Leading UAE rider Badr Mohamed Alhammadi (r) says the sight of the world’s finest competing on the streets of the UAE can only fuel the country’s cycling boom.

On Wednesday, Alhammadi will line up alongside stellar names such as reigning Tour de France champion Vincenzo Nibali and renowned sprinter Mark Cavendish as the 2015 Dubai Tour gets underway.

– Cavendish heads up star-studded Dubai Tour line-up
– Tour de France winner Nibali’s excited to make his mark on Dubai Tour

Bigger crowds are also expected as the event grows from its inaugural staging 12 months ago.

Alhammadi, who will represent the UAE national team, says the quality of the field will help him improve as a rider while it will also lead to more and more UAE citizens embracing the sport.

He said: “It’s brilliant. The sport continues to improve, especially with the biggest riders in the world competing here in Dubai.

“The future of cycling is bright thanks to the race organisers and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.

“I never thought that one day we would have this race in the UAE.

“It’s superb and it gives me a chance to improve as I’ll be racing at high pace with some of the top names in the sport.”

The 31-year-old added that his primary focus for the Tour is to improve his speed with one eye on a packed programme up ahead, while also looking for a top-30 finish.

“We want to improve our speed this weekend and improve our form. “My aim is to finish in the top 30, especially with the big names we have in the race.”