By Andrew Disseldorp

The winner of the Ladies Tour of Qatar will be determined tomorrow as cyclists ride some 86.5km from Sealine Beach to Doha’s Corniche.

Among those competing for the honor are 90 athletes who have cycled in the Olympics and and Giro D’Italia, among others, including Amanda Spratt, 2012 Australian roadrace champion and team member of the Orica AIS squad.

The Qatar race marks the first of the season for the women’s peleton, and since the terrain is fairly flat, challenges unique to racing here include the weather.

“The wind always plays a huge part in the way the race plays out tactically,” Spratt said. Though the Orica AIS squad came to the race without a true sprinter, the team took advantage of yesterday’s crosswinds to place three riders in the top seven of the race. 

The Ladies Tour finishes up with five laps of the Corniche between the Al Diwan and National Theater roundabouts tomorrow, between 2:30pm to 3pm.

Men’s competition

The Men’s Tour of Qatar kicks off on Sunday, Feb. 3 at Katara Cultural Village, where some 144 riders will compete for six days, including 2011 world champion Mark Cavendish.

Route information on the women’s tour can be found here; men’s tour information is available here.

Are you planning to check it out?

Thoughts?

Credit: Photo courtesy of the Orica AIS squad on Twitter