Cyclopunk: Qatar

Showing posts with label Qatar. Show all posts

Sunday, 5 February 2012

2012 Tour of Qatar Results

Stage 1

Tour of Qatar - DON'T watch it free online

Want to watch the desert action but living in a country where it's not shown? Reluctant to pay for the cable sports channels because you only like cycling and they fill up 99% of the airtime with - er - whatever those others sports are called? Or maybe you're at work and your idiot bosses don't allow you to take a portable TV with you?

If so, you might be tempted to have a look online for a free stream. However, watching free online livestream channels such as this one, for which you're really supposed to pay, is illegal. So don't watch it. No - we really mean it: don't. It's very naughty.

Make sure you read this smallprint, too. Cyclopunk provides the above livestream link for educational purposes only and as an example in order to illustrate the article. This blog is not responsible for anything readers choose to do of their own free will and strongly encourages all readers not to do anything that could get them into trouble with their mums.

Thursday, 2 February 2012

Women's Tour of Qatar Stage 2 Results

Here.

Wednesday, 1 February 2012

Women's Tour of Qatar Stage 1 Results

Here.

Monday, 30 January 2012

Women's Tour of Qatar starters and course guides

Click for enlargement
(image credit: ASO)

Stage 1, 1.02.12
Camel Race Track - Al Khor Corniche (97km)
Stage 2: 2.02.12
Al Zubara Fort - Madinat Al Shamal (114.5km)
Stage 3: 3.02.12
Katara Cultural Village - Katara Cultural Village (92.5km)
Total: 304km

Click for Stage Guides

Starters (subject to change)

1: China Chongming - Giant Pro Cycling

1 CHEN, Li
2 HUANG, Dong Yan
3 LIU, Xin
4 LUO, Xiao Ling
5 SHENG, Yongyan
6 YUAN, Yunyun

2: Diadora-Pasta Zara

11 ANDRUK, Alona
12 BATAGELJ, Polona
13 BRONZINI, Giorgia
14 CILVINAITE, Inga
15 DONATO, Giulia
16 JANELIUNAITE, Edita

3: France

21 AUDE, Biannic
22 CORDON, Audrey
23 JEULAND, Nathalie
24 JEULAND, Pascale
25 LESUEUR, Mélodie
26 VERHOEVEN, Aurore

4: Germany

31 BUBNER, Janine
32 GEBHARDT, Elke
33 KASPER, Romy
34 POHL, Stephanie
35 SANDIG, Madeleine
36 SCHNITZMEIER, Anna-Bianca

5: GreenEdge-AIS

41 ARNDT, Judith
42 GUNNEWIJK, Loes
43 HOSKINS, Melissa
44 MACLEAN, Jessie
45 RHODES, Alexis
46 SPRATT, Amanda

6: Team Hitec Products UCK

51 BERGSETH, Johanne
52 HATTELAND, Tone
53 LONGO BORGHINI, Elisa
54 MUSTONEN, Sara
55 NØSTVOLD, Lise
56 WAERSTAD, Froydis

7: Italy

61 DONADONI, Alice
62 CANTELE, Noemi
63 CONFALONIERI, Maria Giulia
64 PATUZZO, Eleonora
65 SCANDOLARA, Valentina
66 VANNUCCI, Chiara

8: Lotto Belisol Ladies

71 DUYCK, Ann-sophie
72 HANNES, Kaat
73 HENRION, Ludivine
74 SCHOONBAERT, Kim
75 TAYLOR, Cherise
76 LOOY, Katrien Van

9: MCipollini - Giambenini - Gauss

81 BACCAILE, Monia
82 BASTIANELLI, Marta
83 BORCHI, Alessandra
84 CECCHINI, Elena
85 GUDERZO, Tatiana
86 TAGLIAFERRO, Marta

10: Dolmans - Boels Cycling Team

91 BRAS, Martine
92 LAVRIJSSEN, Birgit
93 SPOOR, Winanda
94 BREGGEN, Anna Van Der
95 KAMP, Laura Van Der
96 WILD, Kirsten

11: Skil - 1t4i

101 BRUINS, Regina
102 KANIS, Janneke
103 PIETERS, Amy
104 TROMP, Esra
105 RIJEN, Linda Van
106 VISSER, Adrie

12: Rabobank Ladies Team

111 VOCHT, Liesbet De
112 DÜSTER, Sarah
113 KITCHEN, Lauren
114 KNETEMANN, Roxane
115 SLAPPENDEL, Iris
116 TALEN, Rebecca

13: Team Specialized- Lululemon

121 BECKER, Charlotte
122 BRENNAUER, Lisa
123 COLCLOUGH, Katie
124 HOSKING, Chloe
125 DIJK, Ellen Van
126 WORRACK, Trixi

14: Topsport Vlaanderen - Ridley 2012

131 BEYEN, Ine
132 BRULEE, Latoya
133 CROKET, Gilke
134 POLSPOEL, Maaike
135 BRANDE, Edith Vanden
136 VEKEMANS, Anisha

15: Exergy Twenty12

141 CROWELL, Jacquelyn
142 OLDS, Shelley
143 RIVERA, Coryn
144 RYAN, Kendall
145 SCHNEIDER, Samantha
146 WILES, Taylor

Thursday, 19 January 2012

OMG culture shock!

Lovely, lovely beer
(image credit: JMCStrav CC BY 3.0)

It's not often that you'll see football mentioned on this website - in fact, we promise that this is the last time - but it's worth mentioning that FIFA have declared beer must be sold at all venues hosting matches in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. "Fifa General Secretary Jerome Valcke said the right to sell beer must be enshrined in a World Cup law the Brazilian Congress is considering," says the BBC.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, footy fans in Doha, Qatar are in high spirits. As reported by Al Jazeera: "Frenzied celebrations erupt across tiny Gulf nation after it wins bid to host 2022 football World Cup. Massive celebrations erupted on the streets of Doha, Qatar's capital, after Fifa, football's world governing body, announced the tiny Gulf country will host the sport's biggest tournament in 2022."

We foresee problems here: according to Wikipedia (thank goodness the blackout's over, eh folks? I bet there wasn't much school homework done last night), "Qatar bans the importation of alcohol and it is a punishable offense to drink alcohol or be drunk in public. Offenders may incur a prison sentence or deportation. Alcohol is, however, available at licensed hotel restaurants and bars, and non-Muslim expatriates living in Qatar can obtain alcohol on a permit system at the Qatar Distribution Center, the only distributor allowed to sell alcohol."

Keeping tabs on small numbers of alcohol-drinking infidel is one thing, but does Qatar have a hope in hell on controlling several hundred thousand beer-swilling football fans? Probably not.

But then, Qatar also hosts a round of the UCI Asia (cycling) Tour which is popular with European riders and fans who fancy a bit of winter sun. Fair play to them if the can stop the Dutch and Belgian fans getting shit-faced while they watch - have you seen Dutch Corner on the Alpe d'Huez?

In similar "OMG culture shock!!!" news, the Tour Down Under (ongoing atm) is all a-quiver at the moment after a woman complained because a foreign rider did what professional cyclists do during a race: yanked down his shorts and did the dirty deed right there in front of her and her eleven-year-old daughter. Apparently, public urination is strictly forbidden in Australia, which rather disproves the stereotype commonly believed by the British that "the Colonials lack fine manners" (apart from India, of course, where they probably had books on etiquette while we Brits were still living in caves - or, more likely, in Southern Europe wondering how to oust the Neanderthals).

Of course, in a civilised nation such as France the woman would grabbed the nearest receptacle and bottled it for future sale on Ebay.

Different strokes for...actually, we're not going there. But it's good to see that no matter how weird we all seem to one another, sport - and cycling in particular - brings us together.

(With thanks to @northernsooner and Wrongfellow)

Thursday, 12 January 2012

Ladies' Tour of Qatar starters