The queen of the Tour of Qatar, Kirsten Wild, is hoping to celebrate a memorable birthday by adding a world title to her list of honours in the women’s road race at the UCI Road World Championships Doha 2016.
The Dutch cyclist, who will turn 34 today, said: “This race has been on my agenda for a long time.”
Wild has won the Ladies Tour of Qatar a record four times, grabbing ten stage wins along the way. “I like to race in Qatar. The ladies’ Tour of Qatar is always well-organised, and the race suits me well. I love the game of attacking and counter attacking on the flat roads in the wind.”
Wild thinks the Dutch may have an advantage in Doha at the season’s pinnacle event. “We are used to riding on the flat with a lot of wind. Riding in Qatar is a bit like riding in the Netherlands, except for the landscape being yellow with camels, instead of green with cows.”
Other countries will be watching the Dutch cyclists closely. “We will be the favourites and we will have more than one cyclist to rely on. If it’s going to end up in a bunch sprint, it’s up to me, but a lot can happen during the race. It’s good to know that as a team we have more options.”
Wild said the ladies’ road race will be tough for unexpected reasons. “We ride a 10-15 kilometre circuit in the Pearl. Therefore, the wind will have less influence on the race. For me it would be better to have as tough a race as possible, but it will be hard enough as it is. There will be a lot of cornering, which means a lot of braking and accelerating. Other countries will probably not want the race to end up in a bunch sprint, so there’s a lot to watch out for.”
A big difference with racing in the Netherlands is the Doha climate. “Yes, it will be warm, but I adapt to the heat quite easily, although it’s tougher to adapt to the heat than to the cold. When it’s cold you can wear an extra jacket, but when it’s warm your body has to adjust. Luckily enough I’ve been racing on the track a lot lately and the track is also very warm because they heat the boards for more speed. We also have a climate room in the Dutch national training centre at Papendal, so we will be well prepared.”
The record winner of the Ladies Tour of Qatar always enjoys visiting the country. “People are really enthusiastic about it, although it’s a bit of a strange experience too. Every time we come in Doha, there’s new buildings and even a new airport.”