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Limbering up for tough conditions ahead with a strong wind, as well as searing hot sun
from a virtually cloudless sky...
Last year’s corresponding stage from Al Sheehaniya to Al Khor was decided by who could
cope with the headwinds and crosswinds, and teams were making sure they knew when to expect
the worst...
Kirsten Wild won in Al Khor last year, and looked confident -- 22 seconds separating
her from leader Chloe Hosking..
Orica GreenEdge were intent on riding - they had Gracie Elvin in second on GC, six seconds
in arrears, as well as Emma Johansson in a strong position - although no sprinter on
the team.
And Specialized Lululemon had the triple threat of Lisa Brennauer - third on GC at eight seconds
- and former champion Ellen van Dijk at 22, along with Trixi Worrack...
But Hosking - riding in her fourth Tour of Qatar despite her tender years - she’s just
22 - sounded chirpy ahead of the start...
“A lot of the stages are quite similar each year, so you know when a direction change
is coming up. And, I mean, you’ve just got to really be very aware and pay attention
to when you’re turning left, right, and where the winds coming from. For sure each
year I’m getting better and I’d love to pick up another stage win or even go for the
GC, but we’ll see how it goes.”
From the rollout straight into some pretty blustery conditions, it would take a brave
soul to attack today... step forward Jiang Xiu Ji of China Chongming-Giant, who was joined
by MCipollini-Giordana’s Malgorzata Jasinska and France’s Audrey Cordon.
The peloton followed at a languid pace, as riders dropped back on bottle duty... and
Van Dijk even found the time to practice her slalom skills: and with a lack of urgency
in the chase, the front trio were eight minutes ahead at one point... Jiang taking both intermediate
sprints and the virtual race lead...
But a dangerous group of nine detached itself from the peloton and were making rapid ground.
Hosking was there, showing her keen eye for making the right moves, as were Wild, Van
Dijk, Worrack, Elvin and Johansson - those two among five Orica riders in the break...
Despite Orica’s best attempts to avoid a sprint, the group rolled in as one... the
finish a carbon copy of the year before when Wild was outnumbered but far from outgunned
-- she added a record fourth Qatar stage win to her palmares, ahead of Worrack and Van
Dijk on the day.
“I was alone from my team and it was really hard work, they kept attacking and in the
end we made it to a sprint and I won it! It’s just a stage but there we go, we have
a really strong team and if we work together the next day we have really strong chances.”
Hosking was fourth - no time bonus but she still leads by six seconds from Elvin, although
Wild is breathing down their necks -- third overall at nine seconds... can she claim a
third title in five years?
Phil Sheehan for GCN in Qatar