(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Italian rider Annalisa Cucinotta yesterday braved pain in her shoulder and knee before producing an incredible late surge to stun title favourite Giorgia Bronzini on the opening day of the Ladies Tour of Qatar.
With just 25 meters before the finish line, the 29-year-old Italian used the tiny opening on the right of double world champion Bronzini to win the first stage at the Dukhan beach front.
The Ale-Cipollini rider timed her final sprint perfectly to sail past Bronzini, the multiple stage winner in Qatar.
Cucinotta's team-mate Marta Tagliaferro finished in third spot after the riders completed a distance of 98.5kms.
Cucinotta, who clocked a time of 2hours 26 minutes 26 seconds, said she was surprised how well she tackled the windless stage that kicked-off in front of the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) yesterday afternoon.
"Yes, I am really surprised because me and my team had decided on a different strategy before the stage. For me to finish first and my team-mate to finish third is surprising," Cucinotta said after picking up the leader's yellow jersey.
"It was very good day for me," she added.
When asked about the crash, the Italian said: "I think the crash happened before the second sprint. I think we were just 50 kilometers into the race then. I have pain in my shoulder and in my knee. But when I saw the finish I forgot about the pain. I thought of nothing then."
She added: "I am happy now. I don't know how I would race (in the last three stages) but I hope I can do well. I live day by day."
Cucinotta said past experience in windswept Qatar had helped her in negotiating the stage yesterday.
"Yes, I have raced here before," Cucinotta said.
"I raced here last year and three years ago," she added.
In ideal racing conditions and almost no wind, a rarity in Qatar, the seventh edition of the Ladies Tour of Qatar welcomed 87 riders at the start of the stage.
Without the slightest breakaway attempt, the pack remained bunched all the way to the first intermediate sprint (28km mark) which was won by Shelley Olds ahead of Australia's Chloe Hosking.
Stage leader Xiu Jie Jiang (GPC) went on to make it to the second bonus sprint (68.5km mark) clear from the pack before eventually being caught.
The bunched up pack stayed that way until the final moments of the race that ended in Dukhan.
On the last straight by the beach in Dukhan, Cucinotta was perfectly led out by her team-mates and claimed her first stage win in Qatar.
As well as the overall leader's Golden Jersey that Cucinotta conquered and will wear today for stage 2, the Italian takes command of the points classification (Silver Jersey) while another Ale Cipollini rider Arianna Fidanza claimed the White Pearl Jersey for the Best Young Rider.
Wiggle-Honda rider Bronzini, looking to seal the Qatar title win in the absence of defending champion Kirsten Wild, said the day went well.
"It went really well, mostly in the final meters," Bronzini said yesterday.
"We did well in the intermediate sprints. They (the team-mates) laid the path well, but she (Cucinotta ) was faster.
"She is one of the faster girls we have in Italy," the diminutive rider added.
"I tried to pass Shelley (Olds) but she closed me to the banks and then I had to take another direction and I lost some time there," the two-time former Road World Champion added.
"And I know that somebody else can pass me in the middle. Yeah I may have passed in the wrong way.
"That was the only space I had in the final sprint," Bronzini said.
"In the end I am happy to be second because when I start the sprint I was so far away from the bunch. I did not expect that I could do well. Yes, it is a satisfying day for me," she added.
Bronzini said without the wind, it was easy for her rivals to catch up with her,
"For sure, things could be different (in the last three days)," she said. "There was no wind today. I think it would be more windy. But I prefer less wind," she said.
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