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Edvald Boasson Hagen claims opening leader's jersey
Edvald Boasson Hagen is the first leader at the Tour of Qatar after Team Sky blasted to victory in the windswept opening team time trial on Sunday. With Bradley Wiggins doing massive turns on the front and the riders sticking to a carefully planned race strategy, Team Sky set a time of nine minutes and 41 seconds for the circular 8.2km course.
Team Sky started and finished with a strong tailwind but had to handle ever-changing conditions as they completed the lap around the West Bay Lagoon. On the final tailwind section, the squad flew to the finish at over 70km/h and set an average speed of 50.809km/h.
The Cervelo TestTeam set the second fastest time, but they were later penalized one minute because Heinrich Haussler pushed teammate Gabriel Rasch after doing a turn on the front. Haussler claimed it was for safety reasons, after a gust of wind blew Rasch towards him, but the judges refused to listen to their appeal, and the entire team was penalized one minute.
Garmin moved up to second overall but was eight seconds slower than Team Sky. Team Saxo Bank finished third; 13 seconds slower, despite losing the time trial World Champion Fabian Cancellara partway round the course.
HTC-Columbia was fourth at 18 seconds, and Tom Boonen's Quick Step team was fifth at 20 seconds. The small French team Saur-Sojasun put in a surprisingly strong ride, finishing sixth at 21 seconds.
Boasson Hagen in gold
Edvald Boasson Hagen was the first rider to cross the line for Team Sky and so pulled on the leader's gold jersey.
"It's nice for the whole team. We worked so well together. We practiced a lot in training in the last few days, and we got it exactly right," Boasson Hagen said.
"It's going to be hard in the rest of the race with the wind, but I hope to stay in the front group and get some results. I've got the jersey now, and hopefully I can keep it but we'll take each day as it comes. There are so many good sprinters here but we'll see what happens. It's important to have a lead on some of them."
Team Sky riders waited together just after the finish and listened nervously as the other teams failed to beat their time. When last team Quick Step crossed the line, 20 seconds slower, team principal Dave Brailsford shouted out the news and the riders and staff celebrated with hugs and high fives.
After winning the opening criterium and final stage at the Tour Down Under, the team had struck again, showing they know how to win as a team.
Perfect ride in difficult conditions
Senior directeur sportif Scott Sunderland was all smiles after Team Sky put out a perfect ride in technically very difficult conditions.
"We had two guys, Russ Downing and Lars Petter Nordhaug, who had never done a team time trial and the other guys had never done it together, so it was quite new for us. But we did it and it's very special," he said to Cyclingnews.
"The guys prepared very well in training both yesterday and this morning when the conditions changed. Just getting the team to gel is the magic here. The strong guys did what they had to do and the weaker guys supported them fantastically, doing everything they had to do."
Team Sky filled the first six places in the overall standings after the team time trial. Tyler Farrar is seventh at eight seconds and has the best chance of taking the race lead if he can collect time bonuses during stage two and in the sprint at the end of the stage. Stuart O'Grady and JJ. Haedo (Saxo Bank) are at 13 seconds, while Tom Boonen (Quick Step) needs to pull back 20 seconds on Boasson Hagen if he is to win the Tour of Qatar again this year.
Time bonuses of three, two and one second(s) are available at intermediate sprints and 10, six and four seconds are awarded at stage finishes.
The fight for those bonus seconds will begin on Monday's second stage over 147km from the Camel Race Track to the Qatar Foundation near Doha.
1 | Sky Pro Cycling Team | 0:09:41 | |
2 | Garmin-Transitions | 0:00:08 | |
3 | Team Saxo bank | 0:00:13 | |
4 | Team HTC - Columbia | 0:00:18 | |
5 | Quick Step | 0:00:20 | |
6 | Saur - Sojasun | 0:00:21 | |
7 | Liquigas - Doimos | ||
8 | BMC Racing Team | ||
9 | Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team | 0:00:22 | |
10 | Team Milram | 0:00:25 | |
11 | Team Katusha | 0:00:33 | |
12 | Omega Pharma - Lotto | ||
13 | Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator Pro Cycling Team | ||
14 | AG2R - La mondiale | 0:00:37 | |
15 | Trek Livestrong U23 | 0:00:39 | |
16 | Cervélo Test Team | 0:01:08 |
1 | Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Pro Cycling Team | 0:09:41 | |
2 | Juan Antonio Flecha (Spa) Sky Pro Cycling Team | ||
3 | Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Pro Cycling Team | ||
4 | Geraint Thomas (GBr) Sky Pro Cycling Team | ||
5 | Lars-Peter Nordhaug (Nor) Sky Pro Cycling Team | ||
6 | Russel Downing (GBr) Sky Pro Cycling Team | 0:00:02 | |
7 | Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Transitions | 0:00:08 | |
8 | Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Garmin - Transitions | ||
9 | Murilo Antoniobil Fischer (Bra) Garmin - Transitions | ||
10 | Svein Tuft (Can) Garmin - Transitions | ||
11 | Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Garmin - Transitions | ||
12 | Kirk Carlsen (USA) Garmin - Transitions | ||
13 | Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Team Saxo Bank | 0:00:13 | |
14 | Frank Hoj (Den) Team Saxo Bank | ||
15 | Matti Breschel (Den) Team Saxo Bank | ||
16 | Juan Jose Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank | ||
17 | Dominik Klemme (Ger) Team Saxo Bank | ||
18 | Luis-Sebastian Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank | ||
19 | Baden Cooke (Aus) Team Saxo Bank | 0:00:18 | |
20 | Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) Team HTC - Columbia | ||
21 | Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team HTC - Columbia | ||
22 | Martin Velits (Svk) Team HTC - Columbia | ||
23 | Patrick Gretsch (Ger) Team HTC - Columbia | ||
24 | Lars Bak (Den) Team HTC - Columbia | ||
25 | Jan Ghyselinck (Bel) Team HTC - Columbia | ||
26 | Adam Hansen (Aus) Team HTC - Columbia | ||
27 | Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step | 0:00:20 | |
28 | Maarten Wynants (Bel) Quick Step | ||
29 | Marco Velo (Ita) Quick Step | ||
30 | Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step | ||
31 | Kévin Van Impe (Bel) Quick Step | ||
32 | Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Saur-Sojasun | 0:00:21 | |
33 | Rony Martias (Fra) Saur-Sojasun | ||
34 | Cédric Coutouly (Fra) Saur-Sojasun | ||
35 | Laurent Mangel (Fra) Saur-Sojasun | ||
36 | Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) Saur-Sojasun | ||
37 | Jimmy Casper (Fra) Saur-Sojasun | ||
38 | Romain Matheou (Fra) Saur-Sojasun | ||
39 | Daniele Bennati (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo | ||
40 | Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo | ||
41 | Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo | ||
42 | Manuel Quinziato (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo | ||
43 | Maciej Paterski (Pol) Liquigas-Doimo | ||
44 | Ivan Santaromita (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo | ||
45 | Davide Cimolai (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo | ||
46 | Alessandro Ballan (Ita) BMC Racing Team | ||
47 | Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team | ||
48 | Zahner Simon (Swi) BMC Racing Team | ||
49 | John Murphy (USA) BMC Racing Team | ||
50 | Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing Team | ||
51 | Martin Kohler (Swi) BMC Racing Team | ||
52 | Jackson Stewart (USA) BMC Racing Team | ||
53 | Romain Feillu (Fra) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team | 0:00:22 | |
54 | Lieuwe Westra (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team | ||
55 | Arnoud Van Groen (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team | ||
56 | Rob Ruijgh (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team | ||
57 | Wouter Mol (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team | ||
58 | Ian Stannard (GBr) Sky Pro Cycling Team | 0:00:24 | |
59 | Björn Schröder (Ger) Team Milram | 0:00:25 | |
60 | Servais Knaven (Ned) Team Milram | ||
61 | Wim De Vocht (Bel) Team Milram | ||
62 | Roger Kluge (Ger) Team Milram | ||
63 | Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Milram | ||
64 | Peter Wrolich (Aut) Team Milram | ||
65 | Roy Sentjens (Bel) Team Milram | ||
66 | Stéphane Poulhies (Fra) Saur-Sojasun | 0:00:26 | |
67 | Gert Dockx (Bel) Team HTC - Columbia | 0:00:27 | |
68 | Jens Mouris (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team | ||
69 | Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Quick Step | 0:00:32 | |
70 | Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Katusha | 0:00:33 | |
71 | Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Katusha | ||
72 | Nicolaï Trussov (Rus) Katusha | ||
73 | Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Katusha | ||
74 | Artem Ovechkin (Rus) Katusha | ||
75 | Styn Vandenbergh (Bel) Katusha | ||
76 | Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Omega Pharma - Lotto | ||
77 | Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Omega Pharma - Lotto | ||
78 | Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Omega Pharma - Lotto | ||
79 | Sebastian Lang (Ger) Omega Pharma - Lotto | ||
80 | Leif Hoste (Bel) Omega Pharma - Lotto | ||
81 | Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel) Omega Pharma - Lotto | ||
82 | Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator | ||
83 | Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator | ||
84 | Stijn Neirynck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator | ||
85 | Kristof Vandewalle (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator | ||
86 | Michael Van Staeyen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator | ||
87 | Klaas Lodewijck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator | ||
88 | Steven Van Vooren (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator | ||
89 | Geert Steurs (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator | ||
90 | Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Sky Pro Cycling Team | 0:00:36 | |
91 | Nikita Eskov (Rus) Katusha | 0:00:37 | |
92 | Kristof Goddaert (Bel) Ag2R-La Mondiale | ||
93 | Sébastien Hinault (Fra) Ag2R-La Mondiale | ||
94 | Christophe Riblon (Fra) Ag2R-La Mondiale | ||
95 | Lloyd Mondory (Fra) Ag2R-La Mondiale | ||
96 | Nicolas Rousseau (Fra) Ag2R-La Mondiale | ||
97 | Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Ag2R-La Mondiale | ||
98 | Taylor Phinney (USA) Trek Livestrong | 0:00:39 | |
99 | Julian Kyer (USA) Trek Livestrong | ||
100 | Jesse Sergent (Nzl) Trek Livestrong | ||
101 | Alex Dowsett (GBr) Trek Livestrong | ||
102 | Ben King (USA) Trek Livestrong | ||
103 | Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank | 0:00:56 | |
104 | Alexander Kristoff (Nor) BMC Racing Team | 0:01:02 | |
105 | Martin Reimer (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam | 0:01:08 | |
106 | Jérémy Hunt (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam | ||
107 | Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam | ||
108 | Theo Bos (Ned) Cervélo TestTeam | ||
109 | Roger Hammond (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam | ||
110 | Andreas Klier (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam | ||
111 | Davide Appollonio (Ita) Cervélo TestTeam | ||
112 | Danny Pate (USA) Garmin - Transitions | 0:01:11 | |
113 | Gabriel Rasch (Nor) Cervélo TestTeam | 0:01:13 | |
114 | Marco Bandiera (Ita) Katusha | 0:01:30 | |
115 | Michiel Elijzen (Ned) Omega Pharma - Lotto | ||
116 | Ben Gastauer (Lux) Ag2R-La Mondiale | 0:01:32 | |
117 | Julien Berard (Fra) Ag2R-La Mondiale | ||
118 | Justin Williams (USA) Trek Livestrong | 0:01:34 | |
119 | Frederik Willems (Bel) Liquigas-Doimo | 0:01:35 | |
120 | Ben King (USA) Trek Livestrong | 0:02:05 | |
121 | Cody Campbell (Can) Trek Livestrong | 0:02:13 | |
122 | Kevin De Weert (Bel) Quick Step | 0:02:14 | |
123 | Andreas Stauff (Ger) Quick Step | ||
124 | Kenny De Haes (Bel) Omega Pharma - Lotto | ||
125 | Niki Terpstra (Ned) Team Milram | 0:02:25 | |
126 | Steven Cozza (USA) Garmin - Transitions | 0:02:52 | |
127 | Matthé Pronk (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team | 0:03:14 | |
128 | Bobbie Traksel (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team |
1 | Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Pro Cycling Team | 0:09:41 | |
2 | Geraint Thomas (GBr) Sky Pro Cycling Team | ||
3 | Kirk Carlsen (USA) Garmin - Transitions | 0:00:08 | |
4 | Dominik Klemme (Ger) Team Saxo Bank | 0:00:13 | |
5 | Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) Team HTC - Columbia | 0:00:18 | |
6 | Martin Velits (Svk) Team HTC - Columbia | ||
7 | Patrick Gretsch (Ger) Team HTC - Columbia | ||
8 | Jan Ghyselinck (Bel) Team HTC - Columbia | ||
9 | Romain Matheou (Fra) Saur-Sojasun | 0:00:21 | |
10 | Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo | ||
11 | Maciej Paterski (Pol) Liquigas-Doimo | ||
12 | Davide Cimolai (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo | ||
13 | Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team | ||
14 | Martin Kohler (Swi) BMC Racing Team | ||
15 | Rob Ruijgh (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team | 0:00:22 | |
16 | Ian Stannard (GBr) Sky Pro Cycling Team | 0:00:24 | |
17 | Roger Kluge (Ger) Team Milram | 0:00:25 | |
18 | Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Milram | ||
19 | Stéphane Poulhies (Fra) Saur-Sojasun | 0:00:26 | |
20 | Gert Dockx (Bel) Team HTC - Columbia | 0:00:27 | |
21 | Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Katusha | 0:00:33 | |
22 | Nicolaï Trussov (Rus) Katusha | ||
23 | Artem Ovechkin (Rus) Katusha | ||
24 | Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Omega Pharma - Lotto | ||
25 | Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator | ||
26 | Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator | ||
27 | Stijn Neirynck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator | ||
28 | Kristof Vandewalle (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator | ||
29 | Michael Van Staeyen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator | ||
30 | Klaas Lodewijck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator | ||
31 | Steven Van Vooren (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator | ||
32 | Kristof Goddaert (Bel) Ag2R-La Mondiale | 0:00:37 | |
33 | Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Ag2R-La Mondiale | ||
34 | Taylor Phinney (USA) Trek Livestrong | 0:00:39 | |
35 | Julian Kyer (USA) Trek Livestrong | ||
36 | Jesse Sergent (Nzl) Trek Livestrong | ||
37 | Alex Dowsett (GBr) Trek Livestrong | ||
38 | Ben King (USA) Trek Livestrong | ||
39 | Alexander Kristoff (Nor) BMC Racing Team | 0:01:02 | |
40 | Martin Reimer (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam | 0:01:08 | |
41 | Davide Appollonio (Ita) Cervélo TestTeam | ||
42 | Ben Gastauer (Lux) Ag2R-La Mondiale | 0:01:32 | |
43 | Julien Berard (Fra) Ag2R-La Mondiale | ||
44 | Justin Williams (USA) Trek Livestrong | 0:01:34 | |
45 | Ben King (USA) Trek Livestrong | 0:02:05 | |
46 | Cody Campbell (Can) Trek Livestrong | 0:02:13 | |
47 | Andreas Stauff (Ger) Quick Step | 0:02:14 | |
48 | Steven Cozza (USA) Garmin - Transitions | 0:02:52 |
1 | Sky Pro Cycling Team | 0:09:41 | |
2 | Garmin-Transitions | 0:00:08 | |
3 | Team Saxo bank | 0:00:13 | |
4 | Team HTC - Columbia | 0:00:18 | |
5 | Quick Step | 0:00:20 | |
6 | Saur - Sojasun | 0:00:21 | |
7 | Liquigas - Doimos | ||
8 | BMC Racing Team | ||
9 | Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team | 0:00:22 | |
10 | Team Milram | 0:00:25 | |
11 | Team Katusha | 0:00:33 | |
12 | Omega Pharma - Lotto | ||
13 | Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator Pro Cycling Team | ||
14 | AG2R - La mondiale | 0:00:37 | |
15 | Trek Livestrong U23 | 0:00:39 | |
16 | Cervélo Test Team | 0:01:08 |