RACE REPORTS: TOUR OF QATAR STAGE 6: CHICCHI GETS HIS SECOND STAGE, MOL THE OVERALL

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RACE REPORTS: TOUR OF QATAR STAGE 6: CHICCHI GETS HIS SECOND STAGE, MOL THE OVERALL
Road Bike Action & AFP
February 12, 2010

(Photo: Yuzuru Sunada)

Dutchman Wouter Mol won the Tour of Qatar cycling race on Friday after the sixth and final stage was claimed by Italian Francesco Chicchi. Winning a second stage following his victory on Wednesday, Chicchi beat American Tyler Farrar into second place over the 123.5 kilometre stage with Argentina's Juan Jose Haedo third.

A quartet made up of Dutch rider Niki Terpstra, American Ben King and Germans Patrick Gretsch and Martin Kohler opened up a lead of three minutes and 50 seconds from the rest of the field. They were in the lead with just 45 kilometres of the stage remaining. But the chasing pack caught up to force a sprint finish over the final six kilometers with Chicchi crossing the line first.

Overall winner Mol, 27, said he owed his victory to the hard work put in by his fellow Vacansoleil riders. "When I took the leader's jersey (on Monday), I didn't think about the final standings. I preferred to take the race day by day. I started to believe (in winning) when I saw how hard my teammates were working."

Mol had led the event since taking victory in the second stage on Monday. The Tour of Qatar is the Dutchman's first major title and will boost Vacansoleil's chances of receiving an invitation to race in this summer's Tour de France. TSV's Belgian rider Geert Steurs finished in second place ahead of last year's winner and compatriot Tom Boonen. Quick Step cyclist Boonen finished 1:45 behind Mol.

Most of the riders are set to compete in Tour of Oman, which begins on Sunday.

Tour of Qatar: Stage 6, Al Wakra - Doha Corniche 123.5km
1. Francesco Chicchi (Ita/Liquigas-Doimo) 2:42:49
2. Tyler Farrar (USA/Garmin-Transitions) @ s.t.
3. Juan Jose Haedo (Arg/Saxo Bank)
4. Matthew Harley Goss (Aus/HTC-Columbia)
5. Jimmy Casper (Fra/Saur-Sojasun)
6. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor/Sky)
7. Tom Boonen (Bel/Quick Step)
8. Roger Kluge (Ger/Milram)
9. Heinrich Haussler (Ger/Cervélo)
10.John Murphy (USA/BMC)

Overall
1. Wouter Mol (Ned/Vacansoleil) @15:55:17
2. Geert Steurs (Bel/Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator) @ .35
3. Tom Boonen (Bel/Quick Step) @ 1:45
4. Roger Kluge (Ger/Milram) @ 1:59
5. Marcus Burghardt (Ger/BMC) @ 2:05
6. Danilo Napolitano (Ita/Katusha) @ 2:09
7. Philippe Gilbert (Bel/Omega Pharma-Lotto) @ 2:17
9. Francesco Chicchi (Ita/Liquigas-Doimo) @ 2:28
9. Heinrich Haussler (Ger/Cervélo) @ 2:37
10. Stuart O’Grady (Aus/Saxo Bank) @ 2:40

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