Cav' Posted February 9, 2015 Posted February 9, 2015 The six stages of the 2015 Tour of Qatar (February 8-13) will only give sprinters one opportunity to relax: a 10.9 km individual time trial. Apart from this hiatus on the third day of racing, the race will be a sprint-fest... unless the fast men are blown away by the wind, which often gives the Qatari event a whiff of the Flanders Classics.http://cdn.velonews.competitor.com/files/2014/02/SPTDW1011.jpgEtixx – Quick Step has turned the Qatari desert into its stomping grounds, claiming seven of the last nine editions with riders such as Tom Boonen (four times) and Niki Terpstra (last year), but the opposition in the fourteenth edition of the Tour of Qatar will be fierce. Rivals for the mass sprints include Marcel Kittel (Giant-Alpecin), Alexander Kristoff (Katusha), Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo), Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis), Arnaud Démare (FDJ) and newly crowned Australian champion Heinrich Haussler (IAM Cycling). If it all comes down to a duel in the crosswinds, Fabian Cancellara (Trek Factory Racing), Lars Boom (Astana), Greg Van Avermaet and Philippe Gilbert (BMC) will not go down without a fight. All-rounders such as Edvald Boasson Hagen (MTN-Qhubeka), Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), Matti Breschel (Tinkoff-Saxo) and Filippo Pozzato (Lampre) will be ready to pounce on any opening left by the sprinters and spring classic specialists. The multifaceted Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky), winner of the 2012 Tour de France and last year's time trial world championship, is also heading to Qatar to build his condition for Paris-Roubaix, which will be the last road race of his career and his top season objective StagesStage: 1 - 8 February : Dukhan - Sealine Beach 136.00 kmStage: 2 - 9 February : Al Wakra - Al Khor Corniche 194.50 kmStage: 3 - 10 February : Lusail Circuit ITT 10.60 kmStage: 4 - 11 February : Al Thakhira - Mesaieed 165.50 kmStage: 5 - 12 February : Al Zubara Fort - Madinat ash-Shamal 153.00 kmStage: 6 - 13 February : Sealine Beach Resort - Doha Corniche 124.50 km Tour of Qatar teams and leadersAustraliaOrica-GreenEdge: Blythe (GB), Hayman (Aus)BelgiumEtixx-Quick-Step: Terpstra (Nl), Boonen (B)Topsport Vlaanderen Baloise: Wallays (B)FranceCofidis: Bouhanni, Petit (F)FDJ.fr: Démare, Ladagnous, Offredo (F)GermanyBora-Argon 18: Bennet (Irl), Voss (G)Giant-Alpecin: Kittel (G), Sinkeldam (Nl)Great BritainTeam Sky: Wiggins, Stannard (GB)ItalyBardiani CSF: Battaglin (I)Lampre-Merida: Pozzato, Modolo (I)KazakhstanAstana: Boom (Nl), Guardini (I)RussiaKatusha: Kristoff (N), Guarnieri (I)Tinkoff-Saxo: Sagan (Slv), Breschel (Dk)South AfricaMTN-Qhubeka: Boasson Hagen (N), Bos (Nl), Ciolek (G)SpainMovistar: Valverde, Rojas (Sp)SwitzerlandIAM Cycling: Haussler (Aus), Brändle (A)USABMC Racing: Gilbert, Van Avermaet (B)Trek Factory Racing: Cancellara (Swi) Previous winners:2014 TERPSTRA Niki 2013 CAVENDISH Mark 2012 BOONEN Tom 2011 RENSHAW Mark 2010 MOL Wouter 2009 BOONEN Tom 2008 BOONEN Tom 2007 CRETSKENS Wilfried 2006 BOONEN Tom 2005 MICHAELSEN Lars
Cav' Posted February 9, 2015 Author Posted February 9, 2015 http://www.letour.fr/tour-of-qatar/2015/img/map_route.jpg
Cav' Posted February 9, 2015 Author Posted February 9, 2015 Stage 1 results from yesterday: 1 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/es.pngROJAS José Joaquín Movistar Team 20 3:49:502 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/be.pngBOONEN Tom Etixx - Quick Step 14 ,,3 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/fr.pngDéMARE Arnaud FDJ 8 ,,4 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/sk.pngSAGAN Peter Tinkoff - Saxo 7 ,,5 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/ie.pngBENNETT Sam Bora-Argon 18 6 ,,6 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/be.pngSTUYVEN Jasper Trek Factory Racing 5 ,,7 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/au.pngHAUSSLER Heinrich IAM Cycling 4 ,,8 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/it.pngGUARDINI Andrea Astana Pro Team 2 ,,9 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/no.pngKRISTOFF Alexander Team Katusha ,,10 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/fr.pngBOUHANNI Nacer Cofidis, Solutions Crédits ,,
Cav' Posted February 9, 2015 Author Posted February 9, 2015 Final kilometers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ud4vhRw4uU
Cav' Posted February 9, 2015 Author Posted February 9, 2015 Kittel dropped in a split, so a wasted opportunity for a few pure sprinters here.Kristoff got boxed in, Boonen stealthy but slow, Guardini didn't have it, Sagan and Démare too late, Bouhanni nowhere.Rojas, meanwhile ... Rojas started his effort early and nobody could pass him. Dark horse though: nobody talked about him all day and the commentators even called the win for Valverde at one point.Some GCers also probably lost out in that same split. Not sure yet. Wiggins got left behind there for sure. Solid TT riders like Cancellara, Boom, Terpstra, Grivko all good. Ditto Gilbert, Valverde.
T-Bob Posted February 9, 2015 Posted February 9, 2015 "Etixx-QuickStep to put Briton under pressure in crosswindsEtixx-QuickStep's Tom Boonen believes that Bradley Wiggins could be a genuine contender for the overall victory in the Tour of Qatar and vowed to try and drop the Team Sky rider “everywhere we can.” First stage, tick that one off the list for Boonan and co... who's on the list today, Valverde?
Cav' Posted February 9, 2015 Author Posted February 9, 2015 Stage 2 of the tour of qatar is the longest: 187.5km from Al Wakra to Al Khor. Tailwind, except for the last 30km!
Cav' Posted February 9, 2015 Author Posted February 9, 2015 Stage 2 results: 1 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/no.pngKRISTOFF Alexander Team Katusha 20 3:49:512 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/it.pngGUARDINI Andrea Astana Pro Team 14 ,,3 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/be.pngVAN AVERMAET Greg BMC Racing Team 8 ,,4 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/sk.pngSAGAN Peter Tinkoff - Saxo 7 ,,5 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/be.pngBOONEN Tom Etixx - Quick Step 6 ,,6 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/au.pngHAUSSLER Heinrich IAM Cycling 5 ,,7 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/gb.pngBLYTHE Adam Orica GreenEDGE 4 ,,8 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/de.pngBURGHARDT Marcus BMC Racing Team 2 ,,9 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/be.pngSTUYVEN Jasper Trek Factory Racing ,,10 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/gb.pngSTANNARD Ian Team Sky ,,
Cav' Posted February 11, 2015 Author Posted February 11, 2015 Stage 3 ITT results: 1 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/nl.pngTERPSTRA Niki Etixx - Quick Step 20 14:03 46.5482 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/ch.pngCANCELLARA Fabian Trek Factory Racing 14 0:08 46.1103 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/gb.pngWIGGINS Bradley Team Sky 8 0:09 46.0564 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/pl.pngBODNAR Maciej Tinkoff - Saxo 7 ,, ,,5 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/gb.pngSTANNARD Ian Team Sky 6 0:10 46.0026 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/at.pngBRäNDLE Matthias IAM Cycling 5 0:18 45.5757 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/be.pngVAN KEIRSBULCK Guillaume Etixx - Quick Step 4 0:20 45.4698 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/no.pngBOASSON HAGEN Edvald MTN - Qhubeka 2 0:21 45.4179 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/be.pngVAN AVERMAET Greg BMC Racing Team 0:24 45.26010 http://www.procyclingstats.com/cms/flags_iso/16/ch.pngHOLLENSTEIN Reto IAM Cycling 0:25 45.207
Cav' Posted February 11, 2015 Author Posted February 11, 2015 Terpstra really did a number on Startacus and Wiggo
Cav' Posted February 11, 2015 Author Posted February 11, 2015 See Wiggins worked hard on his sleeve this offseason.http://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/02/tour-of-qatar-2015-st3-WATSON_00004069-014_1.jpg
Cav' Posted February 11, 2015 Author Posted February 11, 2015 http://www.steephill.tv/2015/tour-of-qatar/03-itt-winner-640.jpg
Cav' Posted February 11, 2015 Author Posted February 11, 2015 http://www.steephill.tv/2015/tour-of-qatar/photos/stage-02/20150209CY0020.jpg
Cav' Posted February 11, 2015 Author Posted February 11, 2015 http://www.steephill.tv/2015/tour-of-qatar/photos/stage-02/20150209CY0021.jpg
Cav' Posted February 11, 2015 Author Posted February 11, 2015 http://www.steephill.tv/2015/tour-of-qatar/photos/stage-01/20150208CY0016.jpg
Cav' Posted February 11, 2015 Author Posted February 11, 2015 http://www.steephill.tv/2015/tour-of-qatar/photos/stage-02/20150209CY0038.jpg
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