"Organizing a bike race in the desert is a concept in itself", explains the New Zealander Jack Bauer who, at the age of 37, is having his first "unique experience" in this setting of sand and rock on roads weaving through breathtaking canyons.

Contested over five stages in the northwest of Saudi Arabia, in a region as large as Belgium but populated by only 40,000 inhabitants, the race offers grandiose landscapes and plunges the runners back several years, in a casual atmosphere. , far from the infernal pressure of European races.

Here we dress, as in the old days, at the "ass of the truck" and we install folding chairs under a palm tree to stick our bib.

And listen, sitting on the sidewalk or leaning against the wall of the mosque, the briefing of the sports directors, before a last stop in the toilets in containers placed in the parking lot.

"I hadn't experienced this since my years in the Continental (3rd division) with simple cars instead of a team bus, without toilets and with camping chairs. It's super nice to do one or two races a year like that, without the stress of the events in Europe. Please note that these are not holidays but it is a great experience", underlines the Austrian Felix Grossschartner, one of the new lieutenants of Tadej Pogacar at UAE.

The peloton in the wake of Norwegian Soren Waerenskjold at the end of the 3rd stage of the Saudi Tour in Abou Rakah, February 1, 2023 © Thomas SAMSON / AFP

Sandstorm

At the start, the atmosphere is very relaxed, to the point of seeing runners come and push a pod of coffee into the espresso machine in the VIP area a few minutes from the gong, in the middle of a few Saudi dignitaries in traditional dress.

On arrival, the podium is erected in sublime places, at the top of a rock open to all the winds or in the middle of the desert, where the winner joins the prize-giving by roaming in the sand, bike on his shoulder.

An expedition "almost harder than the stage", laughs, greatly exaggerating, the Italian Jonathan Milan, who arrived first on Tuesday.

"It's really an atypical race, very exotic. But, even if it's not the objective of the year, we are also there for the performance", insists the French runner from Cofidis, Axel Mariault.

Riders on the Saudi Tour cross the Saudi desert towards Shalal Sijlyat Rocks on January 31, 2023 © Thomas SAMSON / AFP/Archives

In fact, the race is demanding.

There are certainly no big superstars in the running, but seven World Tour teams who are struggling and making more modest teams suffer martyrdom like the Saudi national team, which struggles every night to arrive on time.

The main enemy is the wind which sweeps the plain and the plateaus in height.

“We even had a sandstorm,” reports Jack Bauer.

Watch out for camels

The donkeys crossing all the time are also a danger and the many policemen posted along the route are there first and foremost to prevent the camels from blocking the peloton's route.

In this exotic setting, we still find some landmarks, such as the presence of the "voice of the Tour de France", since the race is organized, like the Grande Boucle, by Amaury Sport Organization (ASO).

But the contrast remains striking between this cycling "close to home" and the means deployed by Saudi Arabia to host the event, which is part of its strategy of promotion through sport, often criticized by the West.

The riders prepare their equipment before the start of the 3rd stage of the Saudi Tour in Al-Ula, February 1, 2023 © Thomas SAMSON / AFP

Thus, Jack Bauer has still not completely recovered from the opening ceremony, which offered a dizzying show of trapeze artists and an insane drone show in the middle of the desert.

"It looked like the Olympics. I can't even imagine how much it cost," breathes the runner, housed like everyone else in a luxury lodge going up to 1,000 euros a night, at the expense of the host country.

"If the teams had to pay, it would cost them half of the budget for the year", jokes the Czech Zdenek Stybar who notes that "the Saudis have money to invest and really want to promote cycling in their country".

© 2023 AFP