54), delivered an exhilarating first place finish at Expo Village Park. In total, the event featured the highest number of international competitors to have participated in the first edition of an amateur cycling race in Dubai, including over 250 Emiratis.

After a fiercely contested battle, Ibrahiem Alrefai secured the first-ever L’Étape Dubai title in a time of 02:17:24, followed closely by Ivan Kormshchikov in an impressive effort, with Danil Konotop rounding out the podium. The competitive nature of the race saw riders put their endurance and strategy to the test, with an electric atmosphere pushing them towards the finish line.