2015 Ladies Tour of Qatar
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.[1] The event was broadcast live by beIN Sports.
| Race details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Dates | 3–6 February | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stages | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distance | 406 km (252.3 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Winning time | 9h 59' 25" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Teams
15 teams were announced for the race on 27 January 2015.[2]
Preview
The defending champion and winner of four of the six editions of the race, Kirsten Wild, did not start in the Ladies Tour of Qatar to prepare for the UCI Track Cycling World Championships. 2014 runner-up Amy Pieters took her place as leader of the Team Liv–Plantur squad. Former Tour of Qatar winner Ellen van Dijk and Lizzie Armitstead, who won the 2014 UCI World Cup and a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games led the reinforced Boels–Dolmans in the race. The Wiggle–Honda team sent Giorgia Bronzini, the former world champion and Chloe Hosking who had finished twice on the podium. Swedish Emma Johansson and Valentina Scandolara from Italy, winner of the Santos Women's Tour earlier in 2015, were part of the Orica–AIS squad. Shelley Olds led the Bigla Pro Cycling Team. Other important riders were Lucinda Brand and Shara Gillow heading up the Rabo–Liv and Tiffany Cromwell, Lisa Brennauer and Trixi Worrack with Velocio–SRAM.[3]
Stages
Stage 1
- 3 February 2015 – Museum of Islamic Art to Dukhan Beach, 98.5 km (61.2 mi)[4]
With almost no wind, 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 kilometres (17 miles). After 37.5 kilometres (23.3 miles), Xiu Jie Jiang escaped. Her advantage went from 45 seconds at 42 kilometres (26 miles) to a maximum of 1' 20" at 61 kilometres (38 miles) and made it to the second bonus sprint after 68.5 kilometres (42.6 miles). 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. As well as wearing the golden leader's jersey, Cucinotta also led the points classification (silver Jersey). Another Italian rider Arianna Fidanza wore the white pearl jersey for the best young rider.
Stage 1 Result[5]
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General Classification after Stage 1[5]
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Stage 2
- 4 February 2015 – Al Zubarah Fort to Madinat ash Shamal, 112.5 km (69.9 mi)[6]
The 85 remaining riders took off for the longest stage of the event, 112.5 kilometres (69.9 miles) in length, heading north to Madinat ash Shamal. After 7 kilometres (4.3 miles) 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-kilometre (8.3-mile) lap, despite an early solo attempt from van Dijk, the leaders stayed together. Counting on the presence of her teammate Armitstead, van Dijk gave it another go just after the final kilometre mark. Making the best of her power, she would not be caught and made it victoriously to the line for a second stage success in Qatar, by three seconds ahead of Worrack and Armitstead. Winner of the 2011 Ladies Tour of Qatar, van Dijk captured the overall leader's golden jersey by four seconds over Armitstead. The silver jersey also switched shoulders and went to Worrack while Beatrice Bartelloni claimed the Pearl White jersey for the best young rider.
Stage 2 Result[7]
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General Classification after Stage 2[7]
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Stage 3
- 5 February 205 – Souq Waqif to Al Khor Corniche, 93.5 km (58.1 mi)[8]
The 85 remaining riders took off for the 93.5-kilometre (58.1-mile) stage heading north. Alison Tetrick and Liu Yanan 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 (16 miles) 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 by eight seconds, with Chloe Hosking (Wiggle–Honda) a further second back.
Stage 3 Result[9]
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General Classification after Stage 3[9]
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Stage 4
- 6 February 2015 – Sealine Beach Resort to Doha Corniche, 101.5 km (63.1 mi)[10]
Stage 4 Result[11]
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Final General Classification[11]
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Classification leadership table
| Stage | Winner | General classification |
Points classification |
Young rider classification |
Teams classification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1[5] | Annalisa Cucinotta | Annalisa Cucinotta | Annalisa Cucinotta | Arianna Fidanza | Alé–Cipollini |
| 2[7] | Ellen van Dijk | Ellen van Dijk | Trixi Worrack | Beatrice Bartelloni | Wiggle–Honda |
| 3[9] | Lizzie Armitstead | Lizzie Armitstead | Lizzie Armitstead | ||
| 4[11] | Lizzie Armitstead | ||||
| Final[11] | Lizzie Armitstead | Lizzie Armitstead | Beatrice Bartelloni | Wiggle–Honda | |
Final classifications
General classification
| Rider | Team | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Lizzie Armitstead (GBR) |
Boels–Dolmans | 9h 59' 25" |
| 2 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Chloe Hosking (AUS) |
Wiggle–Honda | + 12" |
| 3 |  Ellen van Dijk (NED) |
Boels–Dolmans | + 22" |
| 4 |  Trixi Worrack (GER) |
Velocio–SRAM | + 29" |
| 5 |  Emma Johansson (SWE) |
Orica–AIS | + 30" |
| 6 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Jolien D'Hoore (BEL) |
Wiggle–Honda | + 2' 26" |
| 7 | Tiffany Cromwell (AUS) |
Velocio–SRAM | + 2' 29" |
| 8 |  Pascale Jeuland (FRA) |
France (national team) | + 2' 29" |
| 9 | Amy Pieters (NED) |
Team Liv–Plantur | + 2' 29" |
| 10 | Gracie Elvin (AUS) |
Orica–AIS | + 2' 37" |
Points classification
| Rider | Team | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lizzie Armitstead (GBR) |
Boels–Dolmans | 50 |
| 2 | Chloe Hosking (AUS) |
Wiggle–Honda | 43 |
| 3 |  Shelley Olds (USA) |
Bigla Pro Cycling Team | 23 |
| 4 | Lucinda Brand (NED) |
Rabo–Liv | 21 |
| 5 | Emma Johansson (SWE) |
Orica–AIS | 19 |
| 6 | Trixi Worrack (GER) |
Velocio–SRAM | 17 |
| 7 | Ellen van Dijk (NED) |
Boels–Dolmans | 15 |
| 8 |  Annalisa Cucinotta (ITA) |
Alé–Cipollini | 15 |
| 9 | Jolien D'Hoore (BEL) |
Wiggle–Honda | 14 |
| 10 | Giorgia Bronzini (ITA) |
Wiggle–Honda | 14 |
Teams classification
| Team | Time | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wiggle–Honda | 30h 02' 00" |
| 2 | Orica–AIS | + 2' 04" |
| 3 | Boels–Dolmans | + 9' 03" |
| 4 | Velocio–SRAM | + 11' 00" |
| 5 | Alé–Cipollini | + 15' 21" |
See also
References
- "2014 » 7th Ladies Tour of Qatar (2.1) start list". procyclingstats.com. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- "Ladies Tour of Qatar announces 2015 teams". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. 27 January 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
- "Ladies Tour of Qatar 2015". cyclingnews.com. 2 February 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
- "Stage 1". Tour of Qatar. Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 4 February 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- Benson, Daniel (3 February 2015). "Cucinotta wins Ladies Tour of Qatar opener". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- "Stage 2". Tour of Qatar. Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 4 February 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- Benson, Daniel (4 February 2015). "Van Dijk takes control at the Ladies Tour of Qatar". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- "Stage 3". Tour of Qatar. Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 4 February 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- Benson, Daniel (5 February 2015). "Armitstead takes stage three victory at Ladies Tour of Qatar". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- "Stage 4". Tour of Qatar. Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 4 February 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- Benson, Daniel (6 February 2015). "Armitstead wins final stage of Ladies Tour of Qatar". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. Retrieved 12 December 2020.