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Picture: Farid Abdulwahab

Belgium’s Grace Verbeke being attended to by her Lotto-Belisol Ladies Team’s support staff after she was involved in a road accident during training yesterday. Verbeke hurt her shoulder and is a doubtful starter for the Ladies Tour of Qatar starting today.

QATAR will make history today when the Middle-East’s first tournament for professional women cyclists gets underway today with a 94km stage starting at the Museum of Islamic Arts at 12 noon.
A total of 88 cyclists from 15 teams – six national and nine professional – are participating in the event which will end on Tuesday.
Team Columbia Women, being the World No 1 side, start as firm favourites. Leading the challenge will be the experienced Chantal Beltman who won the prestigious Ronde van Drenthe World Cup and the Liberty Classic in 2008.

Belgium’s Grace Verbeke being attended to by her Lotto-Belisol Ladies Team’s support staff after she was involved in a road accident during training yesterday. Verbeke hurt her shoulder and is a doubtful starter for the Ladies Tour of Qatar starting today. Pictures: Farid Abdulwahab
She will be supported by her teammates, Emilia Fahlin, Luise Keller and Ellen van Dijk – all of whom are top names in the sport. Fahlin is the defending Swedish national champion, Keller is the German national champion and the Route de France title-holder, while van Dijk was the world champion in the Scratch Race in 2008.
However, Begium’s Lotto-Belisol Ladies Team, Equipe de France, Netherlands Team Flexpoint and Team Leontien.NL can give Team Columbia Women a run for their money in Qatar’s windy conditions.
Most of the races in Belgium, France and Netherlands are wind assisted and suited for sprints. However, Lotto-Belisol, who have stalwarts like Rochelle Gilmore of Australia in the team, received a jolt yesterday as one of their key riders, Grace Verbeke, sustained a shoulder injury in a road accident while training. She is now doubtful for the event.
Also among the top contenders is Doha Asian Games gold medallist Mayuko Hagiwara. She was instrumental in providing Japan their first gold at the Games in 2006 in the women’s road race. Hagiwara, then, had covered the 113.1km distance in 3h6’10” and would be able to use the conditions here to her advantage.
Dutch national champion Marlijan Binnendijk of Team Leontien.NL is also capable of springing some surprises on her day. Beijing Olympics bronze medallist in road racing, Tatiana Guderzo, leads the Italian National Team’s challenge.