Voice of Sport by Abu George

Swift cyclist Ahmed Madan has just been named to the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) WorldTour, making him the first Bahraini professional cyclist to ride in Team Bahrain Victorious and represent the country on an international stage.

While Madan could easily rest on his handlebars and think that he has made it, the down-to-earth youngster is acutely aware of the learning curve ahead... steeper than some of the mountain climbs he will soon encounter.

Born in 2000 to Abdulghani, an air traffic controller, and Shukria, a retired teacher, Madan remembers riding around his village of Daih when he was three but he would often leave his bicycle behind, preferring to play football (“I was bad”) and basketball (“even worse”)! 

(This is the longer version of the story published in this week's GulfWeekly. )

It was only when he turned 13 and he took ownership of his first mountain bike that he realised how much he enjoyed the experience of cycling.  Initially it was simply a way to meet friends and hang out although as they explored new areas and ventured further he found himself always striving to catch up.

This ignited a drive in Madan that is still evident today.  Tired of being at the back and recognising a need to lose weight he started pushing himself by cycling more and started running.  Quickly the additional effort paid off.  When his friends now challenged the group to “race to the next lamppost” he would arrive first.

At the age of 16 he reached a fork in the road.  His friend Ali Almawlani purchased a new downhill mountain bike, an area of speciality at which he represents Bahrain at national level.  However while Almawlani took the high road, Madan chose to focus on a smoother road to fuel his love of speed, not always achievable downhill due to the technical components.

He bought his first road bike at the age of 16 after he went on a school trip to Cambridge.  Rather than spending the money his parents provided him for the journey he saved it and bought a new bike on his return!  He started riding regularly around Al Areen, occasionally returning to cycling off-road to improve his power and bike handling skills.  This ability to focus on achieving his goals will stand him in good stead as he sets new targets.

Madan recounts a number of occasions over the next few years in which he had to learn lessons the hard way.  While cycling on the roads at the back of Zallaq he was overtaken and easily dropped by some expat riders, one of whom, Mikael Gilliam, offered him a challenge. “Join us next week and once you can keep up I will give you proper cycling shoes and equipment”.  Challenge accepted, although he admits to not properly understanding the offer!  Several weeks later Madan was the proud owner of new cycling cleats.

As his passion for cycling grew he started to compete.  His first race was a time trial starting and finishing in the Al Areen area.  He finished “comfortably last”.  However Gilliam continued to give him midweek training and his progress was noticeable – on and off the bike.  Aged 17 Madan was crowned school champion winning a 3km running race.

Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Cycling Association, proudly asserted, “Bahrain is fortunate to have a pool of athletes to select from. We annually get one or two riders to promote to the national team. Madan is at the right age to start the journey of learning the ropes of professional cycling. What sets him apart is his desire to be good and work hard. He has a big passion for the sport which would be essential for the hours of training he’ll need in order to perform at the highest level of racing. 

The opportunity Madan is getting to join the elite riders has major implications on the sport in the kingdom. Translating the experience to other riders and a new generation of cyclists is priceless. The exposure Madan will bring to the sport will attract more kids to join the sport and more families to support them. Speaking as the president of BCA, Madan joining the pro tour brings excitement and major potential to build success at a higher level. The ceiling has been raised for the Association; we can now aspire to compete at the continental level and be better equipped than before. “

In 2018 Madan was selected for the national team and again had to push himself to keep up while also having to learn the nuances of cycling in a peloton; lessons learned the hard way with scars to prove it!  He continued to push himself.  When the team was presented an “easy day” he could be found extending himself on sand tracks or up hills.  Even now he admits to looking for a headwind so that he can battle into it, working through different gears to adapt his training.  It was in 2018 that he won his first race, the Bahrain national road race despite competing as a junior.

Madan continued to also excel off road and represented Bahrain in 2018 at the Mountain Bike championships in Oman finishing 5th.  Last year he won the Saudi Arabia mountain bike race.  He believes that the technical aspects lend themselves well to road biking which is perhaps why there are so many from this discipline now making their way through to the top of the professional ranks.

This is where Madan now finds himself racing with Team Bahrain Victorious in the UCI World Tour classification – the pinnacle of the sport.  He recognises this is a huge leap.  Having first received a call from Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa to inform him of his promotion and then receiving the “blessing” of being selected for the launch of the new team identity, the hard work ahead of a move to Valencia and a training camp has already started.

Under new coach Aritz Arberas he described his sessions as “harder than ever” but also has complete trust that the whole extended team will provide support and carefully manage his progress.  It is impressive that, by looking at the margins gained by professional teams, for the last year Madan has independently sought out his own nutritionist and sports psychologist, undertaking regular online counselling sessions with each.  He credits these for helping him to secure victory in the recent Bahrain time trial, finishing 15 seconds ahead of his close friend Mansoor.  Given the restrictions faced due to Covid this makes his achievements more impressive and are testimony to his dedication.  Now these specialists will be provided for him.

He has enjoyed the opportunities provided by Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa to interact with members of the Bahrain Merida team since inception and even race alongside the Endurance 13, notably Alistair Brownlee and Jan Frodeno, in addition to recently claiming the national team time trial alongside His Highness.  Indeed the honour of wearing the new Bahrain Victorious shirt for the first time became gilt-edged when he realised he would again have the opportunity to meet Shaikh Nasser!

When Madan was elevated to the Bahrain Cycling Academy he recognised the step up to the Continental class.  While training camps in Slovakia and Turkey were new experiences, particularly those involving altitude training, they were made easier by having some familiar faces around him from the Bahrain national team.  His first UCI race was in Turkey and it ended in disappointing fashion due to a simultaneous puncture and mechanical failure.  However he has not been deterred.

Madan draws inspiration from many people around him, always looking up to and learning from the leading riders in any of the groups and teams he cycles with.  Within the Continental team he was particularly impressed by Norwegian rider, Jonas , who amazes with his power and dedication – every day appears to be “cycle, eat, sleep – repeat”!  There are myriad names in the Bahrain Victorious team that he aspires to learn from, pedalling off a list of his new colleagues.

His initial inspiration to try to become a professional cyclist came from Shaikh Nasser’s formation of the Bahrain Merida team. Madan also draws inspiration from peers like Norwegian rider Jonas and his colleagues Sayed Ahmed Khalil and Jawad Mansoor, as well as Bahrainis in other sports including the Bahrain football team and triathlete Abdulla Attiya.

Further afield it is the young riders in the World Tour peloton rather than the established and more successful “old-guard” that provide inspiration – and a target.  Mathieu van der Poel, Egan Bernal, Tao Geoghegan Hart and Wout van Aert are all riders that eschew the historical theory that you have to be older than 27 to win.  Unsurprisingly several of these share off-road cycling skills with Madan rather than being road racing purists.

Not that he is yet ready to be talked about in the same breath.  Far from it – Madan is under no illusions as to how far he still has to go!  While he has aspirations to one day raise his hands aloft at the top of a brutal mountain stage at the Tour de France, short- term goals lie much closer to home.  Indeed it would be a major achievement just to be selected in any of the team events this year.  After all he is yet to compete in a championship and has only raced once in a four-day race in Turkey which ended badly.  Only the first half year of his competition schedule is planned as the second half will depend on success in the early months.  Training is currently being geared towards the Gulf Games in March and the Arab Championships (UAE) at which he will compete in the U23 category.  His performance in these will determine whether he can compete in the world championships.

Other tests await.  When we met he had just finished a training ride in the “cold” Bahrain conditions of 17c which forced him to wrap up warm.  The snow-capped peaks and biting winds that greeted the riders in the Giro are a long way away!  Racing in different climatic conditions is just one aspect of a wholescale lifestyle adjustment he will be undertaking in January.  As with the strongest winds, however, he is looking forward to meeting these challenges head-on.

Shaikh Khalid continued, “Madan will certainly need to grow mentally and physically to meet the demands of the Pro team. Easier said than done, the training program for Pro cyclists is very rigorous and requires dedication and perseverance. Madan will not have a lot of adaptation time and will need to work around a schedule of training in Europe as well as the current COVID pandemic which won’t help. After spending one season with the continental team, Bahrain Cycling Academy, the jump will be quite big and more demanding. Expectations need to be managed by Madan; he will face tough races and  racing conditions.

Cycling is growing in Bahrain thanks to the support of his H.H. Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad. His vision to transform the kingdom into an energy driven population has been instrumental in the increase of cyclists on the roads. As an association, we are trying to capitalize on this interest by providing more events that cater to different levels and cycling interests. We are also working furiously to raise awareness about riding safely and encouraging more interest in developing the cycling infrastructure. We hope this momentum creates awareness amongst sponsors and officials to support the development of the cycling infrastructure given the major role it plays in promoting a healthy lifestyle.”

Having grown up riding on Bahrain’s roads Madan is acutely aware of the dangers faced.  He himself was hit by a car in almost the same place at which Allan Sword was recently killed, fortunately having seen the car and been able to take some evasive action.  The glancing blow still resulted in an ambulance ride to hospital and a lengthy array of tests, fortunately escaping with deep cuts and bruising although his bike was a write-off.  Several members of the national team are still recovering a year after they were mowed down in a separate incident.

He envisages the need to do more to promote safety.  Last year he sat alongside Mark Cavendish answering questions about how to improve road cycling conditions.  He urges all cyclists to wear helmets and use lights and bright colours while he feels that the biggest problem with motorists is the distractions they face by using electronic devices.

Off the track he loves to watch motor racing and has visited the BIC on several occasions, specifically to watch the GT3 series and loves WEC and specifically has a passion for the Porsche!  It is amazing how life can be full of coincidence.  One time he was out cycling and was joined by Gianmaria Bruni who was in Bahrain to race and was keeping fit.  They became friends and the following year Madan was delighted to show off his beloved Bahrain on two wheels as they cycled around the Kingdom taking in the sights.  Madan prefers to watch him race though!

Teachers and mentors around the world tell children –“ you can be anything that you want to be provided you work hard enough”.  Madan is the epitome of this – while working smarter too!  It is important to celebrate how far he has come in a short period of time yet Bahrain should be under no illusion how far he still has to go.  His brief career is already littered with examples of Madan coming from the back of the pack through his effort and initiative.

It is refreshing to witness a humility that allows his to acknowledge performance differentials and then learn from those he respects around him.

The final word should rest with Shaikh Khalid; “Madan should be able to navigate the challenge knowing that the nation is behind him.”