Posted by Editoress on 02/1/12
Report and results from the first stage of the Tour of Qatar
Extremely windy conditions made stage 1 of the Ladies' Tour of Qatar very eventful. After taking off early making the best of the tailwind, 7 riders battled it out for victory in Al Khor. Netherland's Kirsten Wild sprinted to victory capturing the first overall leader's Golden Jersey of this 2012 event. A perfect start for the winner of the 2009 and 2010 editions.
Stage 1: Camel Race Track-Al Khor Corniche, 97kms.
Very windy
Very strong winds welcomed the 89 riders of the Ladies' Tour of Qatar for stage 1 of the event taking off from the Camel Race Track just outside Doha. Tough but perfect conditions for the women used to windy conditions like the Dutch riders.
Just after noon, the ladies took off heading north and enjoying a strong tailwind. Rapidly several riders were dropped behind. After only 20 kilometres, 11 riders managed to break away. Shortly after there were only 7 left: title holder Van Dijk, Hosking, Worrack (all SLU), 2009 and 2010 champion Wild (NED), as well as Arndt, Gunnewijk and Rhodes (all GEW).
Behind the pack broke up into several groups and 12 women insisted on chasing including riders such as Bacaille (MCG) and Slappendel (RBW). The gap grew to 40" at the first bonus sprint (km 39.5) won by Arndt ahead of Worrack and Wild.
Meanwhile while the battle continued between the first two groups, the pack including World Champion Bronzini (DPZ) bunched up together again remaining over 5minutes adrift.
The second bonus sprint (km 61) was claimed by Wild in front of Arndt and Worrack while the first chasing group remained 1'30 adrift. After heading back south, the pace slowed down due to the head-wind and the gap between the two groups dropped to 1'10 with 25kms to go and then 55" before the final 20 kilometres.
Eventually as the front seven moved closer to the finish, the gap again increased and went from 1'25 with 10kms to go, to 1'50 5kms from the line. Victory was therefore to be decided between the leading seven ladies.
In the last kilometres Van Dijk tried her luck taking with her Gunnewijk and Wild. But the front group bunched together again for the final sprint. Kirsten Wild eventually flew to victory beating Hosking and Van Dijk to the line and claiming the first stage of this 2012 edition.
Wild will therefore be wearing the overall leader's Golden jersey for tomorrow's stage 2. She also leads the points' standings while Australia's Chloe Hosking is the best young rider and will be carrying the White jersey.
ASO Press release
Stage 1: Camel Track to Al Khor Corniche, 97 km | |
1 Kirsten Wild (Ned) Dutch National Team | 2:16:50 |
2 Chloe Hosking (Aus) Team Specialized Lululemon | |
3 Elen Van Dijk (Ned) Team Specialized Lululemon | |
4 Judith Arndt (Ger) Greenedge - AIS | |
5 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Team Specialized Lululemon | |
6 Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Greenedge - AIS | |
7 Alexis Rhodes (Aus) Greenedge - AIS | all s.t. |
8 Monia Baccaille (Ita) Mcipollini Giambenini | 2:16 |
9 Charlotte Becker (Ger) Team Specialized Lululemon | |
10 Jessie Maclean (Aus) Greenedge - AIS | |
11 Regina Bruins (Ned) Skil-1T4I | |
12 Dongyan Huang (Chn) China Chongming-Giant | |
13 Elena Cecchini (Ita) Mcipollini Giambenini | |
14 Liesbeth De Vocht (Bel) Stichting Rabo Women | |
15 Sarah Düster (Ger) Stichting Rabo Women | |
16 Iris Slappendel (Ned) Stichting Rabo Women | |
17 Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Mcipollini Giambenini | |
18 Alessandra Borchi (Ita) Mcipollini Giambenini | |
19 Amanda Spratt (Aus) Greenedge - AIS | all s.t. |
20 Yunyun Yuan (Chn) China Chongming-Giant | 13:45 |
21 Adriana Visser (Ned) Skil-1T4I | 13:52 |
22 Aude Biannic (Fra) French National Team | |
23 Shelley Olds (USA) US National Team | |
24 Li Chen (Chn) China Chongming-Giant | |
25 Marta Tagliaferro (Ita) Mcipollini Giambenini | |
26 Martine Bras (Ned) Dutch National Team | |
27 Amy Pieters (Ned) Skil-1T4I | |
28 Latoya Brulee (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Ridley 2012 | |
29 Sara Mustonen (Swe) Hitec Products-Mistral Home | |
30 Elke Gebhardt (Ger) German National Team | |
31 Aurore Verhoeven (Fra) French National Team | |
32 Madeleine Sandig (Ger) German National Team | |
33 Maaike Polspoel (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Ridley 2012 | |
34 Xin Liu (Chn) China Chongming-Giant | |
35 Kendall Ryan (USA) US National Team | |
36 Winanda Spoor (Ned) Dutch National Team | |
37 Giulia Donato (Ita) Diadora-Pasta Zara | |
38 Laura Van Der Kamp (Ned) Dutch National Team | |
39 Kaat Hannes (Bel) Lotto Belisol Ladies | |
40 Eleonora Patuzzo (Ita) Italian National Team | |
41 Esra Tromp (Ned) Skil-1T4I | |
42 Romy Kasper (Ger) German National Team | |
43 Ine Beyen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Ridley 2012 | |
44 Ann-Sophie Duyck (Bel) Lotto Belisol Ladies | |
45 Janine Bubner (Ger) German National Team | |
46 Audrey Cordon (Fra) French National Team | |
47 Tone Hatteland (Nor) Hitec Products-Mistral Home | |
48 Pascale Jeuland (Fra) French National Team | |
49 Samantha Schneider (USA) US National Team | |
50 Valentina Scandolara (Ita) Italian National Team | |
51 Polona Batagelj (Slo) Diadora-Pasta Zara | |
52 Edita Janeliunaite (Ltu) Diadora-Pasta Zara | |
53 Marta Bastianelli (Ita) Mcipollini Giambenini | |
54 Kim Schoonbaert (Bel) Lotto Belisol Ladies | |
55 Lise Nostvold (Nor) Hitec Products-Mistral Home | |
56 Stephanie Pohl (Ger) German National Team | |
57 Anna Van Der Breggen (Ned) Dutch National Team | |
58 Inga Cilvinaite (Ltu) Diadora-Pasta Zara | |
59 Froydis Waersted (Nor) Hitec Products-Mistral Home | |
60 Béatrice Bartelloni (Ita) Italian National Team | |
61 Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Hitec Products-Mistral Home | |
62 Roxanne Knetemann (Ned) Stichting Rabo Women | |
63 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Diadora-Pasta Zara | |
64 Noemi Cantele (Ita) Italian National Team | |
65 Nathalie Jeuland (Fra) French National Team | |
66 Janneke Kanis (Ned) Skil-1T4I | |
67 Aniska Vekemans (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Ridley 2012 | |
68 Cherise Taylor (RSA) Lotto Belisol Ladies | |
69 Lauren Kitchen (Aus) Stichting Rabo Women | |
70 Melodie Lesueur (Fra) French National Team | |
71 Anna Bianca Schnitzmeier (Ger) German National Team | |
72 Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Greenedge - AIS | |
73 Rebecca Talen (Ned) Stichting Rabo Women | |
74 Gilke Croket (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Ridley 2012 | |
75 Alona Andruk (Ukr) Diadora-Pasta Zara | |
76 Lisa Brennauer (Ger) Team Specialized Lululemon | |
77 Katie Colclough (GBr) Team Specialized Lululemon | |
78 Xiaoling Luo (Chn) China Chongming-Giant | all s.t. |
79 Katrien Van Looy (Bel) Lotto Belisol Ladies | 14:00 |
80 Jacquelyn Crowell (USA) US National Team | s.t. |
81 Edith Vanden Brande (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Ridley 2012 | 14:01 |
82 Birgit Lavrijssen (Ned) Dutch National Team | |
83 Tayler Wiles (USA) US National Team | both s.t. |
84 Linda Van Rijen (Ned) Skil-1T4I | 14:04 |
85 Ludivine Henrion (Bel) Lotto Belisol Ladies | |
86 Chiara Vannucci (Ita) Italian National Team | |
87 Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Italian National Team | all s.t. |
88 Johanne Bergseth (Nor) Hitec Products-Mistral Home | 14:11 |
89 Coryn Rivera (USA) US National Team | 14:49 |
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