Omega Pharma-Quick Step rider takes yet another stage win in windy Middle Eastern race
Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) rekindled his love affair with the Tour of Qatar with an apparently easy victory in the first stage, between Barzan Towers and a changed finish at the New Atlantic College. The former World champion was delivered to the final 150 metres of the flat 145.5km stage by teammate Gert Steegmans and, once he opened up his sprint, managed to pull further away from the rest.
Adam Blythe (BMC Racing) was the best of the rest, more than a length behind Boonen, just ahead of Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale).
“In the final there was a little wind,” said Boonen. “It was very difficult to stay out front but the guys did a phenomenal job. It was a tough battle to maintain the lead positions.
“In the final I ended up ahead with [Nikolas] Maes and Steegmans,” he explained. Both of them did a great job. Maes took me from the last curve to 400 metres and then it was Geert’s turn and at 200 metres I launched my sprint. It was a lovely victory that comes just a few days from the success in Argentina.
“Everyone here is highly motivated,” continued the Belgian. “Tomorrow is the team time trial. We’re definitely going to give it our best. With this team we’ve always got to try to achieve excellent results. I think that a place among the first three teams is definitely within our reach. Then in the next few days we’ll see if we can also be contenders for the classification.”
The first stage of the race consisted of a south to north out and back course, from Barzan Towers, on the outskirts of Doha, to a new finish at the New Atlantic College. The changed route – which was originally slated to finish at the Doha Golf Club – meant an extra 3km to the day’s route; this was to make little difference though, on the flat, windy roads.
The breakaway of the day came after just 3km, as Adam Hansen (Lotto-Belisol) went on one of his characteristic solo moves. The Australian rolled over the first intermediate sprint at Umm Suwayia Farm, after 28.5km, with Marco Haller (Katusha) beating Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Barracuda) to the second spot.
Hansen was allowed to build a lead of up to 6’40” before the sprinters team decided that it was time to pull him back.
A crash brought down a number of riders, including Farrar and Coen Vermeltfoort (Rabobank); the American was soon up and back in the peloton, but Vermeltfoort was forced to abandon the race.
Hansen’s lone adventure soon came to an end, in time for Farrar to take the second sprint at Umm Thenaitain Farm, after 82km; ahead of Davide Appollonio (Team Sky) and Nikolas Maes (Omega Pharma-Quick Step).
With a sprint all but inevitable on the flat, exposed roads, Team Sky, Lotto-Belisol, FDJ-BigMat, GreenEDGE, Liquigas-Cannondale, Garmin-Barracuda and Omega Pharma-Quick Step could all be seen at the front end of the peloton.
As the race headed into its closing stages, the Canadian riders were pulling the peloton, though Sky’s Michael Barry and GreenEDGE’s Svein Tuft.
With 18km to go there was a problem near the back of the peloton, when Jack Bauer (Garmin-Barracuda) came to a sudden halt as he suffered a front wheel puncture; luckily the peloton managed to get around the stationary New Zealander, and he quickly got a new wheel from his team car.
Inside the final 15km Lotto-Belisol began to lift the pace, only for Omega Pharma-Quick Step to take over. With the speed of the peloton still relatively low however, it was hard for one team to take control; Team Sky, GreenEDGE, and Rabobank all tried to impose themselves as the final 10km approached, before Omega Pharma-Quick Step took control again through František Rabon and Matt Brameier.
Disaster struck for Lotto-Belisol though, with a puncture for Henderson who, in the absence of the sick Andre Greipel, was the fastest man on the Belgian team. The New Zealander would manage to fight his way back up to the peloton, but was not able to contest the sprint.
Into the final 5km, a similar disaster struck another of the race’s fastest men, as Denis Galymzianov (Katusha) too suffered a puncture; it was far too late for the Russian to make it back up and, having changed his wheel, he simply cruised into the finish.
Rabobank began to accelerate, but Farnese Vini-Selle Italia pulled up to the front for Andrea Guardini. The Professional Continental team was not allowed to stay there long though, as Murilo Fischer pulled Garmin-Barracuda through.
A number of teams jostled for position as the final kilometre approached, but Omega Pharma-Quick Step seized control as they entered the finishing straight. Steegmans was the last man for Boonen and, once he had pulled over with 150 metres to go, it was a simple formality for the former World champion, who took his second victory of the season with apparent ease.
Boonen now leads the race by four seconds over Blythe, ahead of the stage two team time trial.