Canadian Cyclist - Tour of Qatar: Stage 1 report and results

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February 5/12 14:46 pm - Tour of Qatar: Stage 1 report and results

Posted by Editoress on 02/5/12

In perfect weather conditions despite ever present wind, Stage 1 of the Tour of Qatar ended in a bunched sprint. Belgian Tom Boonen once again proved he was the man to beat on a race he's already won three times. The Omega Pharma-Quickstep rider captured his 19th stage success here and will carry the first overall leader's Golden jersey of this 2012 edition.

After a very windy Ladies' Tour of Qatar, the conditions were a lot milder for the men's event as the World's best riders gathered at the start of Stage 1 under a bright sun and far less wind than on the previous days. For this 11th edition, 127 riders (Clarke (CSS) failed to start) took off from the Barzan Towers including World champion Mark Cavendish (SKY), World number one Philippe Gilbert (BMC), title holder Mark Renshaw (RAB), three-time Tour of Qatar winner Tom Boonen (OPQ), as well as the likes of Hushovd (BMC), Cancellara (RNT), Farrar (GRM) and Pozzato (FAR).

As early as kilometre 3, Adam Hansen took off on his own. His lead grew rapidly from 25" at km 5 to a maximum 6'40 at the first bonus sprint (km 28.5) he captured ahead of Hallen (KAT) and Renshaw. From that point on the gap dropped down.

Just after the feed zone (km 69), as the leader headed back south and the wind blew sideways, the pack broke up into several parts with a group of 29 pulling away. That pack, including Boonen, Cancellara, Sagan and Farrar caught up with Hansen and could enjoy a 20" lead. They reached the second intermediate sprint (km 82), won by Farrar ahead of Appolonio (SKY) and Maes (OPQ), with a 14" lead. But all the riders eventually gathered together again at km 83, enjoying a tailwind all the way to the finish.

Decision was to be made in a bunched sprint. Well helped out by his team mates, Tom Boonen flew to victory, his 19th on Qatari soil. The Belgian beat Blythe (BMC) and Sagan (LIQ) to the line. Boonen will therefore be wearing the overall leader's Golden Jersey for tomorrow's team time-trial. He also leads the points' standings while Blythe is the best young rider (White jersey).

Courtesy Tour of Qatar

Stage 1: Barzan Towers to North Atlantic College, 141.5kms
1 Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team	3:11:32
2 Adam Blythe (GBr) BMC Racing Team
3 Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas - Cannondale
4 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Barracuda
5 Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas - Cannondale
6 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team
7 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha Team
8 Davide Appollonio (Ita) Sky Procycling
9 Jonas Vangenechten (Bel) Lotto - Belisol Team
10 Robert Wagner (Ger) Radioshack - Nissan
11 Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ-Bigmat
12 Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Radioshack - Nissan
13 Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team
14 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto - Belisol Team
15 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team
16 John Degenkolb (Ger) Project 1T4I
17 Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) FDJ-Bigmat
18 Baden Cooke (Aus) Greenedge Cycling Team
19 Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team
20 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Lotto - Belisol Team
21 Thor Hushovd (Nor) BMC Racing Team
22 Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas - Cannondale
23 Matthias Friedemann (Ger) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
24 Vladimir Isaychev (Rus) Katusha Team
25 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Sky Procycling
26 Gatis Smukulis Latvia Katusha Team
27 Roy Curvers (Ned) Project 1T4I
28 Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ-Bigmat
29 Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
30 David Boucher (Fra) FDJ-Bigmat
31 Ian Stannard (GBr) Sky Procycling
32 Aleksandr Kuschynski (Blr) Katusha Team
33 Tom Veelers (Ned) Project 1T4I
34 Robbie Mcewen (Aus) Greenedge Cycling Team
35 Aidis Kruopis (Ltu) Greenedge Cycling Team
36 Mickael Delage (Fra) FDJ-Bigmat
37 Svein Tuft (Can) Greenedge Cycling Team
38 Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team
39 Gorik Gardeyn (Bel) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
40 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Rabobank Cycling Team
41 Fumiyuki Beppu Japan Greenedge Cycling Team
42 Roger Kluge (Ger) Project 1T4I
43 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Garmin - Barracuda
44 Michael Barry (Can) Sky Procycling
45 Aaron Kemps (Aus) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
46 Mehdi Sohrabi Iran Lotto - Belisol Team
47 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team
48 Gabriel Rasch (Nor) FDJ-Bigmat
49 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Sky Procycling
50 Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Garmin - Barracuda
51 Michael Schƒr (Sui) BMC Racing Team
52 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Esp) Sky Procycling
53 Miyataka Shimizu (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor
54 Marco Haller (Aut) Katusha Team
55 Gregory Rast (Sui) Radioshack - Nissan
56 Yohan Offredo (Fra) FDJ-Bigmat
57 Rudiger Selig (Ger) Katusha Team
58 Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Liquigas - Cannondale
59 Danilo Wyss (Sui) BMC Racing Team
60 Alan Marangoni (Ita) Liquigas - Cannondale
61 Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team
62 Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Liquigas - Cannondale
63 Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Farnese Vini
64 Koen De Kort (Ned) Project 1T4I
65 Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Project 1T4I
66 David McCann (Irl) RTS Racing Team
67 Jens Mouris (Ned) Greenedge Cycling Team
68 Maciek Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas - Cannondale
69 Tony Gallopin (Fra) Radioshack - Nissan
70 Frederik Willems (Bel) Lotto - Belisol Team
71 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Radioshack - Nissan
72 Mart Ojavee (Est) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
73 Fabian Cancellara (Sui) Radioshack - Nissan
74 Jacob Rathe (USA) Garmin - Barracuda
75 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team
76 Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Katusha Team
77 Christian Knees (Ger) Sky Procycling
78 Thomas Dekker (Ned) Garmin - Barracuda
79 Martin Kohler (Sui) BMC Racing Team
80 Jos Van Emden (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
81 Jai Crawford (Aus) RTS Racing Team
82 Luca Ascani (Ita) Farnese Vini
83 Andrea Guardini (Ita) Farnese Vini
84 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Farnese Vini
85 Gregory Henderson (NZl) Lotto - Belisol Team
86 Thomas Lebas (Fra) Bridgestone Anchor
87 Markel Irizar Aranburu (Esp) Radioshack - Nissan
88 Alexandre Lemair (Fra) Bridgestone Anchor
89 Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ-Bigmat
90 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
91 Robert Hunter (RSA) Garmin - Barracuda
92 Blaise Sonnery (Fra) Bridgestone Anchor
93 Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team
94 Alex Coutts (GBr) RTS Racing Team
95 Klaas Lodewyck (Bel) BMC Racing Team
96 Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto - Belisol Team
97 Lee Rodgers (GBr) RTS Racing Team
98 Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas - Cannondale
99 Matthew Brammeier (Irl) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team
100 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Greenedge Cycling Team
101 Joost Posthuma (Ned) Radioshack - Nissan
102 Kazuo Inoue (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor
103 Pengda Jiao (Chn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
104 Tom Leezer (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
105 Jeremy Hunt (GBr) Sky Procycling
106 Albert Timmer (Ned) Project 1T4I
107 Domenik Klemme (Ger) Project 1T4I
108 Diego Caccia (Ita) Farnese Vini	all s.t.
109 Thomas Bertolini (Ita) Farnese Vini	0:21
110 Pier Paolo De Negri (Ita) Farnese Vini	0:23
111 Cristiano Benenati (Ita) Farnese Vini	0:29
112 Hayoto Yoshida (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor	0:31
113 Clinton Robert Avery (NZl) Champion System Pro Cycling Team	0:33
114 Klaas Sys (Bel) Bridgestone Anchor	0:37
115 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team	s.t.
116 Murilo Fischer (Bra) Garmin - Barracuda	0:44
117 Jack Bauer (NZl) Garmin - Barracuda
118 Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto - Belisol Team	both s.t.
119 Allan Davis (Aus) Greenedge Cycling Team	1:04
120 Gang Xu (Chn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team	2:54
121 Denis Galimzyanov (Rus) Katusha Team
122 Ryota Nishizono (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor	both s.t.
123 Chin Lung Huang (Tpe) RTS Racing Team	3:18
124 Wen Chung Huang (Tpe) RTS Racing Team	12:38
125 Sergey Kudentsov (Rus) RTS Racing Team
126 Wei Kei Chang (Tpe) RTS Racing Team	both s.t.
DNF Coen Vermeltfoort (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
DNS William Clarke (Aus) Champion System Pro Cycling Team

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