Kirsten Wild leads a powerful Cervélo TestTeam to the Tour of Qatar tomorrow to defend the race that she won a year ago. As one of the strongest sprinters in the sport, the Dutchwoman is one of the riders most suited to the flat, windy terrain. One thing that Wild will be determined to change over last year’s race is that she failed to win a stage; her best was second place on stage 1 behind Italian Giorgia Bronzini.
Cervélo will be one of the strongest teams at the race, with Wild protected by such powerful rouleurs as Sarah Düster, Iris Slappendel and Regina Bruins. Also in the team is 21-year-old British prodigy Lizzie Armitstead who, as a fast sprinter, is a possible race winner herself.
Cervélo’s main competition is likely to come from HTC-Columbia, as will be the case for the majority of the season. Despite leaving über-sprinter Ina Teutenberg at home, as it did last year, the German registered team still has the sprinting talent of Swede Emilia Fahlin to rely on. The HTC-Columbia team is similarly packed with powerful riders, including Italian double Worlds medallist Noemi Cantele, Ellen Van Dijk and Adrie Visser. Few members of the women’s peloton are as experienced as 2004 World champion Judith Arndt who, after an injury hit 2009, will be anxious to make up for lost time.
Double 2009 stage winner Bronzini returns with the Italian national team, and buoyed with confidence after winning the overall points race World Cup on the track – in her points race rainbow jersey. The team also includes World champion Tatiana Guderzo, in her first competitive outing in the rainbow jersey, and Italian champion Monia Baccaille.
The race peloton will include a great deal of Anglophone interest with national teams from the United States and Australia. Australian champion Ruth Corset leads a young and relatively inexperienced team that includes Sarah Roy, Carly Light, Lauren Kitchen, with former national criterium champion Kirsty Broun and new Tibco signing Emma Mackie.
The US team is dominated by four riders from the new Peanut Butter and Co – Twenty12 team: Lauren Tamayo, Shelley Evans (née Olds), Sinead Miller and Kat Carroll. Amber Rais, now settled in Austria and riding for Kuota Speed Kueens, and Janel Holcomb, formerly of Webcor Builders, make up the team. The flat exposed parcours, and the likelihood of sprint finishes will suit most of the riders in this team very well.
Elsewhere, the Lotto Ladies Team boasts Australian Rochelle Gilmore and American Liz Hatch – both of whom will like the fast finishes – and Briton Emma Silversides will ride for RedSun.
The two outstanding riders of 2009 have both sent their teams, but are not riding themselves. Marianne Vos’ won the World Cyclocross Championships on Sunday and so is taking a break before her road season begins; her Nederland Bloeit team will be led by Liesbeth Bakker by virtue of being alphabetically first. Swede Emma Johansson, who took the World Cup challenge with Vos to the wire last year, is also staying at home; her RedSun team will be led by Ludivine Henrion.
Riders list for second Ladies’ Tour of Qatar
Cervélo TestTeam
Kirsten Wild (Ned)
Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr)
Charlotte Becker (Ger)
Regina Bruins (Ned)
Sarah Düster (Ger)
Iris Slappendel (Ned)
Italian National Team
Tatiana Guderzo (Ita)
Monia Baccaille (Ita)
Giorgia Bronzini (Ita)
Barbara Guarischi (Ita)
Valentina Scandolara (Ita)
Marta Tagliaferro (Ita)
Australian National Team
Kirsty Broun (Aus)
Ruth Corset (Aus)
Tiffany Cromwell (Aus)
Lauren Kitchen (Aus)
Carly Light (Aus)
Sarah Roy (Aus)
HTC-Columbia
Judith Arndt (Ger)
Noemi Cantele (Ita)
Emilia Fahlin (Swe)
Chloe Hosking (Aus)
Ellen Van Dijk (Ned)
Adrie Visser (Ned)
RedSun Cycling Team
Ludivine Henrion (Bel)
Latoya Brulee (Bel)
Inge Klep (Ned)
Birgit Lavrijssen (Ned)
Marie Lindberg (Swe)
Emma Silversides (GBr)
Netherlands National Team
Martine Bras (Ned)
Vera Koedooder (Ned)
Amy Pieters (Ned)
Monique Van De Ree (Ned)
Anna Van Der Breggen (Ned)
Elise Van Hage (Ned)
United States National Team
Shelley Olds (USA)
Katharine Carroll (USA)
Janel Holcomb (USA)
Sinead Miller (USA)
Lauren Tamayo (USA)
Amber Rais (USA)
Nederland Bloeit
Liesbeth Bakker (Ned)
Liesbeth De Vocht (Ned)
Loes Gunnewijk (Ned)
Janneke Kanis (Ned)
Loes Markerink (Ned)
Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned)
German National Team
Trixi Worrack (Ger)
Lisa Brennauer (Ger)
Elke Gebhardt (Ger)
Angela Hennig (Ger)
Marlen Johrend (Ger)
Bianca Purath (Ger)
Lotto Ladies Team
Rochelle Gilmore (Aus)
Veronica Andreasson (Swe)
Lynette Burger (RSA)
Elizabeth Hatch (USA)
Kim Schoonbaert (Bel)
Annelies Van Doorslaer (Bel)
French National Team
Sophie Creux (Fra)
Mélanie Bravard (Fra)
Fiona Dutriaux (Fra)
Florence Girardet (Fra)
Pascale Jeuland (Fra)
Béatrice Thomas (Fra)
Safi-Pasta Zara-Manhattan
Rasa Leleivyte (Ltu)
Inga Cilvinaite (Ltu)
Lorena Foresi (Ita)
Oxana Kozonchuk (Rus)
Eleonora Patuzzo (Ita)
Marina Romoli (Ita)
Swiss National Team
Pascale Schnider (Swi)
Catherine Lohri (Swi)
Nadège Matthey de l'Endroit (Swi)
Doris Schweizer (Swi)
Jessica Uebelhart (Swi)
Andrea Wolfer (Swi)
Giant Pro Cycling
Yiu Wong Wan (Chn)
Min Gao (Chn)
Huili Gu (Chn)
Xin Liu (Chn)
Xiaoling Luo (Chn)
Lang Meng (Chn)
MTN
Susanne Ljungskog (Swe)
Robyn De Groot (RSA)
Trine Schmidt (Den)
Carla Swart (RSA)
Marissa Van Der Merwe (RSA)
Chrissie Viljoen (RSA)