Crosswinds played a crucial role on the second stage of the Tour of Qatar. After 160 kilometers Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) won in Al Khor Corniche. The race had previously determined a leading group of almost 25 drivers, which forced the field to follow suit and thus contributed to its division.
The group had formed with almost 40 kilometers to go and then worked well together to defend the minimal lead of around half a minute. The Omega Pharma-QuickStep team was again prominently represented at the top. Together with Boonen, Andy Fenn and Iljo Keisse, Niki Terpstra, who finished seventh, successfully defended the overall lead. In addition to the drivers dressed in black, Tinkoff-Saxo also provided the pace, who were also rewarded with a place on the podium.
"I think that in the end everyone was floored", said Boonen at the finish. The Belgian was lucky in his misfortune. Five kilometers from the finish, he ran over a hole in the road and damaged his seat post and wheels. "Luckily I didn't get any records", the Belgian stated.
Also represented in the group was Robert Wagner (Belkin), who tried to help his teammate Lars Boom with an attack three kilometers from the finish. First, both managed to tear a gap. At the beginning of the last kilometer, however, the group had pulled up again. Marcel Sieberg (Lotto Belisol) then opened the sprint for his teammate Jurgen Roelandts, who ended up third behind Boonen and Denmark's Michael Mørkøv (Tinkoff-Saxo).
Result
1. Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) 3:30:07
2. Michael Mørkøv (Tinkoff saxo) 0:00:00
3. Jurgen Roelandts (Lotto Belisol) 0:00:00
4. Andrew Fenn (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) 0:00:00
5. Matti Breschel (Tinkoff saxo) 0:00:00
Total
1. Niki Terpstra (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) 6:43:30
2. Jurgen Roelandts (Lotto Belisol) 0:00:05
3. Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma – QuickStep) 0:00:14
4. Michael Mørkøv (Tinkoff saxo) 0:00:20
5. Marcel Sieberg (Lotto Belisol) 0:00:26