The Tour of Qatar was an annual professional road cycling stage race held in the State of Qatar. Organized by Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), the event took place each January–February and comprised a men’s competition over five stages, with a women’s edition—known as the Ladies Tour of Qatar—added in 2009, featuring four stages.
History
- Inaugural edition: 2002.
- UCI classification: Part of the UCI Asia Tour from its inception until 2016. The 2017 edition was slated to be upgraded to the UCI WorldTour but was cancelled due to a lack of sponsorship, after which the race has not been revived.
Race characteristics
The course traversed Qatar’s largely flat terrain, favoring sprinters and classics specialists rather than climbers or time‑trialists. Wind conditions on the open desert roads often played a decisive role in stage outcomes.
Notable achievements
- Most men’s overall victories: Tom Boonen (Belgium) – four wins.
- Most women’s overall victories: Kirsten Wild (Netherlands) – four wins.
- Other prominent winners include Mark Cavendish, Thorsten Wilhelms, and Alexander Kristoff in the men’s race; and riders such as Lisa Krasundra and Olga Zabelinskaya in the women’s event.
Decline and cancellation
The 2017 edition was intended to be the first WorldTour iteration but was aborted when primary sponsor support fell through. Subsequent attempts to reinstate the race have not materialized, rendering the Tour of Qatar a discontinued fixture on the professional cycling calendar.