Dates 3–6 February Winning time 9h 59' 25" Third Ellen van Dijk (NED) | Stages 4 Second Chloe Hosking (AUS) | |
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Winner Lizzie Armitstead (GBR) | ||
The 2015 Ladies Tour of Qatar was the 7th edition of the Ladies Tour of Qatar. It was organised by the Qatar Cycling Federation with technical and sports-related assistance from Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O.) under the regulations of the Union Cycliste Internationale (category 2.1). It took place from Tuesday 3 February until Friday 6 February 2015 and consisted of 4 stages. 15 teams of 6 riders took part. The event was broadcast live by beIN Sports.
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Teams
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Preview
The defending champion and winner of four of the six editions of the race, Kirsten Wild, doesn't start in the Ladies Tour of Qatar to prepare for the track cycling world championships. Last year's runner-up Amy Pieters will take her place as leader of the Liv-Plantur squad. Former Tour of Qatar winner Ellen van Dijk and Lizzie Armitstead, who won last season's UCI World Cup and a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games will lead the reinforced Boels–Dolmans in the race. The Wiggle Honda team send Giorgia Bronzini, the former world champion and Chloe Hosking who has finished twice on the podium. Swedish Emma Johansson and Valentina Scandolara from Italy, winner of the Santos Women's Tour earlier this season are part of the Orica-AIS squad. Shelley Olds led the Bigla Cycling Team. Other important riders are Lucinda Brand and Shara Gillow heading up the Rabo–Liv and Tiffany Cromwell, Lisa Brennauer and Trixi Worrack with Velocio–SRAM.
Stage 1
With almost no wind, which is a rarity in Qatar, 87 riders started besides the Museum of Islamic Art in the centre of Doha. Without a breakaway, the pack remained bunched all the way to the first intermediate sprint at 28 km. After 37.5 km, Xiu Jie Jiang escaped. Her avantage went from 45 seconds at 42 km to a maximum of 1'20 at 61 km and made it to the second bonus sprint after 68.5 km. Later she was caught by the bunch. On the last straight by the beach in Dukhan, Annalisa Cucinotta was led out by her teammates and won the stage ahead of two other Italian riders Giorgia Bronzini and Marta Tagliaferro. Besides Cucinotta won the overall golden leader's jersey she also leads the points classification (silver Jersey). Another Italian rider Arianna Fidanza won the white pearl jersey for the best young rider.
Stage 2
The 85 remaining riders took off for the longest stage of the event of 112.5 km heading north to Madinat Al Shamal. After 7 km the bunch broke up into several groups under the due to cross winds. There was a front group of 16 cyclists and build up an advantage of 3 minutes. Six ladies pushed harder and pulled away: Chloe Hosking, Elisa Longo Borghini (both Wiggle-Honda), Emma Johansson (Orica AIS), Lizzie Armitstead, Ellen van Dijk (both Boels-Dolmans) and Trixi Worrack (Velocio-SRAM). In the final 13.4-km lap, despite an early solo attempt from Van Dijk, the leaders stayed together. Counting on the presence of her teammate Armitstead, Ellen van Dijk gave it another go just after the final kilometre mark. Making the best of her power, the Dutch rider would never be caught and made it victoriously to the line. She claimed her second ever stage success in Qatar with a 3" advantage over Worrack and Armitstead. Winner of the Tour of Qatar back in 2011, Van Dijk captured the overall leader's Golden Jersey with a slim 4" lead over Armitstead. The silver jersey also switched shoulders and went to Worrack while Italian Beatrice Bartelloni claimed the Pearl White jersey for the best young rider.
Stage 3
The 85 remaining riders took off for the 93.5 km stage heading north. Alison Tetrik and Ya Nan Liu both tried to ride away from the pack in the opening kilometres but their solo efforts only lasted for a few kilometres. With 25 kilometres to go the main favourites rode away. Fourteen ladies gathered together at the front including seven of the top ten riders in the general classification. In the closing moments of the stage, despite the attempts of several riders, around thirty girls bunched up again with just under three kilometres to go. Helped out by her Boels Dolmans teammates, Lizzie Armitstead won the sprint of the group. With the time bonuses won at intermediate sprints and the finish, Armitstead took over the golden leader’s jersey from her teammate Ellen van Dijk. She has an eight seconds lead over Van Dijk and is nine seconds ahead of Chloe Hosking (Wiggle-Honda).