Dubai Sports Council (DSC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with RCS Sports, member of the Italian RCS Media group, to coordinate in organising the Cycling ‘Dubai Tour 2014’.

Having obtained the approval of the International Cycling Union (UCI) to include this event in the cycling calendar, Dubai is moving ahead to make it a success. 

As a first step Dubai Cycling Course was inaugurated to boost the development of cycling in UAE and the region.

During the Opening Ceremony of the first dedicated Dubai cycling lane on January 4, the Dubai Sport Council announced the ‘Dubai Tour’ in the presence of Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and four great cycling champions as Alberto Contador, Vincenzo Nibali, Ryder Hesjedal and Tony Martin.

During the event Dubai Sport Council presented the race logo and the new race jersey, designed by the prestigious Italian fashion house Versace.

Dr. Ahmad Al Sharif, Secretary-General of Dubai Sports Council and Lorenzo Giorgetti, Commercial director of RCS Sports signed the MOU at a press conference organised to give more details on this agreement which will support ‘Dubai Tour’ in terms of services and promote it on the international level.

RCS Sports deals in organising major sports events specially international cycling tours, notably the Giro d’Italia, deemed the second most important race in the world after the Tour de France. 

Moreover, the parent group, RCS Media, owns a number of major sports and general newspapers and magazines and international channels, making it one of the best marketing and promotion companies for sports and others.

Dr. Al Sharif said: “This agreement with RCS Sports comes in an attempt to reinforce the efforts of the Council in organising Dubai Tour as per international standards, making it an international race since its offset and making all cyclers look forward to participating in it.”

“The organisation of this race aims also at supporting sports tourism in the emirate of Dubai and contributes in promoting for the modern Dubai, in the light of the developments through the cycling races which are followed by millions of spectators around the world and are broadcasted by the most important international television channels,” he added.

Lorenzo Giorgetti, Commercial director of RCS Sports said: “We are truely happy and proud of this cooperation and partnership between DSC and RCS Sports aiming at organising this big event. We found DSC quite keen on developing cycling and organising the highest international race ever.”

Volvo Ocean Race’s unique Media Crew Member programme, drugs plus a clear focus on news production and distribution helped the 2011-12 edition deliver a surge in audience across platforms, figures in the end of race report show.

The multimedia reporters embedded in each of the six teams provided regular feeds of HD video, including live calls streamed from the boats via the Inmarsat satellite network, as well as still images, audio clips and written reports to give a thrilling view of the closest race in the 39-year history of the Volvo Ocean Race.

Headlines from the report, released exactly one year after the start of the race on October 29 2011, include:

–  42 percent increase in hours of TV broadcast around the world compared to 2008-09 – resulting in a 16 percent increase in cumulative TV audience
–  47.6 percent increase in TV news audience thanks to a focus on high-value broadcasters and news agencies
–  94.8 percent increase in online articles published about the race
–  More than 8 million views on the race’s official YouTube channel
–  6.26 million unique visitors to volvooceanrace.com bringing 127 million page views – more than double the page views from the 2008-09 race
–  2.9 million visitors to the Race Villages – with an average crowd of 43,882 on In-Port Race days
–  23,486 corporate guests attending over the course of the race
–  Number one sailing property on Facebook with over 200,000 fans
–  More than 16 million visits and 244 million page views to the Race Tracker – a 67.3% increase in visits and seven times the number of page views

“These numbers demonstrate that not only was 2011-12 the closest race in the history of our event but also a huge success commercially,” said Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad. “More fans than ever followed the racing across our multimedia platforms, almost three million people came to the stopovers and over 20,000 corporate guests came to experience the event for themselves. The guest experience has been developed a lot with pro-am racing in all ports as well as more attractions in and around the race villages.

“The Media Crew Members’ performance took a big step forward and they sent back more content with higher quality than ever before, much of it going straight into news reports on some of the world’s biggest TV and digital platforms. No other top-flight sporting event has anything like the MCM programme, with embedded reporters sending back such thrilling HD content direct from the front line.”

The multimedia content was also introduced in new formats, such as the 3D Cinema in the Race Villages. In total, attractions at the Race Villages drew 692,000 visitors along a route that took the race across five continents, with stops in Spain, South Africa, Abu Dhabi, China, New Zealand, Brazil, the United States, Portugal, France and Ireland.

“The Volvo Ocean Race pulled in a total of 2.9 million spectators during the event,” said Volvo Ocean Race Chief Operating Officer Tom Touber. “To put that into perspective, the Euro 2012 soccer championship attracted 1.5 million.”

Frostad added: “We visited China for the second time in 2011-12 and made a real breakthrough with a first visit to the Middle East with what was a spectacular stop in Abu Dhabi. Going forward, we will continue to take this unique human and sporting challenge out to an audience that is truly global.”

Growth in TV, online, print and social media was underpinned by unparalleled news coverage, with organisers working closely with major distribution platforms to push the story as widely as possible.

In a sign of the growing shift in the way content is consumed, media value was for the first time higher from online sources than from print, with both platforms showing significant growth.

Pictures and videos were particularly popular as drivers of engagement on Facebook, with the fan base growing from around 40,000 at the start of the race to over 200,000 by the end.

The 12th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race will start in Alicante in late 2014, with dozens of cities vying for Host Port status and the full route due to be announced in early 2013. The next race will be contested by identical “one-design” boats, designed by Farr Yacht Design of the United States and already being built by a consortium of boatyards in the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Switzerland.

The introduction of the Volvo Ocean 65 a new 65-foot (19.8 metres) one-design class is a major step in broadening the platform for entry and helping the race achieve the stated goal of increasing the size of the fleet – and retain its position as a high-quality, world-class sports event.

With the NFL Season set to begin next season a ticket survey by TiqIQ has revealed the New York Giants average ticket price on the secondary market is $318.52 — third highest in the NFL behind the Saints and Patriots — up 16.73 percent from 2011 ($272.87).

The Giants’ regular-season opener against the Cowboys tomorrow night at MetLife Stadium has a current average price of $465.01, drugs the highest priced game at Metlife Stadium this season. It marks a 27.78 percent increase from last year’s NFL opener between the Packers and Saints.

The get-in for the Giants’ opener is currently $213. The most expensive ticket is a Coaches Club row 4 seat at $2, unhealthy 530.

Meanwhile, viagra buy | the Jets’ average ticket price currently is $194.03, 12th highest in the NFL. That price is down 17.3 percent and marks the third biggest decrease in the NFL since the 2011 season, when the average price was $234.61.

The average price for the Jets’ opener Sunday against the Bills is currently $179.28, with a get-in price of $65.

The NHL’s Buffalo Sabres today announced that 99% of season tickets have been renewed for the upcoming 2012-13 season and the number of season tickets has been capped at 15,400.

This marks the second straight season the renewal rate has reached 99% and the season ticket waiting list – known as the Blue & Gold club – has grown to include over 3,000 members.

“We are proud and humbled by the record number of fans who renewed their season tickets for the 2012-13 Buffalo Sabres season,” said Sabres President Ted Black. “Of the 15,200 total season tickets sold in 2011-12, only 111 tickets –represented by 50 accounts – were not renewed.”

The cap of 15,400 season tickets is 200 more than last year’s capped number of 15,200 season tickets. The additional seats were filled by members of the Blue & Gold club.

“For the second straight season, we increased our season ticket base by 200 tickets to accommodate members of our Blue & Gold club,” said Sabres Vice President of Tickets and Services John Sinclair. “We’re also excited to offer our mini-pack purchasers the ability to select their games and seats through Tickets.com in real-time. This is a new program which allows our fans to see seat availability at time of purchase.”

Mini-Packs, which go on sale Sept. 5 to the general public, give fans the opportunity to create their own ticket package, choosing to purchase tickets anywhere from five to 40 games. By purchasing a mini-pack, fans can save up to 10% off box office prices. 

Das Land Rheinland-Pfalz und die Nürburgring GmbH haben unter Verstoß gegen das europäische Beihilferecht motorsportfremde Wirtschaftsaktivitäten am Nürburgring aufgebaut. Das komplexe Geflecht aus Darlehen, viagra | Bürgschaften und dem Pachtvertrag mit den nur auf Gewinnmaximierung ausgerichteten privaten Betreibern wurde von der EU-Kommission über ein Jahr intensiv geprüft und mit dem Land Rheinland-Pfalz diskutiert. Nachdem bereits am 21. März 2012 als Ergebnis der Untersuchung nicht gemeldete Beihilfen im Umfang von 524 Mio. Euro zu Buche standen, ist es nicht überraschend, dass Brüssel ohne Trennung der Sportstätte des Nürburgrings von dem Vergnügungspark keine weiteren Gelder genehmigt. Die rheinland-pfälzische Politik hat riesige Fehler gemacht, die jetzt mit Hilfe des Insolvenzverwalters und der EU-Kommission ausgeräumt werden müssen.

Der Verein “Ja zum Nürburgring” hat das Beihilfeverfahren bei der EU-Kommission angestoßen, um die fundamentalen Fehlentwicklungen zu stoppen. “Uns war klar, dass die Rennstrecke nicht der Goldesel für die sportfremden Wirtschaftsaktivitäten sein konnte”, sagt der Vorsitzende Otto Flimm. Nach Auffassung des Vereins hat nicht die EU-Kommission die Insolvenz verschuldet, sondern die über viele Jahre an den Tag gelegte Ignoranz des Landes Rheinland-Pfalz und der Nürburgring GmbH gegenüber den Regeln des Marktes und des Rechts. Daher fordert der Verein die Politik auf, ihre Fehler einzugestehen und sich klar dazu zu bekennen, dass nur mit einer schuldenfreien Gesellschaft in öffentlicher Hand die Rennstrecke ihre seit 1927 zugedachte Rolle als Heimstätte des Sports und Infrastruktureinrichtung für die Region erfüllen kann.

Die Insolvenz der Nürburgring GmbH bietet die Chance für einen Neuanfang. Auch der Insolvenzverwalter darf das Allgemeininteresse nicht aus den Augen verlieren. Der Verein “Ja zum Nürburgring” wird sich daher auch in der neuen Situation für die Sportstätte stark machen. Die Region und der Motorsport, insbesondere der Breitensport, am Nürburgring müssen vor größerem Schaden bewahrt werden. Dazu hat der Verein bereits am 22. Juni 2012 in einer Resolution Eckpunkte für einen Neustart am Nürburgring niedergelegt. Diese behalten auch in der Insolvenz Gültigkeit. Der Verein wird die Anliegen des Motorsports und der Region gegenüber dem Insolvenzverwalter eindeutig zum Ausdruck bringen und alles daran setzen, diese im Gläubigerausschuss zu vertreten. Otto Flimm: “Die Sportstätte des Nürburgrings hat eine Zukunft: Dazu muss die Kirmes weg und die Rennstrecke wieder im Fokus stehen.”

Der gemeinnützige Verein “Ja zum Nürburgring” engagiert sich seit vielen Jahren für den Erhalt und die Pflege der Rennstrecken des Nürburgrings. Er hat nicht nur zum Neubau der Grand-Prix-Strecke einen Zuschuss in Höhe von 6 Mio. DM geleistet, sondern weitere rund 1,6 Mio. Euro zur Durchführung von Sicherheitsmaßnahmen an der Nordschleife des Nürburgrings beigesteuert. Wegen der Fehlentwicklungen am Nürburgring hat der Verein im vergangenen Jahr die Nürburgring GmbH auf Rückzahlung der rund 1,6 Mio. Euro verklagt und Vergabe- und Beihilfebeschwerden bei der Europäischen Kommission eingereicht.

Ruffneck Scarves, officially licensed scarf provider to Major League Soccer, has agreed a licensing agreement with MLS’s Philadelphia Union to produce scarves for 2012 season ticket holders.

Philadelphia hosts the Colorado Rapids in the first home match of 2012 on Sunday, March 18, at PPL Park in Chester, Penn. First kick is 4 p.m. ET. Last year PPL Park attendance averaged 99 percent of capacity for Union regular season games.

“Philadelphia has some of the most enthusiastic fans you will find in sports, and our scarves have been around the necks of Union fans these past two seasons,” said Ruffneck Scarves president Jeff McIntyre. “Coming off a playoff appearance last year and with the All-Star Game coming this summer, there should be plenty of scarves raised when the boys march onto the field.”

PPL Park will be the site of the 2012 AT&T MLS All-Star Game on July 25.

The Union, who qualified for the 2011 MLS Eastern Conference Semifinals, begin the 2012 season on March 12 at Portland. 

Ruffneck Scarves has also produced scarves for season ticket holders of the Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew, D.C. United, Montreal Impact, New York Red Bulls, Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

Federal prosecutors objected to a recommendation by a probation officer that former Major League Baseball outfielder Barry Bonds receives only probation when he is sentenced for obstruction of justice on December 16.

The slugger was convicted for obstructing a grand jury’s doping investigation by providing a vague answer. Bonds lied to the jury by suggesting that he didn’t knowingly take performance-enhancing drugs and that he simply allowed doctors to inject him.

Conviction on the obstruction charges usually lead to 15 to 21 month prison sentence, but Bonds’ lawyers have pointed to a investigative report by probation officers that suggested that Bonds spends an indefinite time under ‘location monitoring’ instead.

Bonds’ defence lawyers have pointed to the former San Francisco Giants’ star’s “significant history of charitable, civic and prior good works” as the main reason for leniency. The lawyers have also claimed that the convictions would be an ‘aberration when taken in context of his entire life,”.

Other sporting figures such as cyclist Tammy Thomas and former professional football player Dana Strubblefield have been convicted of similar charges, but have avoided prison.

A note passed between a Spanish and Qatari Fifa member saying “we’ve won” indicates the country’s respective bidding teams for World Cup 2018 and 2022 will escape action over allegations of collusion, rather than they have won the hosting rights.

Troon Golf has announced The National Azerbaijan Golf Club, sale located near Azerbaijan’s capital city of Baku, adiposity has been selected to host an event on the 2014 European Challenge Tour Schedule.

The first golf facility in this emerging golf destination, under the stewardship of the market-leaders, will host the inaugural Azerbaijan Challenge Open. Surpassing all expectations, in only the club’s first full year of operation, the announcement by the European Tour emphasises the award-winning service and professionalism the Troon mark represents, readily acknowledging its ability to deliver world-class events.

The event, which takes place in July when the Challenge Tour’s season is in full swing, will give the team led by PGA Professional and General Manager, Philip Henderson, the perfect opportunity to firmly place Azerbaijan on the golfing map.

Henderson commented on the announcement, “We are extremely excited to welcome the Challenge Tour to Azerbaijan, the course is in superb condition and we are certain the exciting talent on show will enjoy the course in the first staging of the event here.”

Since its inception, the National Azerbaijan Golf Club has worked closely with the fledgling governing body, the Azerbaijan Golf Federation. Its President, Anar Z. Mammadov, recently commented on the announcement its first course has been selected to host a European Challenge Tour event, he said: “Golf is new to Azerbaijan. We hope to popularize it at all levels through the European Challenge Tour event, which is extremely important for our country. We are sure that the players will enjoy the golf course, as well as the tourism attractions and that the ‘Land of Fire’ will be one of the brightest events in Challenge Tour history.”

English League Two team Portsmouth have struck a deal to build a new long-term training base at the Roko Health Club site on Copnor Road.

The agreement will see the Blues invest significant funds to initially create two state-of-the-art training pitches, allergist as well as integrate and refurbish the existing changing rooms and player lounge facilities at the rear of the site.

The club will also install offices for football department staff and create a purpose-designed fitness suite for the players.

Pompey have signed a long-term lease with Roko, whose health club services and facilities at the Copnor Road site will be unaffected.

Local football club Pickwick will also benefit, with their teams moving their training and playing operations to Alexandra Park after the City Council joined with Roko and Pompey to help find them a new home.

Contractors have been working on the site since April and the club hopes to be using the facility by the end of the summer. In the meantime, Pompey will continue to use their current training base at the University of Portsmouth.

Blues chief executive Mark Catlin said: “We are delighted with this deal and are very grateful to Roko, the council and Pickwick FC for making it happen.
“It is further tangible evidence of our commitment to rebuild the club to ensure it can continue to grow sustainably in the future.

“Andy Awford and his staff have all been involved in the discussions and they are looking forward to using the new training ground, which is being designed to their specification.

“We see these works as a first phase and if, as we are confident of happening, the club continues to progress, the site can be expanded and developed.”

Gerald Vernon-Jackson, leader of Portsmouth City Council said: “It has been good for the City Council to be part of a plan for the football club to have a long-term training base here in the city.

“By the city council, football club, Roko and Pickwick working together we have found a solution that works for everyone.”

Barry Hunter, CEO at Sport & Leisure Group which runs the Roko site said: “We are very excited by the prospect of Portsmouth Community Football Club basing their training ground at our Copnor Road site.

“Roko Health Club and our five-a-side centre PlayFootball are well entrenched sport and fitness venues in the Portsmouth community and we believe this opportunity fits very well with our local strategy.”