The wind coming from the south-east, the day would be fast and furious for the 124 riders of the Tour of Qatar. A favourable wind all along the first 80 kilometres was on the menu of the 147.5km stage before a final circuit north of Qatar. And that probably explained why the riders were eager to be at the front of the pack, just in case.
Indeed, as soon as the first kilometres, the strong teams set a fast pace and several riders were rapidly dropped on a side-wind portion. The pack gathered together again after 30 kilometres. Eventually, two men managed to break away at km 33: Bak (LTB) and Shimizu (BGT). Their lead grew from 20s at km 27 to 4:40 at km 50.
After having covered 52.1kms during the first hour of racing, the gap reached a maximum 7:00 at km 57. Time had come for team Garmin to take command of the chase and the pack moved closer to the escapees.
At the first intermediate sprint (km 81.5) claimed by Bak ahead of Shimizu, the pack led by Kruopis (GEC), third to the line, remained 5:20 adrift. At km 104, Shimizu was the first to be caught by the peloton while Bak insisted. The Dane was eventually caught by four counter-attacking men, before the pack bunched up together at km 112.
Just before hitting the line marking the first lap of the Madinat Al Shamal circuit, 26 strong men powered away including Golden jersey Boonen (OPQ), Farrar (GRM) and Cancellara. They reached the second bonus sprint (km 121), won by Boonen ahead of Farrar and Hunter with a 20s lead over a chasing group including Cavendish (SKY). At the second passage on the line and with one lap to go, the front group could enjoy a 38″ advantage. The gap grew to 1’15 with 10kms to go.
Riders such as Farrar and Cooke were then to suffer punctures while Cancellara attacked at the front. Six men eventually moved away for the final sprint to victory. Boonen, in impressive fashion captured his 20th stage success in Qatar, beating Veelers (PRO) and Cancellara to the line. The Belgian naturally keeps his Golden Jersey and increases his overall lead to 31s over Farrar and 34″ over Flecha. Boonen keeps the points’ classification lead, while Navardauskas recovers the best young rider’s White jersey.
Stage 4
1. Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma-QuickStep 3:03:14
2. Tom Veelers (Ned) Project 1t4i
3. Fabian Cancellara (Sui) RadioShack-Nissan
4. Juan Antonio Flecha (Esp) Sky Procycling
5. Gert Steegmans (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 0:04
6. Nikolas Maes (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 0:11
7. Yoann Offredo (Fra) FDJ-BigMat 0:14
8. Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Sky Procycling
9. Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin-Barracuda
10. Ian Stannard (GBR) Sky Procycling 0:36
11. Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Garmin-Barracuda 0:37
12. Aidis Kruopis (Ltu) GreenEdge Cycling Team
13. Adam Blythe (GBR) BMC Racing Team 0:42
14. Baden Cooke (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team
15. Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ-BigMat 0:54
16. Gregory Henderson (NZL) Lotto Belisol Team
17. Matthias Friedemann (Ger) Champion System
18. John Degenkolb (Ger) Project 1t4i
19. Mark Renshaw (Aus) Rabobank
20. Johan Vansummeren (Bel) Garmin-Barracuda
21. Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) RadioShack-Nissan
22. Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
23. Jonas Van Genechten (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
24. Thomas Dekker (Ned) Garmin-Barracuda
25. Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
26. Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia
27. Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Belisol Team
28. Robbie McEwen (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team
29. Koen De Kort (Ned) Project 1t4i
30. Danilo Wyss (Sui) BMC Racing Team
31. Mark Cavendish (GBR) Sky Procycling
32. Allan Davis (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team
33. Michael Schär (Sui) BMC Racing Team
34. Tony Gallopin (Fra) RadioShack-Nissan
35. Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team
36. Klaas Lodewijck (Bel) BMC Racing Team
37. Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Project 1t4i 1:00
38. Jacob Rathe (USA) Garmin-Barracuda
39. Frederik Willems (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 1:03
40. Thomas Leezer (Ned) Rabobank
41. Albert Timmer (Ned) Project 1t4i 1:05
42. Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 1:44
43. Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank 1:45
44. Klaas Sys (Bel) Bridgestone Anchor
45. Diego Caccia (Ita) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia
46. Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
47. Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
48. Pier Paolo De Negri (Ita) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia
49. Mehdi Sohrabi (IRI) Lotto Belisol Team
50. Joss Van Emden (Ned) Rabobank
51. Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) GreenEdge Cycling Team
52. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha
53. David Boucher (Fra) FDJ-BigMat
54. Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Rabobank
55. Aaron Kemps (Aus) Champion System
56. Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) FDJ-BigMat
57. Thomas Bertolini (Ita) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia
58. Aliaksandr Kuchynski (Blr) Katusha
59. Mikhail Ignatyev (Rus) Katusha
60. Lars Bak (Den) Lotto Belisol Team
61. Alan Marangoni (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
62. Murilo Antoniobil Fischer (Bra) Garmin-Barracuda
63. Jack Bauer (NZL) Garmin-Barracuda
64. Maarten Wynants (Bel) Rabobank
65. Denis Galimzyanov (Rus) Katusha
66. Rüdiger Selig (Ger) Katusha
67. Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
68. Gregory Rast (Sui) RadioShack-Nissan
69. Thor Hushovd (Nor) BMC Racing Team
70. Matt Brammeier (Irl) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
71. Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale
72. Davide Appollonio (Ita) Sky Procycling
73. Markel Irizar (Esp) RadioShack-Nissan
74. Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team
75. Gorik Gardeyn (Bel) Champion System
76. Joost Posthuma (Ned) RadioShack-Nissan
77. Jens Mouris (Ned) GreenEdge Cycling Team
78. Martin Kohler (Sui) BMC Racing Team
79. Jai Crawford (Aus) RTS Racing Team
80. Gabriel Rasch (Nor) FDJ-BigMat
81. Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ-BigMat
82. Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) GreenEdge Cycling Team
83. Andrea Guardini (Ita) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia
84. Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia
85. Thomas Lebas (Fra) Bridgestone Anchor
86. Svein Tuft (Can) GreenEdge Cycling Team
87. David McCann (Irl) RTS Racing Team
88. Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank
89. Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
90. Christian Knees (Ger) Sky Procycling
91. Jérémy Hunt (GBR) Sky Procycling
92. Roger Kluge (Ger) Project 1t4i 1:56
93. Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 2:01
94. Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ-BigMat 2:54
95. Mickaël Delage (Fra) FDJ-BigMat 2:35
96. Robert Hunter (RSA) Garmin-Barracuda 3:05
97. Roy Curvers (Ned) Project 1t4i
98. Vladimir Isaychev (Rus) Katusha
99. Marco Haller (Aut) Katusha 3:45
100. Luca Ascani (Ita) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia 4:26
101. Lee Rodgers (GBR) RTS Racing Team 6:35
102. Gang Xu (Chn) Champion System 6:38
103. Blaise Sonnery (Fra) Bridgestone Anchor
104. Pengda Jiao (Chn) Champion System
105. Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale
106. Ryota Nishizono (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor
107. Mart Ojavee (Est) Champion System
108. Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
109. Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Katusha
110. Kazuo Inoue (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor
111. Alex Coutts (GBR) RTS Racing Team
112. Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
113. Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol Team
114. Alexandre Lemair (Fra) Bridgestone Anchor
115. Miyataka Shimizu (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor
116. Hayato Yoshida (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor
117. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) RadioShack-Nissan 7:53
118. Christian Benenati (Ita) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia
119. Robert Wagner (Ger) RadioShack-Nissan
120. Dominic Klemme (Ger) Project 1t4i
121. Chin-Lung Huang (Tpe) RTS Racing Team 13:24
122. Wei Kei Chang (Tpe) RTS Racing Team
123. Sergey Kudentsov (Rus) RTS Racing Team
DNF Michael Barry (Can) Sky Procycling
GC after Stage 4
1. Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma-QuickStep 9:50:50
2. Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin-Barracuda 0:31
3. Juan Antonio Flecha (Esp) Sky Procycling 0:34
4. Gert Steegmans (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 0:36
5. Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Sky Procycling 0:45
6. Tom Veelers (Ned) Project 1t4i 1:00
7. Fabian Cancellara (Sui) RadioShack-Nissan 1:06
8. Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Garmin-Barracuda 1:09
9. Aidis Kruopis (Ltu) GreenEdge Cycling Team 1:10
10. Adam Blythe (GBR) BMC Racing Team 1:14
11. Mark Cavendish (GBR) Sky Procycling 1:15
12. Johan Vansummeren (Bel) Garmin-Barracuda 1:19
13. Thomas Dekker (Ned) Garmin-Barracuda
14. Baden Cooke (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team 1:20
15. Mark Renshaw (Aus) Rabobank 1:32
16. Tony Gallopin (Fra) RadioShack-Nissan 1:33
17. John Degenkolb (Ger) Project 1t4i 1:40
18. Frederik Willems (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 1:45
19. Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Project 1t4i 2:02
20. Mikhail Ignatyev (Rus) Katusha 2:15
21. Rüdiger Selig (Ger) Katusha 2:16
22. Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 2:17
23. Matthias Friedemann (Ger) Champion System 2:19
24. Aliaksandr Kuchynski (Blr) Katusha
25. Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team 2:23
26. Maarten Wynants (Bel) Rabobank 2:27
27. Yoann Offredo (Fra) FDJ-BigMat 2:28
28. David Boucher (Fra) FDJ-BigMat 2:30
29. Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank 2:34
30. Ian Stannard (GBR) Sky Procycling 2:47
31. Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 2:52
32. Svein Tuft (Can) GreenEdge Cycling Team 2:55
33. Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) GreenEdge Cycling Team
34. Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 2:58
35. Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) RadioShack-Nissan 2:59
36. Klaas Lodewijck (Bel) BMC Racing Team 3:01
37. Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Belisol Team 3:02
38. Gregory Henderson (NZL) Lotto Belisol Team
39. Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ-BigMat 3:08
40. Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ-BigMat
41. Koen De Kort (Ned) Project 1t4i 3:09
42. Thomas Leezer (Ned) Rabobank 3:11
43. Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia 3:16
44. Robbie McEwen (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team 3:19
45. Albert Timmer (Ned) Project 1t4i 3:20
46. Nikolas Maes (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 3:27
47. Robert Hunter (RSA) Garmin-Barracuda 3:29
48. Murilo Antoniobil Fischer (Bra) Garmin-Barracuda 3:36
49. Davide Appollonio (Ita) Sky Procycling 3:43
50. Marco Haller (Aut) Katusha
51. Matt Brammeier (Irl) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
52. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha 3:45
53. Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale
54. Christian Knees (Ger) Sky Procycling
55. Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 3:49
56. Alan Marangoni (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
57. Lars Bak (Den) Lotto Belisol Team 3:50
58. Markel Irizar (Esp) RadioShack-Nissan
59. Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) GreenEdge Cycling Team 3:52
60. Martin Kohler (Sui) BMC Racing Team
61. Jens Mouris (Ned) GreenEdge Cycling Team
62. Danilo Wyss (Sui) BMC Racing Team 3:53
63. Michael Schär (Sui) BMC Racing Team
64. Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank
65. Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) FDJ-BigMat 3:59
66. Gabriel Rasch (Nor) FDJ-BigMat
67. Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ-BigMat
68. Allan Davis (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team 4:05
69. Andrea Guardini (Ita) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia 4:07
70. Diego Caccia (Ita) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia
71. Mehdi Sohrabi (IRI) Lotto Belisol Team 4:14
72. Jack Bauer (NZL) Garmin-Barracuda 4:20
73. Roger Kluge (Ger) Project 1t4i 4:21
74. Thomas Bertolini (Ita) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia 4:28
75. Pier Paolo De Negri (Ita) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia 4:30
76. Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 4:33
77. Jacob Rathe (USA) Garmin-Barracuda 4:36
78. Aaron Kemps (Aus) Champion System 4:39
79. Joss Van Emden (Ned) Rabobank
80. Gorik Gardeyn (Bel) Champion System
81. Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 4:44
82. Thomas Lebas (Fra) Bridgestone Anchor 4:47
83. Mickaël Delage (Fra) FDJ-BigMat 4:49
84. Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia 4:54
85. Jonas Van Genechten (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 5:05
86. Vladimir Isaychev (Rus) Katusha
87. David McCann (Irl) RTS Racing Team 5:10
88. Roy Curvers (Ned) Project 1t4i 5:22
89. Jérémy Hunt (GBR) Sky Procycling 5:23
90. Gregory Rast (Sui) RadioShack-Nissan 5:28
91. Joost Posthuma (Ned) RadioShack-Nissan 5:29
92. Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 5:44
93. Denis Galimzyanov (Rus) Katusha 6:42
94. Luca Ascani (Ita) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia 6:48
95. Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol Team 7:17
96. Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 7:29
97. Mart Ojavee (Est) Champion System 8:12
98. Alexandre Lemair (Fra) Bridgestone Anchor 8:20
99. Robert Wagner (Ger) RadioShack-Nissan 8:29
100. Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Katusha 8:38
101. Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale 8:42
102. Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
103. Miyataka Shimizu (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor 9:38
104. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) RadioShack-Nissan 11:37
105. Dominic Klemme (Ger) Project 1t4i 11:43
106. Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team 12:29
107. Christian Benenati (Ita) Farnese Vini-Selle Italia 12:33
108. Thor Hushovd (Nor) BMC Racing Team 13:20
109. Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Rabobank 13:21
110. Jai Crawford (Aus) RTS Racing Team 14:38
111. Klaas Sys (Bel) Bridgestone Anchor 16:10
112. Blaise Sonnery (Fra) Bridgestone Anchor 19:08
113. Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 19:22
114. Lee Rodgers (GBR) RTS Racing Team 19:28
115. Alex Coutts (GBR) RTS Racing Team 19:31
116. Kazuo Inoue (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor 20:26
117. Hayato Yoshida (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor 20:57
118. Pengda Jiao (Chn) Champion System 22:00
119. Ryota Nishizono (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor 22:02
120. Gang Xu (Chn) Champion System 24:43
121. Chin-Lung Huang (Tpe) RTS Racing Team 29:35
122. Wei Kei Chang (Tpe) RTS Racing Team 40:13
123. Sergey Kudentsov (Rus) RTS Racing Team 40:28
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