Editorial

A few years ago, our determination to create a women’s cycling competition sent a clear call to women in the sporting world. It was answered by female cycling champions the world over. They came, first to discover the country and then, to transform the race into a key competition that draws the most qualified among them to a new challenge, at the start of every season. Together with Qatar they have made a bit of history.

Now, after having laid the foundations, it is time to carry on building, and pave the way for the future. For its fifth edition, the Ladies Tour of Qatar is expanding, adding a fourth stage to the race, and increasing its prestige.
The victories achieved on the roads of Qatar will serve as a marker to all those who are aiming far and high. The race in February 2013 will be a decisive training ground for the World Championships of 2016, now a clear target on the horizon. The veterans of the Ladies Tour of Qatar will certainly benefit from their pioneer status.

Sheikh Khalid Bin Ali Bin Abdullah Al Thani
President of the Qatar Cycling Federation