Meet the Belgian champion who moved to Dubai to join the police cycling team

Kim de Baat hopes the new UAE Tour Women will inspire local Emirati riders

Kim de Baat at the UAE Tour Women
(Image credit: Getty)

Few, if any, of the riders at the UAE Tour Women could claim to know the country better than Kim de Baat. For many, the new four-day event brought a first taste of racing in the Middle East. Not for De Baat, though.  

Just two years ago, the Belgian national champion left her life in Europe and moved to the sky-scraping city of Dubai to join Police Cycling Team. When the opportunity came to return earlier this month, she was eager to take it. 

Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Tom Davidson
Senior News Writer

Tom joined Cycling Weekly as a news and features writer in the summer of 2022, having previously contributed as a freelancer. He is the host of The TT Podcast, which covers both the men's and women's pelotons and has featured a number of prominent British riders. 


An enthusiastic cyclist himself, Tom likes it most when the road goes uphill and actively seeks out double-figure gradients on his rides. 


He's also fluent in French and Spanish and holds a master's degree in International Journalism.