February 7/12 12:52 pm - Tour of Qatar: Stage 3
Posted by Editoress on 02/7/12
In impressive fashion, World champion Mark Cavendish took to his first victory with the Rainbow jersey on his shoulders on stage 3 of the Tour of Qatar. Part of a 39-man "favourites" group that managed to break away in the closing moments of the day’s race, the Brit outsprinted Tom Boonen to the line. The Belgian keeps the overall leader’s Golden Jersey.
Hundreds of young school pupils from Dukhan came to welcome the heroes of the Tour of Qatar and especially Team Sky and its World champion Mark Cavendish. A real moral booster before a demanding 146.5km stage for the 124 remaining riders (one non-starter: Avery - CSS).
After just a kilometre under the bright sunshine and wind of western Qatar, four men managed to break away from the pack: Ignatyev (KAT), Sohrabi (LTB), Ojavee (CSS) and Lemair (BGT). Their lead over the pack grew rapidly from 30" at km 2.5 to a maximum 5’25 at the first intermediate sprint (km 66) claimed by Sohrabi ahead of Ignatyev and Lemair.
From then on the gap started dropping. At the second bonus sprint (km 104.5) won again by Sohrabi in front of Ignatyev and Ojavee, the front men’s advantage had dropped down to 2’25 as several teams took command of the chase.
At km 112, as the wind blew sideways on the course, the pack broke up into several groups with most of the strong men breaking away. 35 riders including race leader Boonen (OPQ), title-holder Renshaw (RAB), World champion Cavendish (SKY), as well as Gilbert, Blythe (BMC), Cancellara (RNT) and Farrar (GRM) caught up with the four escapees at km 117.
The gap between the leading group and the chasing pack including the likes of Sagan (LIQ) grew from 35" to 55" with 20 kilometres to go. The race favourites remained together all the way to the final straight by the Al Gharafa Stadium, where a 39-man sprint was to take place. Well positionned in the wheel of stage 1 winner Tom Boonen, Mark Cavendish flew to his first success with the rainbow jersey. The British rider beat Boonen and Kruopis (GEC) to the line.
The overall leader’s Golden Jersey remains on the shoulders of Boonen who now has a 6" lead over Farrar (GRM) and 8" over Cavendish. The Belgian also keeps command of the points’ standings while Selig (KAT) becomes the best young rider of the event.
Courtesy Tour of Qatar
| Stage 3: Dukan to Al Gharafa Stadium, 146.5 km | |
| 1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Sky Procycling | 03:23:48 |
| 2 Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team | |
| 3 Aidis Kruopis (Ltu) Greenedge Cycling Team | |
| 4 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
| 5 John Degenkolb (Ger) Project 1T4I | |
| 6 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Barracuda | |
| 7 Rudiger Selig (Ger) Katusha Team | |
| 8 David Boucher (Fra) FDJ-Bigmat | |
| 9 Robert Wagner (Ger) Radioshack - Nissan | |
| 10 Aleksandr Kuschynski (Blr) Katusha Team | |
| 11 Adam Blythe (GBr) BMC Racing Team | |
| 12 Matthias Friedemann (Ger) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | |
| 13 Mehdi Sohrabi Iran Lotto - Belisol Team | |
| 14 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Sky Procycling | |
| 15 Baden Cooke (Aus) Greenedge Cycling Team | |
| 16 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team | all s.t. |
| 17 Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team | 0:03 |
| 18 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team | |
| 19 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Esp) Sky Procycling | |
| 20 Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto - Belisol Team | |
| 21 Frederik Willems (Bel) Lotto - Belisol Team | |
| 22 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Garmin - Barracuda | |
| 23 Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Katusha Team | |
| 24 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
| 25 Tony Gallopin (Fra) Radioshack - Nissan | |
| 26 Robert Hunter (RSA) Garmin - Barracuda | |
| 27 Thomas Dekker (Ned) Garmin - Barracuda | all s.t. |
| 28 Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Garmin - Barracuda | 0:10 |
| 29 Alexandre Lemair (Fra) Bridgestone Anchor | |
| 30 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
| 31 Mart Ojavee (Est) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | |
| 32 Tom Veelers (Ned) Project 1T4I | all s.t. |
| 33 Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Project 1T4I | 0:16 |
| 34 Murilo Fischer (Bra) Garmin - Barracuda | 0:19 |
| 35 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Greenedge Cycling Team | 0:32 |
| 36 Svein Tuft (Can) Greenedge Cycling Team | s.t. |
| 37 Fabian Cancellara (Sui) Radioshack - Nissan | 0:34 |
| 38 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team | 0:39 |
| 39 Gregory Rast (Sui) Radioshack - Nissan | 1:21 |
| 40 Cristiano Benenati (Ita) Farnese Vini | 1:29 |
| 41 Pier Paolo De Negri (Ita) Farnese Vini | |
| 42 Robbie Mcewen (Aus) Greenedge Cycling Team | |
| 43 Mickael Delage (Fra) FDJ-Bigmat | |
| 44 Gatis Smukulis Latvia Katusha Team | |
| 45 Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Farnese Vini | |
| 46 Allan Davis (Aus) Greenedge Cycling Team | |
| 47 Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ-Bigmat | |
| 48 Jonas Vangenechten (Bel) Lotto - Belisol Team | |
| 49 Vladimir Isaychev (Rus) Katusha Team | |
| 50 Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ-Bigmat | |
| 51 Koen De Kort (Ned) Project 1T4I | |
| 52 Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) FDJ-Bigmat | |
| 53 Fumiyuki Beppu Japan Greenedge Cycling Team | |
| 54 Miyataka Shimizu (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor | |
| 55 Aaron Kemps (Aus) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | |
| 56 Yohan Offredo (Fra) FDJ-Bigmat | |
| 57 Gabriel Rasch (Nor) FDJ-Bigmat | |
| 58 Gregory Henderson (NZl) Lotto - Belisol Team | |
| 59 Maciek Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas - Cannondale | |
| 60 Roy Curvers (Ned) Project 1T4I | |
| 61 Christian Knees (Ger) Sky Procycling | |
| 62 Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Liquigas - Cannondale | |
| 63 Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Liquigas - Cannondale | |
| 64 Andrea Guardini (Ita) Farnese Vini | |
| 65 Jos Van Emden (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
| 66 Alan Marangoni (Ita) Liquigas - Cannondale | |
| 67 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto - Belisol Team | |
| 68 Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ-Bigmat | |
| 69 Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas - Cannondale | |
| 70 Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas - Cannondale | |
| 71 Luca Ascani (Ita) Farnese Vini | |
| 72 Danilo Wyss (Sui) BMC Racing Team | |
| 73 Davide Appollonio (Ita) Sky Procycling | |
| 74 Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas - Cannondale | |
| 75 Martin Kohler (Sui) BMC Racing Team | |
| 76 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha Team | |
| 77 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Farnese Vini | |
| 78 Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Radioshack - Nissan | |
| 79 Thomas Bertolini (Ita) Farnese Vini | |
| 80 Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto - Belisol Team | |
| 81 Klaas Lodewyck (Bel) BMC Racing Team | |
| 82 David McCann (Irl) RTS Racing Team | |
| 83 Michael Schƒr (Sui) BMC Racing Team | |
| 84 Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team | |
| 85 Denis Galimzyanov (Rus) Katusha Team | |
| 86 Thomas Lebas (Fra) Bridgestone Anchor | |
| 87 Albert Timmer (Ned) Project 1T4I | |
| 88 Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
| 89 Diego Caccia (Ita) Farnese Vini | |
| 90 Markel Irizar Aranburu (Esp) Radioshack - Nissan | |
| 91 Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas - Cannondale | |
| 92 Tom Leezer (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
| 93 Michael Barry (Can) Sky Procycling | |
| 94 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Lotto - Belisol Team | |
| 95 Jack Bauer (NZl) Garmin - Barracuda | |
| 96 Jens Mouris (Ned) Greenedge Cycling Team | |
| 97 Gorik Gardeyn (Bel) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | |
| 98 Matthew Brammeier (Irl) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team | |
| 99 Marco Haller (Aut) Katusha Team | |
| 100 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team | |
| 101 Joost Posthuma (Ned) Radioshack - Nissan | |
| 102 Jeremy Hunt (GBr) Sky Procycling | |
| 103 Ian Stannard (GBr) Sky Procycling | |
| 104 Domenik Klemme (Ger) Project 1T4I | |
| 105 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Radioshack - Nissan | |
| 106 Roger Kluge (Ger) Project 1T4I | |
| 107 Jacob Rathe (USA) Garmin - Barracuda | all s.t. |
| 108 Jai Crawford (Aus) RTS Racing Team | 10:57 |
| 109 Chin Lung Huang (Tpe) RTS Racing Team | |
| 110 Lee Rodgers (GBr) RTS Racing Team | |
| 111 Blaise Sonnery (Fra) Bridgestone Anchor | |
| 112 Alex Coutts (GBr) RTS Racing Team | |
| 113 Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
| 114 Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
| 115 Thor Hushovd (Nor) BMC Racing Team | |
| 116 Ryota Nishizono (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor | all s.t. |
| 117 Klaas Sys (Bel) Bridgestone Anchor | 12:15 |
| 118 Wei Kei Chang (Tpe) RTS Racing Team | |
| 119 Hayoto Yoshida (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor | |
| 120 Kazuo Inoue (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor | |
| 121 Gang Xu (Chn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | |
| 122 Pengda Jiao (Chn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | |
| 123 Sergey Kudentsov (Rus) RTS Racing Team | |
| 124 Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team | all s.t. |
| DNS Clinton Robert Avery (NZl) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | |
| GC | |
| 1 Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team | 06:47:49 |
| 2 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Barracuda | at 0:06 |
| 3 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Sky Procycling | 0:08 |
| 4 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Garmin - Barracuda | 0:12 |
| 5 Thomas Dekker (Ned) Garmin - Barracuda | |
| 6 Robert Hunter (RSA) Garmin - Barracuda | both s.t. |
| 7 Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Katusha Team | 0:17 |
| 8 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Sky Procycling | 0:18 |
| 9 Rudiger Selig (Ger) Katusha Team | s.t. |
| 10 Adam Blythe (GBr) BMC Racing Team | 0:19 |
| 11 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team | |
| 12 Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team | |
| 13 Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Garmin - Barracuda | all s.t. |
| 14 Aidis Kruopis (Ltu) Greenedge Cycling Team | 0:21 |
| 15 Aleksandr Kuschynski (Blr) Katusha Team | |
| 16 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Esp) Sky Procycling | both s.t. |
| 17 Robert Wagner (Ger) Radioshack - Nissan | 0:23 |
| 18 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team | 0:25 |
| 19 Baden Cooke (Aus) Greenedge Cycling Team | |
| 20 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team | both s.t. |
| 21 Tony Gallopin (Fra) Radioshack - Nissan | 0:26 |
| 22 Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto - Belisol Team | 0:26 |
| 23 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Rabobank Cycling Team | 0:29 |
| 24 Frederik Willems (Bel) Lotto - Belisol Team | s.t. |
| 25 David Boucher (Fra) FDJ-Bigmat | 0:32 |
| 26 John Degenkolb (Ger) Project 1T4I | 0:33 |
| 27 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | 0:36 |
| 28 Tom Veelers (Ned) Project 1T4I | 0:43 |
| 29 Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Project 1T4I | 0:49 |
| 30 Svein Tuft (Can) Greenedge Cycling Team | 0:57 |
| 31 Fabian Cancellara (Sui) Radioshack - Nissan | |
| 32 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Greenedge Cycling Team | both s.t. |
| 33 Matthias Friedemann (Ger) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | 1:12 |
| 34 Mart Ojavee (Est) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | 1:21 |
| 35 Alexandre Lemair (Fra) Bridgestone Anchor | 1:29 |
| 36 Murilo Fischer (Bra) Garmin - Barracuda | 1:38 |
| 37 Davide Appollonio (Ita) Sky Procycling | 1:45 |
| 38 Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team | |
| 39 Marco Haller (Aut) Katusha Team | |
| 40 Matthew Brammeier (Irl) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team | all s.t. |
| 41 Gatis Smukulis Latvia Katusha Team | 1:47 |
| 42 Vladimir Isaychev (Rus) Katusha Team | |
| 43 Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas - Cannondale | |
| 44 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha Team | |
| 45 Michael Barry (Can) Sky Procycling | |
| 46 Christian Knees (Ger) Sky Procycling | all s.t. |
| 47 Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas - Cannondale | 1:51 |
| 48 Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas - Cannondale | |
| 49 Alan Marangoni (Ita) Liquigas - Cannondale | |
| 50 Maciek Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas - Cannondale | |
| 51 Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas - Cannondale | all s.t. |
| 52 Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Radioshack - Nissan | 1:52 |
| 53 Markel Irizar Aranburu (Esp) Radioshack - Nissan | s.t. |
| 54 Fumiyuki Beppu Japan Greenedge Cycling Team | 1:54 |
| 55 Martin Kohler (Sui) BMC Racing Team | |
| 56 Jens Mouris (Ned) Greenedge Cycling Team | |
| 57 Klaas Lodewyck (Bel) BMC Racing Team | all s.t. |
| 58 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto - Belisol Team | 1:55 |
| 59 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Lotto - Belisol Team | |
| 60 Gregory Henderson (NZl) Lotto - Belisol Team | |
| 61 Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
| 62 Tom Leezer (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | all s.t. |
| 63 Ian Stannard (GBr) Sky Procycling | 1:58 |
| 64 Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) FDJ-Bigmat | 2:01 |
| 65 Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ-Bigmat | |
| 66 Mickael Delage (Fra) FDJ-Bigmat | |
| 67 Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ-Bigmat | |
| 68 Gabriel Rasch (Nor) FDJ-Bigmat | |
| 69 Yohan Offredo (Fra) FDJ-Bigmat | |
| 70 Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ-Bigmat | all s.t. |
| 71 Koen De Kort (Ned) Project 1T4I | 2:02 |
| 72 Roger Kluge (Ger) Project 1T4I | |
| 73 Albert Timmer (Ned) Project 1T4I | both s.t. |
| 74 Roy Curvers (Ned) Project 1T4I | 2:04 |
| 75 Andrea Guardini (Ita) Farnese Vini | 2:09 |
| 76 Luca Ascani (Ita) Farnese Vini | |
| 77 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Farnese Vini | |
| 78 Diego Caccia (Ita) Farnese Vini | all s.t. |
| 79 Robbie Mcewen (Aus) Greenedge Cycling Team | 2:12 |
| 80 Mehdi Sohrabi Iran Lotto - Belisol Team | 2:16 |
| 81 Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Liquigas - Cannondale | 2:19 |
| 82 Jack Bauer (NZl) Garmin - Barracuda | 2:22 |
| 83 Thomas Bertolini (Ita) Farnese Vini | 2:30 |
| 84 Pier Paolo De Negri (Ita) Farnese Vini | 2:32 |
| 85 Aaron Kemps (Aus) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | 2:41 |
| 86 Gorik Gardeyn (Bel) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | |
| 87 Jos Van Emden (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | both s.t. |
| 88 Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Liquigas - Cannondale | 2:46 |
| 89 Danilo Wyss (Sui) BMC Racing Team | |
| 90 Michael Schƒr (Sui) BMC Racing Team | both s.t. |
| 91 Miyataka Shimizu (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor | 2:49 |
| 92 Thomas Lebas (Fra) Bridgestone Anchor | 2:49 |
| 93 Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Farnese Vini | 2:56 |
| 94 Allan Davis (Aus) Greenedge Cycling Team | 2:58 |
| 95 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team | 3:03 |
| 96 David McCann (Irl) RTS Racing Team | 3:12 |
| 97 Jacob Rathe (USA) Garmin - Barracuda | 3:23 |
| 98 Jeremy Hunt (GBr) Sky Procycling | 3:25 |
| 99 Gregory Rast (Sui) Radioshack - Nissan | 3:30 |
| 100 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Radioshack - Nissan | 3:31 |
| 101 Joost Posthuma (Ned) Radioshack - Nissan | s.t. |
| 102 Domenik Klemme (Ger) Project 1T4I | 3:37 |
| 103 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team | 3:47 |
| 104 Jonas Vangenechten (Bel) Lotto - Belisol Team | 3:58 |
| 105 Cristiano Benenati (Ita) Farnese Vini | 4:17 |
| 106 Denis Galimzyanov (Rus) Katusha Team | 4:44 |
| 107 Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto - Belisol Team | 5:31 |
| 108 Thor Hushovd (Nor) BMC Racing Team | 11:22 |
| 109 Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team | s.t. |
| 110 Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | 11:23 |
| 111 Blaise Sonnery (Fra) Bridgestone Anchor | 12:17 |
| 112 Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team | 12:31 |
| 113 Jai Crawford (Aus) RTS Racing Team | 12:40 |
| 114 Alex Coutts (GBr) RTS Racing Team | |
| 115 Lee Rodgers (GBr) RTS Racing Team | both s.t. |
| 116 Kazuo Inoue (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor | 13:35 |
| 117 Hayoto Yoshida (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor | 14:06 |
| 118 Klaas Sys (Bel) Bridgestone Anchor | 14:12 |
| 119 Pengda Jiao (Chn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | 15:09 |
| 120 Ryota Nishizono (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor | 15:11 |
| 121 Chin Lung Huang (Tpe) RTS Racing Team | 15:58 |
| 122 Gang Xu (Chn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | 17:52 |
| 123 Wei Kei Chang (Tpe) RTS Racing Team | 26:36 |
| 124 Sergey Kudentsov (Rus) RTS Racing Team | 26:51 |
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