Tour of Qatar 2014 Route stage 5: Al Zubara Fort - Madinat Al Shamal

Al Zubara is on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. No one lives there, it’s a beautiful yet ruined and deserted place. It used to be a prosperous merchant town in the Persian Gulf, located on the northwestern shores of Qatar. After the year 1810 Al Zabura fell in decline and the inhabitants abandoned Al Zubara, except for a few Bedouin of the Nua‘imi tribe.

In 1938, the Sheikh of Qatar ordered to build a Fort on the remains of what was once the most important city of Qatar. He wasn’t was aware of this, since the historical city was almost completely covered in sand. It was only in 1956 Danish archeologists discovered there was… more to discover. At the moment twenty percent of Al Zubara is excavated.

Today’s stage starts at the Al Zubara Fort and riders head southeast. After 47 kilometers in the saddle and a sharp turn to the left, all noses point north. This is about halfway to the finish line, which the riders pass 4 times today.

The local round in Madinat Al Shamal is 14 kilometers in length and, as you may have guessed, the road is as flat as can be.

The to be constructed Al Shamal Stadium will be one of the venues to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It is scheduled to be a 45.330 seater, meaning five times the population of the town itself.

The stage starts at 10:35 (CET) and finishes approximately 14:15.

Tour of Qatar 2014 stage 5: Images

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