{"id":742744,"date":"2025-11-26T02:07:59","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T23:07:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=742744"},"modified":"2025-11-26T02:07:59","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T23:07:59","slug":"jim-cotton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=742744","title":{"rendered":"Jim Cotton"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n
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Updated November 26, 2025 05:10AM<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A big sandy mountain is growing in the Emirati skyline that\u2019s got Tadej Poga\u010dar\u2019s name written all over it.<\/p>\n

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Well not literally, but sort of.<\/p>\n

Authorities in the UAE are building up an artificial hill that will have risen hundreds of meters high by 2028 \u2013 right in time for Abu Dhabi to host the UCI road world championships.<\/p>\n

In fact, the \u201cAl Wathba Mountain\u201d is only one of a number of hillocks rising into the UAE\u2019s sand \u2018n\u2019 skyscraper landscape. A series of smaller hills are also being developed in the nearby Hudayriyat sports parks.<\/p>\n

The emergence of these artificial dunes outside Abu Dhabi is already causing consternation among the peloton\u2019s sprinters.<\/p>\n

The UAE worlds had been touted as the first chance for a fastman to win a rainbow jersey in a decade.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are working on it,\u201d Belgium\u2019s alpha sprinter Tim Merlier told Het Laatste Nieuws<\/em> of the Al Wathba. \u201cEvery year we see it growing in size at the UAE Tour.\u201d<\/p>\n

And guess what?<\/p>\n

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A \u201cmountainous\u201d parcours in Abu Dhabi would be perfect for Tadej \u201cI\u2019ve got a $50 million contract funded by the UAE\u201d Poga\u010dar.<\/p>\n

Sprinters are despairing, Poga\u010dar is salivating<\/h2>\n
\"The
Abu Dhabi \u2013 no hills here (yet).<\/span> (Photo: Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are no hints at the courses for the Abu Dhabi worlds this far out from the championships. The 2028 road race could be a pan-flat sprint fest.<\/p>\n

Or it could, of course, take a detour into the newly constructed \u201cAbu Dhabi Alps.\u201d<\/p>\n

And for Merlier and the fast-finishers, these sandy mounds truly might as well be the Glandon and Galibier.<\/p>\n

Strapping speedsters won\u2019t stand a chance against the likes of Poga\u010dar and Remco Evenepoel if they get sent loopy over repeat circuits of an oversized dune.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery generation of sprinters should get at least one real chance at a world title. I fear that chance will never come for me,\u201d said Merlier, who\u2019s already 33 years old.<\/p>\n

And you gotta feel for Merlier.<\/p>\n

He does have a point.<\/p>\n

The peloton\u2019s sprinters have already been waiting since Doha in 2016 for their chance at a rainbow jersey.<\/p>\n

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The puncheur\u2019s championships next year in Montr\u00e9al, and the vert-loaded course in Sallanches 2027, certainly don\u2019t do them any favors either.<\/p>\n

Oh, and guess who\u2019s already being touted as a favorite for both? You got it.<\/p>\n

From climate control to Poga\u010dar\u2019s world championship climb?<\/h2>\n
\"Poga\u010dar
Poga\u010dar doesn\u2019t really need any help to win bike races.<\/span> (Photo: Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And no, this whole story isn\u2019t something invented by the Tin Foil Hat Brigade.<\/p>\n

The Al Wathba artificial mountain is definitely a \u201cthing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Abu Dhabi\u2019s sand-berg was first constructed in the bid to promote rainfall via the movement of damp air off of the nearby Persian Gulf.<\/p>\n

Since then, it seems to have become a destination for tourists who\u2019ve gotten bored with shopping, sunbathing, and riding on camels.<\/p>\n

\u201cWathba Artificial Hill is a striking tourist attraction located in the serene landscapes of Abu Dhabi,\u201d praises travel and events company Evendo<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis unique site is known for its man-made hill, which beautifully blends with the natural surroundings, providing a picturesque escape from the bustling city life. As you arrive, you\u2019ll be greeted by sweeping vistas of the surrounding desert and the soft hues of the evening sun setting over the horizon, creating an idyllic backdrop for memorable photographs.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The site has hosted the \u201cAl Wathba Hill Challenge\u201d running race, and is used as a focal point for paragliding activities.<\/p>\n

According to Spanish outlet MARCA<\/em>, Al Wathba has become so popular that it\u2019s set to grow even faster than Poga\u010dar\u2019s bank balance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Al Wathba climb began almost as an afterthought in 2023. A 1.4km climb with an average gradient of around 6 percent and the occasional ramp approaching 9 percent. By 2026, the hill will measure 2km and accumulate 92 meters of elevation gain. It will truly become steep in the final 500 meters, where it reaches around 11 percent,\u201d MARCA<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n

\u201cAccording to internal documents from the emirate consulted by civil engineering companies, the plan is to complete a much more challenging climb by 2028. It will be approximately 3.8km long, with an average gradient of around 6.5 percent and a final section reaching nearly 11 percent for a kilometer. The last 250 meters could even reach 13 percent,\u201d MARCA<\/em> wrote this week.<\/p>\n

Poga\u010dar is probably helping drive all the sand to the construction site to make sure it happens.<\/p>\n

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Source URL: https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/uae-artificial-mountain-suits-pogacar\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Updated November 26, 2025 05:10AM A big sandy mountain is growing in the Emirati skyline that\u2019s got Tadej Poga\u010dar\u2019s name written all over it. Well not literally, but sort of. Authorities in the UAE are building up an artificial hill that will have risen hundreds of meters high by 2028 \u2013 right in time for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":742745,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[71],"class_list":["post-742744","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-velo-outsideonline-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/742744","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=742744"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/742744\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/742745"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=742744"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=742744"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=742744"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}