(MENAFN- Gulf Times) The Ladies Tour of Qatar is the first trial event for the UCI World Road Championships Doha 2016, and today's opening stage € from Katara Cultural Village to Qatar University - will give the riders an opportunity to sample the course that will be in offer for the rainbow jersey race during the global contest from October 9 to 16, 2016.
Addressing a press conference on the eve of the start of the tour, yesterday, president of the Qatar Cycling Federation (QCF) and chairman of the Doha 2016 Sheikh Khalid bin Ali al-Thani said: "The tour will be exciting like always. But this year it has an added significance as it is a trial stage for World Championships."
He added: There are top notch teams taking part in the tour and the important aspect of the 97.5km long first stage is one round in Pearl Qatar. We will test the security there and see if we can close sectors and that residents of Pearl can have access to the race. During the men's tour we will do more laps," Sheikh Khalid said.
On the participation of Qatar ladies team in the tour, he said, "I don't think so. They are not ready yet."
Qatar is the first country in the Middle East and the Arab world and second in Asia after Japan to host the World Championships.
Ambassador of UCI RWC Doha 2016 Eddy Merckx said: Ladies Tour of Qatar and Tour of Qatar is a test run for the World Championships. It will allow participating cyclists and the organisation to test the course and will give us a chance to think through any extra details we might need to consider and for the cyclists to have an idea of how they will need to prepare in the months before the race.
"On the course, the laps are special. You can see the riders from three different spots. It's a very nice course. There's always wind. It makes difficult and interesting for the riders.
The World Championships 2016 consists of twelve races; a road race, a team time trial and a time trial for elite men and women and a road race and a time trial for men under-23, junior men and junior women.
The last UCI world Road Championships were held in Richmond Virginia, USA, in September 2015 in which Peter Sagan and Lizzie Armitstead won the men's and women's titles, respectively.
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