Optum has tough first stage of Ladies Tour of Qatar, Annalisa Cucinotta takes win

It would be a inaccurate to say that Tuesday’s first stage of the Ladies Tour of Qatar was uneventful because it lacked the strong winds that characterize races in the Arabic state–Italian winner Annalisa Cucinotta and her Alé Cipollini team would certainly differ. And American squad Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies wishes that it was less eventful, as it’s down to four from six riders and the only team not intact.

Canadian Annie Ewart did not start at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha because of sickness. Intermediate sprints are important for the GC in the Ladies Tour of Qatar, but finding no winds for to boss the peloton via echelons, strong teams like Boels Dolmans couldn’t dictate the lead-in into the first showdown. American Shelley Olds-Evans (Bigla) took the honours of the first intermediate sprint over Australian Chloe Hosking (Wiggle).

After the dust had settled, Xiu Jie Jiang (China/China Chongming-Liv-Champion System) took a flyer and led the race over the second intermediate sprint. Olds-Evans was the first out of the pack at the intermediate line.

There were a few crashes in the field, some caused by roundabouts. Hosking and Cucinotta both went down, as did Optum’s Maura Kinsella (USA), who went to the hospital with suspected broken ribs.

Jiang was hauled back and the colour-blocks formed as the sprinters’ teams organized. The sprint itself was a little confusing, but Alé Cipollini got it right and had three riders in the top seven. Cuninotta beat out compatriot Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle) and teammate Marta Tagliaferro, making for an all-Italian podium.

Optum’s other Canadian, Leah Kirchmann, is now at a disadvantage in the sprints, but she finished in the pack in 18th. Joëlle Numainville of Bigla also came in with the bunch in 83rd.