Specialized-lululemon’s Ellen van Dijk out to defend Netherlands’ perfect record in the desert race
Race organiser AS has announced the list of fifteen teams that will be lining up at the start of the three-day Ladies’ Tour of Qatar, which begins on February 1st. 2011 winner Ellen van Dijk is expected to return with the new Specialized-lululemon team to defend her title; with the race run over almost completely flat terrain, with strong crosswinds, its no surprise that riders from the Netherlands have won every edition of the race, with sprinter Kirsten Wild taking the first two, in 2009 and 2010.
Van Dijk’s 2011 victory was based on being the best-placed rider in a rare successful breakaway on the second stage. Victory in that stage, with fourth place in both the first and third, saw her take the overall gold jersey, the blue points jersey and the white jersey for young riders.
With teammate Charlotte Becker finishing second overall, and Adrie Visser taking fourth, the HTC-Highroad team also walked away with the team competition.
Wild’s AA Drink-Leontien.nl team is not on the list of registered teams, but the sprinter may well take part as a member of the Netherlands national team, which is.
Unfortunately, due to prior commitments on the track, World champion, two time second overall and three-time stage winner, Giorgia Bronzini will not be at the race, although her new Diadora-Pasta Zara team will be attending. Also missing, again despite an invitation for her new Rabobank team, will be World number one Marianne Vos, who will have ridden the World cyclocross championships the weekend before the race.
Just as in 2011, the race will begin at the Camel Race Track in Dukhan in the centre of the peninsular with a 97km stage to Al Khor Corniche on the east coast. Stage two will travel 114.5km from the Al Zubara Fort, on the north west coast, to nearby Madinat Al Shamal; while the third, and final stage will cover 92.5km, starting and finishing at the Katara Cultural Village in the capital Doha.
UCI-registered teams
China Chongming-Giant Pro Cycling
Diadora-Pasta Zara
GreenEdge-AIS
Hitec Products-Mistral Home
Lotto Belisol Team
MCipollini Giambenini
Rabobank
Skil-1t4i
Specialized-lululemon
Topsport Vlaanderen-Ridley 2012
National teams
French national team
German national team
Italian national team
Netherlands national team
USA national team
Stages
Stage 1: Wednesday 1st February – Camel Race Track to Al Khor Corniche (97km)
Stage 2: Thursday 2nd February – Al Zubara Fort to Madinat Al Shamal (114.5km)
Stage 3: Friday 3rd February – Katara Cultural Village to Katara Cultural Village (92.5km)