The 2009 Ladies Tour of Qatar was the first edition of the

Ladies Tour of Qatar The Tour of Qatar was an annual professional cycling stage race held in Qatar. First organized in 2002, the event was part of the UCI Asia Tour until 2016. The 2017 edition was to have seen the event upgraded to the UCI World Tour for the first ...

cycling stage race. It was rated by the UCI as category 2.1, and was held between 8 and 10 February 2009, in Qatar.

Stages

Stage 1

;8 February 2009 – Doha to Doha, The sprint of the front group of 21 riders was won by

Giorgia Bronzini Giorgia Bronzini (born 3 August 1983) is an Italian former professional racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2003 and 2017. She won the women's road race in the UCI Road World Championships in both 2010 and 2011 and the women's poi ...

before

Kirsten Wild Kirsten Carlijn Wild (born 15 October 1982) is a Dutch former professional racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2004 and 2021, for eight professional teams. During her track cycling career, Wild rode at the Summer Olympic Games in 2012 ...

and

Ellen van Dijk Eleonora Maria "Ellen" van Dijk (; born 11 February 1987) is a Dutch professional road racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Women's WorldTeam . Besides road cycling she was also a track cyclist until 2012. Van Dijk is known as a time ...

Stage 2

;9 February 2009 – Doha to Oryx Farm,

Stage 3

;10 February 2009 – Camelodrome to Al Khawr, Team Flexpoint split the bunch with about 10 kilometres to go. After the bunch regrouped slightly,

attacked with 800 metres to go. The headwind was very strong and Van Dijk couldn't stay away. The bunch sprint was won by

before

Rochelle Gilmore Rochelle Gilmore (born 14 December 1981) is an Australian former racing cyclist, owner and manager of the professional cycling team . Career Born in Sutherland, New South Wales, Gilmore competed in track cycling in her teens, before specialisi ...

and

, who won the general and points classification.

, finishing 6th, won the Best Young Rider's classification.

Classification leadership

In the 2009 Ladies Tour of Qatar, three different jerseys are awarded. For the

general classification The general classification (or the GC) in road bicycle racing is the category that tracks overall times for riders in multi-stage races. Each stage will have a stage winner, but the overall winner in the GC is the rider who has the fastest cumulati ...

, calculated by adding each cyclist's finishing times on each stage, and allowing time bonuses for the first three finishers on each stage and in intermediate sprints, the leader receives a golden jersey. This classification is considered the most important of the Tour of Qatar, and the winner is considered the winner of the Tour. Additionally, there is a

points classification The points classification is a secondary award category in road bicycle racing. Points are given for high finishes and, in some cases, for winning sprints at certain places along the route, most often called ''intermediate sprints''. The points cl ...

, which awards a silver jersey. In the points classification, cyclists get points for finishing in the top three in an intermediate sprint or the top twenty of a stage. The first in an intermediate sprint gets 3 points, second 2, and third a single point. The stage win affords 30 points, second is worth 27 points, 25 for third, 23 for fourth, 21 for fifth, 19 for sixth, 17 for seventh, 15 for eighth, 13 for ninth, 11 for tenth, and one point less per place down the line, to a single point for twentieth. There is also a youth classification, which awards a blue jersey. This classification is calculated the same as the general classification, but only riders born on or after January 1, 1984, are eligible.

Final classifications

General classification

Points Classification

Youth Classification

New Columbia-Highroad women's team rider

secured the Best Young Rider prize. Van Dijk's consistency after taking the jersey on the first day when she made it into the front group of 21 riders. The last hour of the last stage was a tense affair for the Dutchwoman, when she was caught on the wrong side of a split. She had to get past seven groups and finally crossed the line in sixth place, in the same time as stage winner, and won the Best Young Rider's classification.

References

External links

{{2009 in road cycling

Tour of Qatar The Tour of Qatar was an annual professional cycling stage race held in Qatar. First organized in 2002, the event was part of the UCI Asia Tour until 2016. The 2017 edition was to have seen the event upgraded to the UCI World Tour for the first ...

Ladies Tour of Qatar