[2] The defending champion and winner of four of the six editions of the race, Kirsten Wild, did not start in the Ladies Tour of Qatar to prepare for the UCI Track Cycling World Championships.

Former Tour of Qatar winner Ellen van Dijk and Lizzie Armitstead, who won the 2014 UCI World Cup and a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games led the reinforced Boels–Dolmans in the race.

Swedish Emma Johansson and Valentina Scandolara from Italy, winner of the Santos Women's Tour earlier in 2015, were part of the Orica–AIS squad.

Other important riders were Lucinda Brand and Shara Gillow heading up the Rabo–Liv and Tiffany Cromwell, Lisa Brennauer and Trixi Worrack with Velocio–SRAM.

On the last straight by the beach in Dukhan, Annalisa Cucinotta was led out by her teammates and won the stage ahead of two other Italian riders Giorgia Bronzini and Marta Tagliaferro.

The 85 remaining riders took off for the longest stage of the event, 112.5 kilometres (69.9 miles) in length, heading north to Madinat ash Shamal.

Six ladies pushed harder and pulled away: Chloe Hosking, Elisa Longo Borghini (both Wiggle–Honda), Emma Johansson (Orica–AIS), Lizzie Armitstead, Ellen van Dijk (both Boels–Dolmans) and Trixi Worrack (Velocio–SRAM).