The UCI Road World Championships Doha 2016 is reaching its end – and its climax. The last two competitions on schedule, the women’s and men’s Road Races, are considered the most spectacular, eye-catching ones. After all, these are the two races where the world’s biggest stars feature and fight for a rainbow jersey that, alone, can give a meaning to a whole life of sacrifices and hard training.
The Women’s Road Race will be held today, starting at Qatar Foundation. The peloton will have a section of neutralised ride to warm-up touring the Education City and, afterwards, will head straight away to The Pearl, where it will do almost 8 full laps to the 15.2 kilometre circuit that will add up to a total sum of 134.1km.
With a mass sprint most likely outcome in the race, current champion Lizzie Armitstead will have a tough time defending her title, given she is more suited to hillier courses.
Three sprinters seem to be a step ahead of the rest.
Netherland’s Kirsten Wild really knows how to win in Qatar: she is the recordwoman of the Tour of Qatar, a race where she’s won 10 stages and 4 GCs.
Australia’s Chloe Hosking has proved herself as one of the fastest women in the world by winning consistently throughout the season – including a stage in the Tour of Qatar and the one-day race La Course by Le Tour de France.
Last but not least, Belgium’s Jolien D’Hoore got a bronze medal in the last Olympic Games and afterwards she went on to win the prestigious Challenge by La Vuelta. She has asserted time and again her ambition of becoming UCI Road World Champion at Doha 2016.