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RACE REPORTS: TOUR OF QATAR STAGE THREE RACE REPORT
AFP and Road Bike Action
February 3, 2009
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(Photo Roberto Bettini)
Belgian Tom Boonen claimed his first stage win of this year's Tour of Qatar Tuesday, in the process taking the leader's jersey from Britain's Roger Hammond. Boonen, of Quick Step, won a bunch sprint at the end of the third stage ahead of Italian Danilo Napolitano and Belgian Jurgen Roelandts.
Sprint rival Mark Cavendish, who won an impressive four stages at last year's Tour de France, which Boonen missed because of events off the bike, punctured in the finale. It was a successful day for Boonen on three fronts: as well as winning the stage and taking the race lead he learned that Belgian prosecutors will not be proceeding with charges against him following a positive test for cocaine in May last year. "The season can now begin, and it's begun well already," said Boonen after hearing of the news at the finish line. With the wind on their backs for most of the day it did not take long for some of the race's big engines to force cracks in a peloton which, for 140km, averaged an impressive 54km/h.
Shortly after the halfway stage a group of 27 riders, including all eight riders from Hammond's Cervelo team, pulled off the front. But Cervelo's hard work trying to protect Hammond's yellow jersey proved
futile. In the finale the anticipated sprint duel between Boonen and Cavendish failed to materialise, the Manxman, who rides for Columbia-High Road, suffering a puncture two kilometres from the finish. That left Boonen to battle it out with Napolitano, who finished second for the second consecutive day with Hammond finishing sixth to drop back to second overall at 06sec behind Boonen.
"I didn't have much success in the first two stages," added Boonen, who now has 15 stage wins from the Tour of Qatar. "Today, circumstances were a lot more in my favour. That's sport." |
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