Hundreds of young school pupils from Dukhan came to welcome the heroes of the Tour of Qatar and especially Team Sky and its World champion Mark Cavendish. A real moral booster before a demanding 146.5km stage for the 124 remaining riders (one non-starter: Avery – CSS).
After just a kilometre under the bright sunshine and wind of western Qatar, four men managed to break away from the pack: Ignatyev (KAT), Sohrabi (LTB), Ojavee (CSS) and Lemair (BGT). Their lead over the pack grew rapidly from 30″ at km 2.5 to a maximum 5’25 at the first intermediate sprint (km 66) claimed by Sohrabi ahead of Ignatyev and Lemair.
From then on the gap started dropping. At the second bonus sprint (km 104.5) won again by Sohrabi in front of Ignatyev and Ojavee, the front men’s advantage had dropped down to 2’25 as several teams took command of the chase.
At km 112, as the wind blew sideways on the course, the pack broke up into several groups with most of the strong men breaking away. 35 riders including race leader Boonen (OPQ), title-holder Renshaw (RAB), World champion Cavendish (SKY), as well as Gilbert, Blythe (BMC), Cancellara (RNT) and Farrar (GRM) caught up with the four escapees at km 117.
The gap between the leading group and the chasing pack including the likes of Sagan (LIQ) grew from 35″ to 55″ with 20 kilometres to go. The race favourites remained together all the way to the final straight by the Al Gharafa Stadium, where a 39-man sprint was to take place. Well positionned in the wheel of stage 1 winner Tom Boonen, Mark Cavendish flew to his first success with the rainbow jersey. The British rider beat Boonen and Kruopis (GEC) to the line.
The overall leader’s Golden Jersey remains on the shoulders of Boonen who now has a 6″ lead over Farrar (GRM) and 8″ over Cavendish. The Belgian also keeps command of the points’ standings while Selig (KAT) becomes the best young rider of the event.
Results
1. Mark Cavendish (Gbr) Sky Procycling 3:23:48
2. Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma-QuickStep
3. Aidis Kruopis (Ltu) GreenEdge Cycling Team
4. Mark Renshaw (Aus) Rabobank
5. John Degenkolb (Ger) Project 1t4i
6. Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin-Barracuda
7. Rüdiger Selig (Ger) Katusha
8. David Boucher (Fra) FDJ-BigMat
9. Robert Wagner (Ger) RadioShack-Nissan
10. Aliaksandr Kuchynski (Blr) Katusha
11. Adam Blythe (Gbr) BMC Racing Team
12. Matthias Friedemann (Ger) Champion System
13. Mehdi Sohrabi (IRI) Lotto Belisol Team
14. Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Sky Procycling
15. Baden Cooke (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team
16. Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team
17. Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 00:03
18. Gert Steegmans (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
19. Juan Antonio Flecha (Esp) Sky Procycling
20. Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol Team
21. Frederik Willems (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
22. Johan Vansummeren (Bel) Garmin-Barracuda
23. Mikhail Ignatyev (Rus) Katusha
24. Maarten Wynants (Bel) Rabobank
25. Tony Gallopin (Fra) RadioShack-Nissan
26. Robert Hunter (RSA) Garmin-Barracuda
27. Thomas Dekker (Ned) Garmin-Barracuda
28. Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Garmin-Barracuda 00:10
29. Alexandre Lemair (Fra) Bridgestone Anchor
30. Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank
31. Mart Ojavee (Est) Champion System
32. Tom Veelers (Ned) Project 1t4i
33. Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Project 1t4i 00:16
34. Murilo Antoniobil Fischer (Bra) Garmin-Barracuda 00:19
35. Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) GreenEdge Cycling Team 00:32
36. Svein Tuft (Can) GreenEdge Cycling Team
37. Fabian Cancellara (Sui) RadioShack-Nissan 00:34
38. Nikolas Maes (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 00:39
39. Gregory Rast (Sui) RadioShack-Nissan 01:21
40. Christian Benenati (Ita) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia 01:29
41. Pier Paolo De Negri (Ita) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia
42. Robbie McEwen (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team
43. Mickaël Delage (Fra) FDJ-BigMat
44. Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Katusha
45. Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia
46. Allan Davis (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team
47. Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ-BigMat
48. Jonas Van Genechten (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
49. Vladimir Isaychev (Rus) Katusha
50. Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ-BigMat
51. Koen De Kort (Ned) Project 1t4i
52. Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) FDJ-BigMat
53. Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) GreenEdge Cycling Team
54. Miyataka Shimizu (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor
55. Aaron Kemps (Aus) Champion System
56. Yoann Offredo (Fra) FDJ-BigMat
57. Gabriel Rasch (Nor) FDJ-BigMat
58. Gregory Henderson (Nzl) Lotto Belisol Team
59. Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale
60. Roy Curvers (Ned) Project 1t4i
61. Christian Knees (Ger) Sky Procycling
62. Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
63. Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
64. Andrea Guardini (Ita) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia
65. Joss Van Emden (Ned) Rabobank
66. Alan Marangoni (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
67. Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Belisol Team
68. Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ-BigMat
69. Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
70. Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
71. Luca Ascani (Ita) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia
72. Danilo Wyss (Sui) BMC Racing Team
73. Davide Appollonio (Ita) Sky Procycling
74. Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale
75. Martin Kohler (Sui) BMC Racing Team
76. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha
77. Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia
78. Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) RadioShack-Nissan
79. Thomas Bertolini (Ita) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia
80. Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
81. Klaas Lodewijck (Bel) BMC Racing Team
82. David McCann (Irl) RTS Racing Team
83. Michael Schär (Sui) BMC Racing Team
84. Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
85. Denis Galimzyanov (Rus) Katusha
86. Thomas Lebas (Fra) Bridgestone Anchor
87. Albert Timmer (Ned) Project 1t4i
88. Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank
89. Diego Caccia (Ita) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia
90. Markel Irizar (Esp) RadioShack-Nissan
91. Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
92. Thomas Leezer (Ned) Rabobank
93. Michael Barry (Can) Sky Procycling
94. Lars Bak (Den) Lotto Belisol Team
95. Jack Bauer (Nzl) Garmin-Barracuda
96. Jens Mouris (Ned) GreenEdge Cycling Team
97. Gorik Gardeyn (Bel) Champion System
98. Matt Brammeier (Irl) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
99. Marco Haller (Aut) Katusha
100. Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
101. Joost Posthuma (Ned) RadioShack-Nissan
102. Jérémy Hunt (Gbr) Sky Procycling
103. Ian Stannard (Gbr) Sky Procycling
104. Dominic Klemme (Ger) Project 1t4i
105. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) RadioShack-Nissan
106. Roger Kluge (Ger) Project 1t4i
107. Jacob Rathe (USA) Garmin-Barracuda
108. Jai Crawford (Aus) RTS Racing Team 10:57
109. Chin-Lung Huang (Tpe) RTS Racing Team
110. Lee Rodgers (Gbr) RTS Racing Team
111. Blaise Sonnery (Fra) Bridgestone Anchor
112. Alex Coutts (Gbr) RTS Racing Team
113. Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team
114. Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Rabobank
115. Thor Hushovd (Nor) BMC Racing Team
116. Ryota Nishizono (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor
117. Klaas Sys (Bel) Bridgestone Anchor 12:15
118. Wei Kei Chang (Tpe) RTS Racing Team
119. Hayato Yoshida (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor
120. Kazuo Inoue (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor
121. Gang Xu (Chn) Champion System
122. Pengda Jiao (Chn) Champion System
123. Sergey Kudentsov (Rus) RTS Racing Team
124. Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
DNS Clinton Avery (Nzl) Champion System
GC after Stage 3
1. Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma-QuickStep 6:47:49
2. Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin-Barracuda 00:06
3. Mark Cavendish (Gbr) Sky Procycling 00:08
4. Johan Vansummeren (Bel) Garmin-Barracuda 00:12
5. Thomas Dekker (Ned) Garmin-Barracuda
6. Robert Hunter (RSA) Garmin-Barracuda
7. Mikhail Ignatyev (Rus) Katusha 00:17
8. Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Sky Procycling 00:18
9. Rüdiger Selig (Ger) Katusha
10. Adam Blythe (Gbr) BMC Racing Team 00:19
11. Gert Steegmans (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
12. Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
13. Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Garmin-Barracuda
14. Aidis Kruopis (Ltu) GreenEdge Cycling Team 00:21
15. Aliaksandr Kuchynski (Blr) Katusha
16. Juan Antonio Flecha (Esp) Sky Procycling
17. Robert Wagner (Ger) RadioShack-Nissan 00:23
18. Mark Renshaw (Aus) Rabobank 00:25
19. Baden Cooke (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team
20. Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team
21. Tony Gallopin (Fra) RadioShack-Nissan 00:26
22. Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol Team
23. Maarten Wynants (Bel) Rabobank 00:29
24. Frederik Willems (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
25. David Boucher (Fra) FDJ-BigMat 00:32
26. John Degenkolb (Ger) Project 1t4i 00:33
27. Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank 00:36
28. Tom Veelers (Ned) Project 1t4i 00:43
29. Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Project 1t4i 00:49
30. Svein Tuft (Can) GreenEdge Cycling Team 00:57
31. Fabian Cancellara (Sui) RadioShack-Nissan
32. Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) GreenEdge Cycling Team
33. Matthias Friedemann (Ger) Champion System 01:12
34. Mart Ojavee (Est) Champion System 01:21
35. Alexandre Lemair (Fra) Bridgestone Anchor 01:29
36. Murilo Antoniobil Fischer (Bra) Garmin-Barracuda 01:38
37. Davide Appollonio (Ita) Sky Procycling 01:45
38. Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
39. Marco Haller (Aut) Katusha
40. Matt Brammeier (Irl) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
41. Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Katusha 01:47
42. Vladimir Isaychev (Rus) Katusha
43. Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale
44. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha
45. Michael Barry (Can) Sky Procycling
46. Christian Knees (Ger) Sky Procycling
47. Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 01:51
48. Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
49. Alan Marangoni (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
50. Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale
51. Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
52. Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) RadioShack-Nissan 01:52
53. Markel Irizar (Esp) RadioShack-Nissan
54. Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) GreenEdge Cycling Team 01:54
55. Martin Kohler (Sui) BMC Racing Team
56. Jens Mouris (Ned) GreenEdge Cycling Team
57. Klaas Lodewijck (Bel) BMC Racing Team
58. Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Belisol Team 01:55
59. Lars Bak (Den) Lotto Belisol Team
60. Gregory Henderson (Nzl) Lotto Belisol Team
61. Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank
62. Thomas Leezer (Ned) Rabobank
63. Ian Stannard (Gbr) Sky Procycling 01:58
64. Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) FDJ-BigMat 02:01
65. Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ-BigMat
66. Mickaël Delage (Fra) FDJ-BigMat
67. Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ-BigMat
68. Gabriel Rasch (Nor) FDJ-BigMat
69. Yoann Offredo (Fra) FDJ-BigMat
70. Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ-BigMat
71. Koen De Kort (Ned) Project 1t4i 02:02
72. Roger Kluge (Ger) Project 1t4i
73. Albert Timmer (Ned) Project 1t4i
74. Roy Curvers (Ned) Project 1t4i 02:04
75. Andrea Guardini (Ita) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia 02:09
76. Luca Ascani (Ita) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia
77. Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia
78. Diego Caccia (Ita) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia
79. Robbie McEwen (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team 02:12
80. Mehdi Sohrabi (IRI) Lotto Belisol Team 02:16
81. Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 02:19
82. Jack Bauer (Nzl) Garmin-Barracuda 02:22
83. Thomas Bertolini (Ita) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia 02:30
84. Pier Paolo De Negri (Ita) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia 02:32
85. Aaron Kemps (Aus) Champion System 02:41
86. Gorik Gardeyn (Bel) Champion System
87. Joss Van Emden (Ned) Rabobank
88. Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 02:46
89. Danilo Wyss (Sui) BMC Racing Team
90. Michael Schär (Sui) BMC Racing Team
91. Miyataka Shimizu (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor 02:49
92. Thomas Lebas (Fra) Bridgestone Anchor
93. Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia 02:56
94. Allan Davis (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team 02:58
95. Nikolas Maes (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 03:03
96. David McCann (Irl) RTS Racing Team 03:12
97. Jacob Rathe (USA) Garmin-Barracuda 03:23
98. Jérémy Hunt (Gbr) Sky Procycling 03:25
99. Gregory Rast (Sui) RadioShack-Nissan 03:30
100. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) RadioShack-Nissan 03:31
101. Joost Posthuma (Ned) RadioShack-Nissan
102. Dominic Klemme (Ger) Project 1t4i 03:37
103. Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 03:47
104. Jonas Van Genechten (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 03:58
105. Christian Benenati (Ita) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia 04:17
106. Denis Galimzyanov (Rus) Katusha 04:44
107. Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 05:31
108. Thor Hushovd (Nor) BMC Racing Team 11:22
109. Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team
110. Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Rabobank 11:23
111. Blaise Sonnery (Fra) Bridgestone Anchor 12:17
112. Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 12:31
113. Jai Crawford (Aus) RTS Racing Team 12:40
114. Alex Coutts (Gbr) RTS Racing Team
115. Lee Rodgers (Gbr) RTS Racing Team
116. Kazuo Inoue (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor 13:35
117. Hayato Yoshida (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor 14:06
118. Klaas Sys (Bel) Bridgestone Anchor 14:12
119. Pengda Jiao (Chn) Champion System 15:09
120. Ryota Nishizono (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor 15:11
121. Chin-Lung Huang (Tpe) RTS Racing Team 15:58
122. Gang Xu (Chn) Champion System 17:52
123. Wei Kei Chang (Tpe) RTS Racing Team 26:36
124. Sergey Kudentsov (Rus) RTS Racing Team 26:51