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Wild wins stage one
Two-time champion Kirsten Wild edged out Australian sprinter Chloe Hosking to win the opening stage of the Ladies Tour of Qatar.
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I try to work but my legs were not that good. I was suffering all the way but in the end it was quite good.
Wild won a small group sprint to take the first gold leader’s jersey of the three-stage event with Hosking second and her Specialized-lululemon team-mate and defending champion Ellen Van Dijk third.
Specialized-lululemon as well as GreenEDGE-AIS had a strong presence in the winning seven-person break at three riders a piece but could not get the better of Wild, who was without the support of a Netherlands teammate.
“It looks kind of silly but we were working all day,” Hosking said of the escapee ratio.
“Kirsten didn’t have the team-mates so obviously she had a bit of an easier ride and she’s a really good bike rider.”
Wild says she suffered throughout the particularly gusty race but it paid dividends.
“I also try to work but my legs were not that good,” she said.
“I was suffering all the way but in the end it was quite good.”
Wild has won all but one edition of the women’s tour.
The 29 year old was forced to miss last year’s meet due to national track commitments.
“I had to race because of the world championship on the track,” she said.
“I raced against Marianne Vos - we were fighting for the last place for the world championship. That was the day of Qatar so I had to go for this.”
A strong tailwind at the start of the race contributed to a high pace that saw the 89-strong peloton cover about 56km in an hour.
The winning break, which comprised Wild, Hosking, Van Dijk, Judith Arndt (GreenEDGE-AIS), Trixi Worrack (Specialized-lululemon), Alexis Rhodes (GreenEDGE-AIS) and Loes Gunnewijk (GreenEDGE-AIS), formed shortly after the 30km mark and appeared to become more organised as the race progressed.
Conditions saw the peloton split up early and a chase group of 12 riders, including Australian national road champion Amanda Spratt, try to close the gap to the lead group, which had a maximum time advantage of about one minute and 50 seconds.
Gunnewijk, Wild and Van Dijk attacked within the final kilometres but were caught in the home straight.
“I knew I’m alone and I knew maybe I’m one of the fastest so I have to watch and I have to go with everyone so I was ready,” Wild said.
The AA Drink-Leontien.nl professional Wild was modest about her chances of taking a third tour title and says she will approach the race day-by-day.
The fourth Ladies Tour of Qatar continues tonight (AEDT with a 114.5km trek from Al Zubara to Madinat Al Shamal.
Twitter: @SophieSmith86
Ladies Tour of Qatar stage one results: 97km Camel Race Track to Al Khor Corniche1. Kirsten Wild (Ned) Netherlands 2hr 16min 50sec
2. Chloe Hosking (Aus) Specialized-Lululemon
3. Ellen Van Dijk (Ned) Specialized-Lululemon
4. Judith Arndt (Ger) GreenEDGE-AIS
5. Trixi Worrack (Ger) Specialized-Lululemon
6. Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) GreenEDGE-AIS
7. Alexis Rhodes (Aus) GreenEDGE-AIS
8. Monia Baccaille (Ita) MCipollini-Giambenini + 2:16, Charlotte Becker (Ger) Specialized-Lulelemon
10. Jessie Maclean (Aus) GreenEdge-AIS.
General classification
1. Kirsten Wild (Ned) Netherlands 2hr 16min 36sec
2. Chloe Hosking (Aus) Specialized-Lululemon +8sec
3. Judith Arndt (Ger) GreenEDGE-AIS +9sec
4. Ellen Van Dijk (Ned) Specialized-Lululemon +10sec
5. Trixi Worrack (Ger) Specialized-Lululemon +11sec.
Sophie Smith is in Qatar as a guest of Amaury Sport Organisation
