Samuel "Samu" Sánchez is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally in the sport between 2000 and 2017 for the Euskaltel–Euskadi and BMC Racing Team squads. He was the gold medal winner in the road race at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In the following years Samuel Sánchez staked a claim as one of the world’s elite riders in mountain classic races. As one of the most valuable riders in the peloton Samu excelled on the descend leading his team to victories. He finished in the top 6 of the Tour de France three times and in the top 10 of the Vuelta a España six times. He also won the polka dot jersey as the best climber of the 2011 Tour de France after winning the Luz Ardiden stage. Other notable achievements include winning the Vuelta a Burgos in 2010, the 2012 Tour of the Basque Country and five stages in La Vuelta a España.
Alain Prost, a legendary French Formula 1 driver, is recognised as one of the sport's greatest competitors of all time. During his career, Prost secured four Formula One World Drivers' Championships and held the record for most Grand Prix victories until 2001. With a motorsport journey that began at the age of 14, Prost swiftly progressed through the junior ranks, winning the French and European Formula Three Championships before joining McLaren ten years later. Prost's most notable victories include securing a points finish in his F1 debut at the San Martín Autodrome in 1980. A year later, he claimed a podium finish within the same circuit, followed by his first Grand Prix victory in France while driving for the Renault team.
Mark is a Former World and Paralympic Gold Medal track cyclist from Wales in the UK who competed at the London 2012 Paralympic Games for Paralympics GB. Unfortunately, in May 2009 Mark broke his back in a near fatal paragliding crash and was left with lower leg paralysis for life but he didn’t allow his life changing accident to stop him from reaching the pinnacle in sport. In February 2012 in Los Angeles, Mark became a world track champion in the 3km individual pursuit before then competing in the iconic London Games. In the qualification rounds he smashed the world record by seven seconds and then went on to break it again in the Paralympic final just four hours later, to become a well-deserved track cycling Olympian. Mark was awarded the honour of an MBE ( Member of the British Empire ) in May 2013 for his services to sport and country by HRH King Charles III. Mark now lives and coaches in Dubai.
Vitor Carvalho is originally from Portugal where he began his career as a pro cyclist at the age of 17 as an elite mountain bike racer. In 1999 Vitor transitioned competencies to road cycling where he rode as an amateur until turning professional in 2006. During his time as a professional, Vitor rode for a number of the well-known professional teams in Portugal and Spain. He gained a reputation as an elite climber and valuable member of his teams throughout a long and successful career. Vitor retired from professional cycling in 2013 and relocated to Dubai in order to continue his passion of cycling. He founded and now operates the InGruppeto Training & Assessment Centre for athletes to help them achieve their personal training goals. Vitor also served on the UAE National Olympic Cycling Committee and served as the Head Coach of the Olympic Project for two years.
Shaikha Madiya bint Hasher Al Maktoum has many achievements to her credit. She proudly wears the mantle of the rich sports legacy of the ruling Maktoum family, is an accomplished horse rider and a fitness enthusiast as well.
A keen cycling enthusiast, she holds a long list of accolades in the sport to her name including the Emirati Amateur Women's title at the Nad Al Sheba Cycling Championship in 2022. Participating in the 7 Emirates Challenge for the second year in a row, Her Highness aims to spread awareness on the importance of a healthy and fit lifestyle for women in particular.
Nelson Oliveira is a Portuguese professional road racing cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Movistar Team. In September 2009, Nelson won the silver medal in the under-23 time trial at the UCI Road World Championships. In September 2010, he went again to the UCI Road World Championships, and was 4th in the under-23 time trial, missing a podium by just 4 seconds. In 2011 he won the Portuguese National Time Trial Championships and finished 17th in the UCI World Time Trial Championships. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he competed in the men's road race and the men's individual time trial. In 2014, he won the Portuguese National Time Trial Championships again. He also won the Portuguese National Road Race Championships several days later. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, he competed in the road race and the men's individual time trial..
Janez "Jani" Brajkovič is a racing cyclist from Metlika, Slovenia, who most recently rode for UCI Continental team Adria Mobil. Before he turned professional in 2005, Jani won the under-23 world time trial title in 2004 by beating pre-race favourite Thomas Dekker by 18 seconds, with a time of 46:56.39, an average speed of 46.975 kilometers per hour. During his cycling career, Jani rode for Discovery Channel, Astana, Team RadioShack, UnitedHealthcare, Bahrian-Merida and Adria Mobil. His major wins include the Tour de Georgia in 2007, his first win as a professional. In 2010, he won the Critérium du Dauphiné after being able to follow Tour de France champion Alberto Contador in the mountains and besting him in the longer time trial of the race. Jani won the Tour of Slovenia in 2012 and later that year rode the Tour de France where he ended up finishing 9th overall. In 2013, his team won the stage 1 team time trial in the Vuelta a España in 2013, where Jani wore the red jersey for one day. Today, Jani is a cycling coach and certified AEQ method and breathing teacher. He is also a passionate advocate for mental health and eating disorders within the professional cycling community.
Alejandro Valverde, known as "El Bala" (The Bullet), is a Spanish cycling icon renowned for his remarkable career that spans over two decades. His impressive record includes a significant victory in the Vuelta a España, multiple wins in the Critérium du Dauphiné, and the Tour of the Basque Country. Known for his extraordinary consistency, Valverde boasts 27 top-ten finishes in 32 Grand Tours. His mastery in one-day races is underscored by his triumphs in the World Road Race Championships, Liège–Bastogne–Liège, and La Flèche Wallonne. Having retired from road cycling, he now showcases his talent in gravel cycling with the Movistar Team Gravel Squad, continuing to display his competitive spirit and adaptability in this challenging discipline.
Tommaso is a retired F-16 Fighter Pilot with a storied career flying for the Italian Airforce for over 25 years. While his day job is a military flight instructor for governments in the GCC he is now a vegan powered triathlete and certified Ironman coach. Tommaso is highly popular strength and endurance instructor at BR Performance Studios where his athletes benefit from his vast experience and innate discipline that enabled his successful military career. He approaches his training in a custom manner as he caters to the different needs, goals and challenges of each athlete and takes them to new heights!
Coach Joao is BR's Head Coach. He is a 7-time full ironman finisher, competed in the 2010 Kona IM World
Championship.
His coaching philosophy is based on guiding people to find a stronger version of themselves through
exercise.
Joao's main goal is to continue as head coach of the UAE triathlon Association's national team to further
develop the sport in the region.
Qualifications: post-graduate degree in physiology of exercise and the only ITU level 2 triathlon coach in
the region.
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