Van Dijk faces tough task in Doha Wednesday, 01 February 2012 02:18

BY ARMSTRONG VAS

Doha: Defending champion Ellen van Dijk of Holland’s aim of retaining the Ladies Tour of Qatar will face stiff competition from compatriot Kirsten Wild and world champion Giorgia Bronzini.

The three-day event kicks off the 2012 UCI women’s calendar here today.  

Wild who missed out on last edition is determined to clinch her third title in Qatar this year.  

The 29-year-old who won back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010 said: “It’s good to be back in Doha, especially after missing out last year. I would have been aiming at the hat-trick. It was disappointing to sit back in Holland and see the girls perform here. But that’s now a matter of the past and I’m keen to get back into winning ways here,” said Wild on the eve of the race.

With three invited teams apiece, Italy and the Netherlands are poised to do battle once more in Qatar. Having taken every one of the three editions of the Middle Eastern race to date – through Wild (2009 and 2010) and Van Dijk (2011) – the Dutch will fancy their chances for a fourth title, across the flat terrains.

“We had a good training session and things look absolutely fine. The only change I see from the last time round here is that a few more towering buildings have come up. The wind would once again be testing as it has been in the past. However, I’m very much ready and up for the challenge,” added Wild.

The Italians are bringing the race’s top stage winner though, in Bronzini, and she will be looking to improve on her two second places in the race, both of which were behind Wild. But, Wild’s biggest challenge will come from his country mates.

“Most of the Dutch girls are strong. Yes, Ellen van Dijk will be one of the strong contenders and so will be Bronzini. However, I’m keen to win out over here. It’s important to start the season on a high. Being the Olympic year, this would be an ideal preparation,” said Wild.

Van Dijk returns to the race as part of the new Specialized-lululemon team, which is almost identical to the HTC-Highroad team that she raced for last year.

Teams from Australian, Germany, French, Belgium, China and USA will also be aiming for honours in the season opener in the Olympic year.

In all, 90 riders from 15 teams will be setting off for the 97km stage one from Camel Race Track to Al Khor Corniche today at 12.30pm. The first intermediate sprint will be 57.7km from finish at Sub Station and the second with 36km to go at Umm Thenaitain Farm.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Khalid bin Ali bin Abdullah Al Thani, President of Qatar Cycling Federation (QCF) said he was happy the way the men’s Tour of Qatar progressed over the years.

“The race timing is very good, at the start of the season, earlier; we were conducting it two weeks earlier. But to guarantee good teams coming to Tour of Qatar we changed to February, as earlier dates were clashing with other races.

With the success of Tour of Qatar, after the change of dates, we found the cyclists came to Qatar more prepared to win the race.”

Sheikh Khalid said they had to turn their back to several teams including this year’s edition as they had to stick to UCI rules.

“We have a lot of teams that would like to come here, much more than the number we need, so we can chose only the best. The biggest change which has happened over the years is the (fight for) supremacy for the Tour of Qatar has become a strong competition, he added.

Legendary cyclist Eddy Merckx, who has been associated with the QCF since the first edition of the men’s event said.

“Every year we have big crowd for both the Ladies Tour of Qatar and tour of Qatar. This year too, we have big sprinters coming to Qatar. World champion Mark Cavendish, Tom Boonen and a lot of good riders are coming to Qatar.

“The problem is too many  teams want to come. The design of the course is very good. The tour of Qatar serves as ideal preparations for the season, the sprints stages are very competitive. We have 11 pro teams, two Europe teams competing in the Tour of Qatar. So the Tour of Qatar is truly international,” said Merckx, the five-time Tour de France winner.

QCF president said Qatar has earned its place among the countries that really count in the world of cycling.

“The very existence and continued development of this high-level female competition is proof of the Qatari sporting authorities’ commitment to cycling. It is also proof of the truly visionary approach with which the country sets itself major challenges, such as the Ladies Tour of Qatar.

“The race has now become a highly prestigious and unmissable annual fixture for the world’s greatest women champions. Those who have dazzled in the Olympic and World Games have now added Qatar to their calendar, and are preparing to face the country’s wind-swept routes,” added Sheikh Khalid.

The Peninsula

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