February 3/15 10:37 am - Tour of Qatar: Stage 1
Posted by Editoress on 02/3/15
Stage 1 of the 2015 Ladies Tour of Qatar was decided in a bunch sprint by the beach in Dukhan. Assisted by her Ale Cipollini team mates, Annalisa Cucinotta powered to her first ever success in Qatar. The Italian beat to the line, Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle Honda) and Marta Tagliaferro (Ale Cipollini), on her way to the overall lead and a well deserved Golden Jersey.
Annalisa Cucinotta wins stage 1 - (©ASO/B.Bade)
Ideal conditions and almost no wind, a rarity in Qatar, welcomed the 87 riders at the start of the stage, just in front of the splendid Museum of Islamic Art in the centre of Doha. While Canada’s Annie Ewart (OPW) failed to start due to illness, the pack took off just before 2:00, heading west.
Without the slightest breakaway attempt, the pack remained bunched all the way to the first intermediate sprint (km 28) won by Shelley Olds (Bigla Cycling Team) ahead of Chloe Hosking (Wiggle Honda) and Elizabeth Armitstead (Boels Dolmans Cycling Team). At km 37.5, Xiu Jie Jiang (China Chongming-Liv-Champion System) was the first to try her luck on her own. Her avantage went from 45’’ at km 42 to a maximum 1’20 at km 61 while the pack was hit by several crashes, one even forcing USA’s Maura Kinsella (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit) to retire.
Leah Kirchmann and Optum p/b Kelly Benefit
Photos (©ASO/B.Bade)
Stage leader Jiang went on to make it to the second bonus sprint (km 68.5) clear from the pack, before eventually being caught. Meanwhile Olds had again outsprinted her peloton rivals, beating Armitstead for precious extra seconds that could count a great deal in the GC.
The bunched up pack stayed that way until the final moments of the race. On the last straight by the beach in Dukhan, Annalisa Cucinotta was perfectly led out by her team mates and claimed her first stage win in Qatar. Present in the peninsula to prepare for the track World Championships in France, the Italian starts her road season in style with a first win at her first race of the year. Despite being caught in a crash earlier on, there was no stoping Cucinotta who beat two-time World Champion Giorgia Bronzini and her team mate Marta Tagliaferro.
Courtesy ASO
Results from the first stage of the Tour of Qatar
| Stage 1: Museum of Islamic Art to Dukhan Beach, 98 km | |
| 1 Annalisa Cucinotta (Ita) Ale Cipollini | 2:28:36 |
| 2 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Wiggle Honda | |
| 3 Marta Tagliaferro (Ita) Ale Cipollini | |
| 4 Lucinda Brand (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team | |
| 5 Shelley Olds (USA) Bigla Cycling Team | |
| 6 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Velocio - SRAM | |
| 7 Arianna Fidanza (Ita) Ale Cipollini | |
| 8 Jolien D'hoore (Bel) Wiggle Honda | |
| 9 Kelly Druyts (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Pro-Duo | |
| 10 Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Velocio - SRAM | |
| 11 Elena Cecchini (Ita) Team Italy | |
| 12 Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team | |
| 13 Emma Johansson (Swe) Orica - AIS | |
| 14 Lucy Garner (GBr) Team Liv - Plantur | |
| 15 Emilie Moberg (Nor) Hitec Products | |
| 16 Romy Kasper (Ger) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team | |
| 17 Roxane Fournier (Fra) Team France | |
| 18 Leah Kirchmann (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
| 19 Lotta Lepistö (Fin) Bigla Cycling Team | |
| 20 Eugénie Duval (Fra) Team France | |
| 21 Brianna Walle (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
| 22 Lauren Kitchen (Aus) Hitec Products | |
| 23 Sara Mustonen (Swe) Team Liv - Plantur | |
| 24 Gracie Elvin (Aus) Orica - AIS | |
| 25 Soline Lamboley (Fra) Team France | |
| 26 Fanny Riberot (Fra) Team France | |
| 27 Julia Soek (Ned) Team Liv - Plantur | |
| 28 Moniek Tenniglo (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team | |
| 29 Amalie Dideriksen (Den) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team | |
| 30 Xi Sha Zhao (Chn) China Chongming-Liv-Champion System | |
| 31 Barbara Guarischi (Ita) Velocio - SRAM | |
| 32 Kelly Van Den Steen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Pro-Duo | |
| 33 Wan Tong Wang (Chn) China Chongming-Liv-Champion System | |
| 34 Claudia Cretti (Ita) Team Italy | |
| 35 Eleonora Van Dijk (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team | |
| 36 Yue Bai (Chn) China Chongming-Liv-Champion System | |
| 37 Shara Gillow (Aus) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team | |
| 38 Amy Pieters (Ned) Team Liv - Plantur | |
| 39 Chantal Blaak (Ned) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team | |
| 40 Pascale Jeuland (Fra) Team France | |
| 41 Georgia Baker (Aus) Team Australia | |
| 42 Lisa Brennauer (Ger) Velocio - SRAM | |
| 43 Julie Leth (Den) Hitec Products | |
| 44 Kimberley Wells (Aus) Team Australia | |
| 45 Chloe Hosking (Aus) Wiggle Honda | |
| 46 Jessica Mundy (Aus) Team Australia | |
| 47 Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Hitec Products | |
| 48 Christine Majerus (Lux) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team | |
| 49 Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Ale Cipollini | all s.t. |
| 50 Martina Alzini (Ita) Team Italy | 0:06 |
| 51 Anouska Koster (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team | |
| 52 Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Velocio - SRAM | |
| 53 Doris Schweizer (Sui) Bigla Cycling Team | all s.t. |
| 54 Steffy Van Den Haute (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Pro-Duo | 0:08 |
| 55 Rossella Ratto (Ita) Team Italy | |
| 56 Gilke Croket (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Pro-Duo | |
| 57 Jiaqi Li (Chn) China Chongming-Liv-Champion System | |
| 58 Coralie Demay (Fra) Team France | |
| 59 Loren Rowney (Aus) Velocio - SRAM | |
| 60 Floortje Mackaij (Ned) Team Liv - Plantur | |
| 61 Kaat Hannes (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Pro-Duo | |
| 62 Amanda Spratt (Aus) Orica - AIS | |
| 63 Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Wiggle Honda | |
| 64 Alison Tetrick (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
| 65 Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Orica - AIS | |
| 66 Francesca Pattaro (Ita) Team Italy | |
| 67 Valentina Scandolara (Ita) Orica - AIS | |
| 68 Kendelle Hodges (Aus) Team Australia | |
| 69 Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) Team Italy | |
| 70 Roxanne Knetemann (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team | |
| 71 Nel De Crits (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Pro-Duo | |
| 72 Xiu Jie Jiang (Chn) China Chongming-Liv-Champion System | |
| 73 Janel Holcomb (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
| 74 Miriam Bjørnsrud (Nor) Hitec Products | |
| 75 Vera Koedooder (Ned) Bigla Cycling Team | |
| 76 Willeke Knol (Ned) Team Liv - Plantur | |
| 77 Alexandria Nicholls (Aus) Team Australia | |
| 78 Jenelle Crooks (Aus) Team Australia | |
| 79 Tone Hatteland Lima (Nor) Hitec Products | |
| 80 Sharon Laws (GBr) Bigla Cycling Team | |
| 81 Béatrice Bartelloni (Ita) Ale Cipollini | |
| 82 Elena Berlato (Ita) Ale Cipollini | |
| 83 Joëlle Numainville (Can) Bigla Cycling Team | |
| 84 Ya Nan Liu (Chn) China Chongming-Liv-Champion System | |
| 85 Audrey Cordon (Fra) Wiggle Honda | |
| 86 Emilia Fahlin (Swe) Wiggle Honda | all s.t. |
| DNF Maura Kinsella (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
| DNS Annie Ewart (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit |
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