The UAE Cycling Training Camp: How a Pro Block Works

Four young riders from Sharjah have been called up to a national cycling training camp, and the news is a useful window into how the pros actually prepare. According to Sharjah24, the UAE Cycling Federation selected four Sharjah Sports Club riders to join the national team for a camp at the Al Qudra Cycling Track in Dubai, ahead of a busy run of upcoming events. Most of us will never pull on the national kit, but the way a camp like this structures a training block is something any weekend rider in Dubai or Sharjah can borrow.

In this article

1. Who is in the camp, and why it matters
2. How a pro training block is built
3. Training in the heat, the UAE way
4. What a weekend rider can borrow before the UAE Tour
5. Train smart, ride strong

Who is in the camp, and why it matters

The four riders named by Sharjah24 are Saif Mohammed Thani Al Ghawi, Saud Abdulqader and Saeed Omar in the youth category, and Ali Al Mannai in the junior category. They join a national setup that has quietly become a production line for talent. The National reports that the Adnoc UAE Team Emirates-XRG Academy has reached more than 15,000 children across 40 schools, that Al Qudra in Dubai and Hudayriyat Island in Abu Dhabi are the main training venues, and that the federation organised more than 50 races for kids in six months. A call-up is not a one-off treat here, it is the next rung on a real ladder.

How a pro training block is built

A camp is not just riding hard for a week. It is a block with a shape, and that shape is periodisation: you build a wide aerobic base first, then layer sharper efforts on top as the target race gets closer. BikeRadar describes the base as riding steadily in Zone 2, at a conversational effort of roughly 65 to 75 per cent of maximum heart rate, before a build phase adds tempo, threshold and VO2 work.

A common mistake for time-poor riders is to think base means only long, slow miles. It does not. As BikeRadar puts it, spending every one of a handful of weekly hours solely on base training could leave you losing fitness, so most amateurs are better off blending one longer steady ride with a couple of short, sharp sessions. A simple weekly shape looks like this:

• One long ride. Steady Zone 2 endurance that builds the engine.
• Two short sessions. Sweet-spot or threshold intervals to add power without burning you out.
• Easy spinning. Gentle recovery rides that keep the legs moving between hard days.
• Rest. At least one full day off, because adaptation happens when you recover, not when you train.

Training in the heat, the UAE way

The one thing a Gulf rider has to plan around is the heat, and here the science is oddly encouraging. Heat is a training stimulus in its own right: biketips notes that most cyclists reach solid heat adaptation in ten to fourteen consecutive days, as blood plasma expands by ten per cent or more to improve heart output and oxygen delivery. Those gains fade within a week or two of stopping, so consistency matters far more than the odd heroic ride.

Safety comes first, though, and a Gulf authority is clear on the basics. Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi advises riders to move workouts to early morning or evening, to sip water or a sports drink throughout and keep drinking afterwards, and to wear lightweight, light-coloured, moisture-wicking clothing. Stop straight away for cramps, a headache, dizziness or unusual tiredness, which are early warning signs of heat exhaustion. In a UAE summer, that is not caution, it is common sense.

What a weekend rider can borrow before the UAE Tour

February is the natural target on the local calendar. The UAE Tour returns in 2027, with the women's race on 3 to 6 February and the men's race on 15 to 21 February, which makes the cooler months the perfect window to arrive fit for group rides and sportives. You do not need a national camp to train like one, you just need to borrow its structure:

1. Set one clear goal, whether it is a first 100km ride or simply keeping up on the weekend group.
2. Build a base through the cooler months with steady rides you can genuinely sustain.
3. Add two focused interval sessions a week once that base is in place.
4. Treat recovery and sleep as part of the plan, never an afterthought.

Train smart, ride strong

The riders heading to Al Qudra have coaches, a plan and a calendar behind them. The good news is that the same thinking, train with purpose, respect the heat and build in recovery, works just as well for the rest of us. That is exactly what GymNation is set up to support, whether you are cross-training your legs, building the strength that holds a position on the bike, or simply staying consistent through the year. Ready to get started? Fill in the enquiry form and the GymNation team will take it from there.

Sources:
sharjah24.ae
thenationalnews.com
bikeradar.com
biketips.com
clevelandclinicabudhabi.ae

The opinions shared in the GymNation blog articles are solely those of the respective authors and may not represent the perspectives of GymNation or any member of the GymNation team.