Tour of Qatar: Lizzie Armitstead second

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Kirsten Wilde, Queen of Qatar after much success there won stage 3 just ahead of British champion Lizzie Armitstead

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ASO Press Release

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Photo: ©ASO/B. Bade

After loosing the overall leadership yesterday, Kirsten Wild put things back into order as she flew to a second stage success and re-conquered the Golden Jersey. The three-time winner of the Ladies Tour of Qatar showed how impressive she was by capturing an 8th stage success in the peninsula. With one day to go, Wild is on pole to conquer a fourth crown.

The Katara Cultural village in Doha welcomed the 85 remaining riders of the Ladies Tour of Qatar for the start of stage 3 heading to the Al Khor Corniche after a 98-km ride. Despite quite a few attempts (Lima, Cordon and Huang) in the opening moments of the race, the pack remained bunched all the way to kilometre 38.

As the race favourites and top teams took command of the bunch and speed went up, the pack broke up into several groups. Thirty seven riders gathered together at the front. The first intermediate sprint (at Tenbek, km 40.5) was claimed by Kirsten Wild (GIW) ahead of Polspoels (GIW) and Johansson (GEW).

The peloton regrouped at km 57 when France’s Aude Biannic decided to try her luck at the front. After enjoying a 25” lead at km 58, she was eventually caught two kilometres later. With 25 kilometres to go, the pace went up again and only 14 ladies managed to stay in front including Wild, Pieters (GIW), Hosking (HPU), Armitstead (DLT), Johansson, Elvin, Hoskins (all GEW), Worrack (SLU), Cechini (ITA) and Olds (ALE).

The second bonus sprint (at Al Thakhira, km 85) was again captured by Wild ahead of Hosking and Johansson, earning her 3 extra bonus seconds that would virtually put her just a second behind her team mate and race overall leader Amy Pieters. Meanwhile, the gap over the first chasing groups grew rapidly and the front riders remained together all the way to the city of Al Khor.

Despite last minute attempts from the Orica-AIS girls, final decision was to be made in a bunched sprint. Like on the opening day of the Tour, Kirsten Wild flew to a second stage success this year, her seventh so far in Qatar. The Dutch sprinter beat Elizabeth Armitstead and Chloe Hosking to the line.

Thanks to her stage win, Wild captures the overall lead again and now has a 9” advantage over Pieters and 21” over Hosking. With one day to go and a last stage on the Doha Corniche, a fourth crown is up for grabs for the Giant-Shimano leader. Wild also leads the points classification, while Pieters remains the best young rider.

RESULT
1 WILD Kirsten Team Giant-Shimano 2:27:34
2 ARMITSTEAD Elizabeth Boels – Dolmans Cycling Team
3 HOSKING Chloe Hitec Products
4 OLDS Shelley Alé Cipollini
5 JOHANSSON Emma Orica – AIS
6 GUARISCHI Barbara Alé Cipollini
7 WORRACK Trixi Specialized-lululemon
8 CECCHINI Elena Italy
9 PIETERS Amy Team Giant-Shimano
10 GUNNEWIJK Loes Orica – AIS 0:05

 

 

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