Specialized-lululemon and GreenEDGE-AIS put on a joint team time trial show but the lone Netherlander wins
Two-time race winner Kirsten Wild (Netherlands) made a triumphant return to the Ladies’ Tour of Qatar with a sprint victory in the opening stage from a seven-woman breakaway group. The Dutch powerhouse, who sat out the 2011 edition as she concentrated on track racing was the sole interloper into a Specilaized-lululemon and GreenEDGE-AIS led move that forced its way clear of the peloton early in the 97km stage between the Camel Race Track and the Al Khor Corniche.
Wild was the fastest in the group, beating Australian sprinter Chloe Hosking, and defending race champion Ellen van Dijk (both Specialized-lululemon) to the line.
“I managed to counter all of the attacks, but it was still very close with Chloe Hoskingon the line,” said Wild after the stage. “But the victory is there.”
The peloton was almost immediately hit by crosswinds as it left the Camel Race Track and the seven riders managed to break clear after just a few kilometres. The powerful defending champion van Dijk and Hosking were there from Specialized-lululemon, along with Trixi Worrack, while GreenEDGE-AIS was represented by World time trial champion Judith Arndt, Loes Gunnewijk and former Australian champion Alex Rhodes.
Wild was the only rider not from these two new teams to make her way into the group.
“The break happened really early,” explained GreenEDGE-AIS directeru sportif Dave McPartland. “We had expected powerful tailwinds and we ended up with crosswinds. The girls realized pretty quickly that the crosswinds would allow them to split things up even earlier than we had planned. They changed tactics on the road.
“Together with Specialized-lululemon, we got to the front and split the fields to bits,” he added. “By the ten kilometre mark, the break had gone clear.”
With the seven riders in front riding in team time trial mode, the first hour was covered in an incredible average speed of 53kph. The gap to the next group of riders – which was made up mostly of MCipollini-Giambenini, Stichting Rabo, and 1t4i riders – was almost four minutes behind, with the rest of the peloton several minutes further back.
Hard work from the chasing group managed to bring the gap down to a single minute with 15km to go but, as the finish line approached, it began to open up once more. Inside the last few kilometres the three Dutchwomen in the break – van Dijk, Wild and Gunnewijk – managed to break clear, but they were all together again to take the sprint, where Wild was, unsurprisingly, fastest.
The combination of the notorious Qatar crosswinds, and the power of the women’s sport’s two biggest teams meant that eighth-placed Monia Baccaille (MCipollini-Giambenini) led the 12-rider group over 2’16 back; the main 70-strong peloton crossed the line almost 14 minutes behind Wild.
Time bonuses on the line, as well as some taken at the stage’s two intermediate sprints, put Wild into the gold jersey that she has already taken home twice in her career; the Dutchwoman leads Hosking by eight seconds, and Arndt by nine.
With the terrain and conditions in the next day’s second stage likely to mirror those of stage one, the two new, powerful teams will almost certainly pursue a similar tactic to try to unseat Wild.
Result stage 1
1. Kirsten Wild (Ned) Netherlands National Team
2. Chloe Hosking (Aus) Specialized-lululemon
3. Ellen van Dijk (Ned) Specialized-lululemon
4. Judith Arndt (Ger) GreenEDGE-AIS
5. Trixi Worrack (Ger) Specialized-lululemon
6. Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) GreenEDGE-AIS
7. Alexis Rhodes (Aus) GreenEDGE-AIS
8. Monia Baccaille (Ita) MCipollini-Giambenini @ 2’16”
9. Charlotte Becker (Ger) Specialized-lululemon
10. Jessie MacLean (Aus) GreenEDGE-AIS
Standings after stage 1
1. Kirsten Wild (Ned) Netherlands National Team
2. Chloe Hosking (Aus) Specialized-lululemon @ 8s
3. Judith Arndt (Ger) GreenEDGE-AIS @ 9s
4. Ellen van Dijk (Ned) Specialized-lululemon @ 10s
5. Trixi Worrack (Ger) Specialized-lululemon @ 11s