OTLEY’S Lizzie Armitstead has won the women’s Tour of Qatar after taking victory in the fourth and final stage yesterday.

Armitstead won the 85-kilometre stage from Sealine Beach Resort to Doha Corniche in a sprint finish from Chloe Hosking (Wiggle-Honda) for her second win of the race. She also won Thursday’s third stage.

Armitstead, the Commonwealth Games champion, finished 12 seconds ahead of Australian Hosking in the general classification after completing the four stages in a combined time of 9hrs 59mins 25sec.

Armitstead’s Boels Dolmans team-mate Ellen Van Dijk was third overall, 22 seconds down on the winner in what proved to be a succesful event for the Dutch team.

For Armitstead, 26, it was the perfect start to a year when she will be defending the Women’s World Cup title which she captured in 2014.

Her strong performance in Qatar suggests she is good shape for the challenges that lie ahead.