DUBAI // A father of three is preparing to take on one of the toughest cycling routes in the world and raise Dh55,000 for a charity.
Bernard Hunt, 46, a senior project manager for Wates Construction in Abu Dhabi, decided to take part in the amateur version of the 102nd Tour de France cycling competition. His decision was made after he was challenged to do so by colleagues in Britain.
The Tour de Force affords participants the opportunity to compete on part of the same route of the world-famous race, including the gruelling Pyrenees section.
Mr Hunt will be raising funds for the William Wates Memorial Trust in Britain, a charity that helps disadvantaged people.
“I have never done anything like this before, so I thought it would be a good challenge and signed up,” said Mr Hunt, who will be taking part with eight British cyclists.
He said he had to increase his amount of training after realising the extent of the challenge.“It’s about 550 kilometres along the mountains and it’s going to be incredibly difficult,” said Mr Hunt.
“I’ll be doing three legs on that [Pyrenees] section, so it’s going to be really tough.”
The event starts on June 27, but Mr Hunt’s section of the tour, which involves stages 10 to 12, runs from July 6 to 10.
“With the weather getting hotter, I’ve had to start at about 5am and then train until 9am,” he said.
“I’m trying to do at least 300km a week on the road, as well as high-intensity spinning classes to get me in the right condition.
“I know it’s going to be difficult, but my aim is to get to a level where I can enjoy taking part in the race.”
Preparing for the mountain climb has proved to be tricky because the UAE lacks the terrain to prepare for such events.
“I’ve been doing a lot of training at Jebel Hafeet mountains and, although they are nowhere near as big, it does give me some practice,” said the project manager.
“I’ve basically just raced up and then back down as many times as I can. Another aspect is getting used to the long periods of time I’ll be in the saddle.
“It’s going to be about 10 hours each day, so there has been a lot of work done to get used to that,” he said.
Mr Hunt’s family members were initially surprised by his decision to compete in the Tour de Force, but they have been supportive of his plans, as have his colleagues.
“I’ve been especially fortunate because my employer has allowed me time off to prepare.”
Steve Yazdabadi, managing director at Wates Construction International in Abu Dhabi, said the company was proud of Mr Hunt and his teammates’ partcipation in the cycling event and raising funds for charity.
“We fully support Bernard and wish him all the best as he gears up for the most challenging stage of the race, cycling through the Pyrenees mountains,” said Mr Yazdabadi.
Mr Hunt’s team has set a target of raising about Dh233,000 for the William Wates Memorial Trust. The charity aims to help disadvantaged young people keep away from a life of crime and fulfil their potential.
“I am so fortunate to be in a country and in a job that means my family doesn’t have to worry about things like holidays, but that isn’t the case for many people,” said Mr Hunt.
“I’ve managed to raise about Dh16,000 so far, but I’m appealing for more sponsorship and donations to help me reach my target.”
To donate visit www.bmycharity.com/teamwates.
Iraq negotiating over Iran sanctions impact
- US sanctions on Iran’s energy industry and exports took effect on Monday, November 5.
- Washington issued formal waivers to eight buyers of Iranian oil, allowing them to continue limited imports. Iraq did not receive a waiver.
- Iraq’s government is cooperating with the US to contain Iranian influence in the country, and increased Iraqi oil production is helping to make up for Iranian crude that sanctions are blocking from markets, US officials say.
- Iraq, the second-biggest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, pumped last month at a record 4.78 million barrels a day, former Oil Minister Jabbar Al-Luaibi said on Oct. 20. Iraq exported 3.83 million barrels a day last month, according to tanker tracking and data from port agents.
- Iraq has been working to restore production at its northern Kirkuk oil field. Kirkuk could add 200,000 barrels a day of oil to Iraq’s total output, Hook said.
- The country stopped trucking Kirkuk oil to Iran about three weeks ago, in line with U.S. sanctions, according to four people with knowledge of the matter who asked not to be identified because they aren’t allowed to speak to media.
- Oil exports from Iran, OPEC’s third-largest supplier, have slumped since President Donald Trump announced in May that he’d reimpose sanctions. Iran shipped about 1.76 million barrels a day in October out of 3.42 million in total production, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
- Benchmark Brent crude fell 47 cents to $72.70 a barrel in London trading at 7:26 a.m. local time. U.S. West Texas Intermediate was 25 cents lower at $62.85 a barrel in New York. WTI held near the lowest level in seven months as concerns of a tightening market eased after the U.S. granted its waivers to buyers of Iranian crude.
Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
Points about the fast fashion industry Celine Hajjar wants everyone to know
- Fast fashion is responsible for up to 10 per cent of global carbon emissions
- Fast fashion is responsible for 24 per cent of the world's insecticides
- Synthetic fibres that make up the average garment can take hundreds of years to biodegrade
- Fast fashion labour workers make 80 per cent less than the required salary to live
- 27 million fast fashion workers worldwide suffer from work-related illnesses and diseases
- Hundreds of thousands of fast fashion labourers work without rights or protection and 80 per cent of them are women
Results
4pm: Al Bastakiya – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Panadol, Mickael Barzalona (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer)
4.35pm: Dubai City Of Gold – Group 2 (TB) $228,000 (Turf) 2,410m; Winner: Walton Street, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
5.10pm: Mahab Al Shimaal – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Canvassed, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Midnight Sands, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
6.20pm: Jebel Hatta – Group 1 (TB) $260,000 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Lord Glitters, Daniel Tudhope, David O’Meara
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 1 (TB) $390,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
7.30pm: Nad Al Sheba – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Final Song, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
Coming 2 America
Directed by: Craig Brewer
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones
3/5 stars
Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
RESULTS
Cagliari 5-2 Fiorentina
Udinese 0-0 SPAL
Sampdoria 0-0 Atalanta
Lazio 4-2 Lecce
Parma 2-0 Roma
Juventus 1-0 AC Milan
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Bookshops: A Reader's History by Jorge Carrión (translated from the Spanish by Peter Bush),
Biblioasis
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
