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Tour of Qatar Stage 3: Mark Cavendish sprints to the win in scrappy finale

Second win for Manxman since switching to Omega Pharma-Quick Step

Mark Cavendish of Omega-Pharma Quick Step has won Stage 3 of the Tour of Qatar, outsprinting Barry Markus of Vacansoleil-DCM and Aldis Krupois of Orica-GreenEdge to take the victory at the end of the 143 kilometre stage from Al Wakra to Mesaieed.

Orica-GreenEdge had led the peloton under the flamme rouge as they looked to set up Kruopis, but in a scrappy closing few hundred metres it was Cavendish who burst through to cross the line first and take his second victory since his switch from Team Sky, having won a stage of the Tour de San Luis in Argentina last month.

The ten-second bonus Cavendish got for winning means he moves up to fourth place on GC, with Brent Bookwalter of BMC Racing, winner of Stage 1 on Sunday, retaining the overall lead. After yesterday's team time trial, riders from BMC, which set the fastest time, occupied the top five places overall with a quintet of riders from second quickest team Sky rounding out the top ten.

Tour of Qatar Stage 3 result  
  
1  CAVENDISH Mark         OMEGA PHARMA-QUICK STEP    3h 05' 14"
2  MARKUS Barry           VACANSOLEIL-DCM         All at same time
3  KRUOPIS Aidis          ORICA GREENEDGE
4  BOUHANNI Nacer         FDJ
5  HAUSSLER Heinrich      IAM CYCLING
6  BOASSON HAGEN Edvald   SKY PROCYCLING
7  KLUGE Roger            TEAM NETAPP-ENDURA
8  DEGENKOLB John         TEAM ARGOS-SHIMANO
9  FORTIN Filippo         BARDIANI VALVOLE-CSF INOX
10 SOUPE GEOFFREY         FDJ
11 GUARDINI Andrea        ASTANA PRO TEAM
12 KRISTOFF Alexander     KATUSHA TEAM
13 HUTAROVICH Yauheni     AG2R LA MONDIALE
14 JARC Blaz              TEAM NETAPP-ENDURA
15 VAN HUMMEL Kenny       VACANSOLEIL-DCM
16 DOWNING Russell        TEAM NETAPP-ENDURA
17 BOZIC Borut            ASTANA PRO TEAM
18 SHIMIZU Miyataka       JAPAN
19 TERPSTRA Niki          OMEGA PHARMA-QUICK STEP
20 PORSEV Alexander       KATUSHA TEAM
  
Overall standings after Stage 3  
  
1  BOOKWALTER Brent       BMC RACING TEAM             6h 49' 58"
2  PHINNEY Taylor         BMC RACING TEAM              + 00' 06"
3  BLYTHE Adam            BMC RACING TEAM              + 00' 07"
4  CAVENDISH Mark         OMEGA PHARMA-QUICK STEP      + 00' 08"
5  VAN AVERMAET Greg      BMC RACING TEAM              + 00' 10"
6  SCHÄR Michael          BMC RACING TEAM              + 00' 10"
7  EISEL Bernhard         SKY PROCYCLING               + 00' 11"
8  HAYMAN Mathew          SKY PROCYCLING               + 00' 12"
9  BOASSON HAGEN Edvald   SKY PROCYCLING               + 00' 14"
10 THOMAS Geraint         SKY PROCYCLING               + 00' 15"

 

 

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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7 comments

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PJ McNally | 11 years ago
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Peter Sagan wouldn't have been too happy about Qatar's podium girls

- e.g.

http://www.letour.com/2013/TQA/LIVE/us/100/images.html

http://www.letour.com/PHOTOS/TQA/2013/100/fr/20130203CY0036-2.JPG

(Before anyone says it - this in no way detracts from the exploits of Kirsten Wild etc, kicking ass in Qatar last week).

Avatar
G-bitch replied to PJ McNally | 11 years ago
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PJ McNally wrote:

Peter Sagan wouldn't have been too happy about Qatar's podium girls

- e.g.

http://www.letour.com/2013/TQA/LIVE/us/100/images.html

http://www.letour.com/PHOTOS/TQA/2013/100/fr/20130203CY0036-2.JPG

(Before anyone says it - this in no way detracts from the exploits of Kirsten Wild etc, kicking ass in Qatar last week).

I think I much prefer that to the sad old duffers usual 'get a pretty young girl in a mini-dress and stilettos' European approach.

Avatar
PaulVWatts | 11 years ago
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Is it now obligatory to mention Sky in every article now? Cavendish is now favorite for overall winner by the way. Its amazing how Cavendish gets more enthusiastic coverage in the foreign cycling press than he does in the UK's.

Avatar
Simon_MacMichael replied to PaulVWatts | 11 years ago
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PaulVWatts wrote:

Is it now obligatory to mention Sky in every article now? Cavendish is now favorite for overall winner by the way. Its amazing how Cavendish gets more enthusiastic coverage in the foreign cycling press than he does in the UK's.

(Passing) mention of Sky more to emphasise the point of how the TTT shaped GC and Cav jumping to fourth.

Big fan of Cav, as I've written before in interviews, yes there is no-one quicker when he's delivered for the sprint but at the same time I don't think there is anyone better when it comes to type of chaotic finish we saw today, and other UK journalists I've spoken to about him have the same opinion.

If there is negativity, a lot of it comes from fans I reckon, you just have to look at some of the comments to articles down the years (charmless, stroppy, can't do anything without a train etc).

I've found him to be intelligent, witty, thoughtful and speaking a lot of common sense... mind you, asking him for a quick word when he's just ridden 242k, come second and just wants to get to hotel for massage and food isn't a mistake I'll make twice  3

Avatar
samg123 | 11 years ago
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Boonen's had septicaemia in his elbow and is in no fit state to race...

Avatar
ubercurmudgeon | 11 years ago
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Isn't Qatar Boonen country? Surely he won't be too happy to have to surrender his annual early-season UCI points grab? Actually, who cares, it's only Qatar.

Avatar
Simon_MacMichael replied to ubercurmudgeon | 11 years ago
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ubercurmudgeon wrote:

Isn't Qatar Boonen country? Surely he won't be too happy to have to surrender his annual early-season UCI points grab? Actually, who cares, it's only Qatar.

No UCI points for WorldTour riders in Qatar, it's on the Aisa Tour.

But, it's a hugely important part of Boonen's early season - 2005 is the only year he's won Flanders and/or Roubaix (indeed, he did both that year) without having won Qatar.

2006 - Qatar, Flanders
2008 - Qatar, Roubaix
2009 - Qatar, Roubaix
2012 - Qatar, Flanders, Roubaix

Mind you, he's had some pretty cracking results in the Spring in other years too  3

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