February 2/16 9:56 am - Ladies Tour of Qatar: Stage 1, Kirchmann and Ewart finish in bunch

Posted by Editoress on 02/2/16
 

Kirchmann & Ewart Finish with Leaders on Day 1 of Qatar

Two years after last winning the Ladies' Tour of Qatar, Kirsten Wild returned in the same triumphant fashion. The Dutch rider claimed the 99 kilometre first stage of the 2016 edition. In a final bunched sprint, the four-time winner of the event beat Annaliza Cucinotta (ALE Cipollini) and Lizzie Williams (Orica-AIS) to the line. The Hitec Products team leader also took the overall leader's Golden Jersey.  Canadians Leah Kirchmann (Liv-Plantur) and Annie Ewart (UnitedHealthcare) both finished in the bunch.

Ideal conditions with almost no wind welcomed the 90 riders for the start of stage 1 of the eighth edition at Qatar University. After a fairly quiet start heading north, the real action began just before the first intermediate sprint of the day when teams Orica-AIS and Boels-Dolmans powered to the front of the bunch. Eventually the pack broke up into two groups, with 46 riders in the lead. The sprint at km 39 was then to be claimed by Kirsten Wild (HPU) ahead of Chloe Hosking (WHT) and Marta Tagliaferro (ALE) while the dropped riders were 35 seconds adrift. Five kilometres later, the pack bunched up together again.

The situation remained unchanged all the way to the circuit where the next UCI World Championships will be held in October. After covering the first two hours of racing at an average speed of 41 km/h, the second bonus sprint taking place on the exact finish line of the next Worlds (km 90) was won by Chantal Blaak (DLT), beating Hosking and Marta Tagliaferro (ALE).

Well controlled by the strong sprinting teams, the peloton stayed compact until the final run-in to Qatar University. On a slightly uphill straight, Kirsten Wild again showed what a powerful rider she was, making her effort in the last 200m to outsprint Annaliza Cucinotta (ALE) and Lizzie Williams OGE) and capture her 10th stage win in Qatar.

Kirchmann was 61st and Ewart 72nd.  Both Canadians are 13 seconds back, after time bonuses.

Wild takes the overall leader's Golden Jersey with a seven second advantage over Cucinotta and a further two seconds over Williams. The Dutch rider also leads the Points classification, while Arianna Fidanza (ITA) is the Best Young Rider and will wear the Pearl White jersey for Stage 2, from the Sheikh Faysel Museum to the Al Khor Corniche.

ASO report  - edited

Results from the first stage in Qatar