UAE rider Yousif Mirza is undaunted by the fact that he will be lining up against some of the world’s very best cyclists today.

The 25-year-old could not hide his excitement speaking ahead of the Dubai Tour as he explained how the event can open the door for himself and his fellow UAE National Team riders to step into the world of professional cycling.

“This is the first race for us against professionals like these and it’s a chance to evaluate our level and see where we stand compared to them,” Mirza told Sport360°. “The Dubai Tour is a positive step for us and is just a start for better things to come.

“It’s a stepping stone for us towards going professional and hopefully we can attract the right sponsors to make it on the international stage.

“We’ve been preparing extremely well for this event, particularly as a team from the host country.

“This is a huge step for us, to represent our country in such a big sports event. We’ll try to do our very best, it’s an opportunity that we don’t plan on missing.”

Mirza, who had a strong build-up to this event having picked up the Tour of Zubarah title in Qatar last December, has been participating in the sport for the past 11 years.

He is part of the team that is representing the UAE Cycling Federation – which along with the Skydive Dubai Pro Cycling Team – will be flying the flag for the host nation.

This isn’t Mirza’s first time racing against professionals but he admits that competing at home will be a novel and precious experience for him.

He added: “I’ve competed in the 2012 Tour of Qatar as part of the GCC team, but this time it’s different – it’s the first time for me to compete against professionals in my home country.

“When you compete at home, you know the roads, the weather, the conditions, so it gives you extra motivation to give your best.

“I’m essentially a climber and it’s true that the course doesn’t necessarily favour me but there a few climbs in the third stage and I’m looking forward to do well in that stage.”