Tour of Qatar Stage 6: Cavendish crashes as FDJ's Démare wins stage, Boonen takes overall

A touch of wheels with the line in sight saw Mark Cavendish denied a third stage victory in the 2012 Tour of Qatar, FDJ-BigMat's Arnaud Démare taking the sprint ahead of Katusha's Denis Galimzyanov with Rabobank's Mark Renshaw third. Tom Boonen of Omega Pharma-Quick Step came home safely in the bunch to win the overall title for the fourth time.

Each time the Belgian has won the race, that early season form has translated into big victory in the Spring Classics season - he won the Tour of Flanders in 2006, and Paris-Roubaix in both 2008 and 2009.

Cavendish, following Tyler Farrar's wheel and well-placed to go for his third victory of the race, didn't seem too have suffered any significant injuries as he rolled over the line after remounting following the crash, which occurred around 150 metres out.

Like Cavendish, the 20-year-old Démare returned home from last September's UCI Road World Championships in Coenhagen with a rainbow jersey, winning the Under-23 Men's Road Race title.

Tour of Qatar Stage 6 result   

1  DEMARE Arnaud        FDJ-BIGMAT               2h 20' 44" 
2  GALIMZYANOV Denis    KATUSHA TEAM              + 00' 00"
3  RENSHAW Mark         RABOBANK CYCLING TEAM     + 00' 00"
4  KLUGE Roger          PROJECT 1T4I              + 00' 00"
5  KRISTOFF Alexander   KATUSHA TEAM              + 00' 00"
6  FARRAR Tyler         GARMIN - BARRACUDA        + 00' 00"
7  OSS Daniel           LIQUIGAS-CANNONDALE       + 00' 00"
8  DAVIS Allan          GREENEDGE CYCLING TEAM    + 00' 00"
9  KEMPS Aaron          CHAMPION SYSTEM           + 00' 00"
10 DEBUSSCHERE Jens     LOTTO-BELISOL TEAM        + 00' 00"
11 SAGAN Peter          LIQUIGAS-CANNONDALE       + 00' 00"
12 HENDERSON Gregory    LOTTO-BELISOL TEAM        + 00' 00"
13 BEPPU Fumiyuki       GREENEDGE CYCLING TEAM    + 00' 00"
14 NIZZOLO Giacomo      RADIOSHACK-NISSAN         + 00' 00"
15 BOONEN Tom           OMEGA PHARMA-QUICK STEP   + 00' 00"
16 NAVARDAUSKAS Ramunas GARMIN - BARRACUDA        + 00' 00"
17 DELAGE Mickaël       FDJ-BIGMAT                + 00' 00"
18 STEEGMANS Gert       OMEGA PHARMA-QUICK STEP   + 00' 00"
19 KOHLER Martin        BMC RACING TEAM           + 00' 00"
20 GUARDINI Andrea      FARNESE VINI-SELLE ITALIA + 00' 00"

Tour of Qatar Overall Standings after Stage 6   

1  BOONEN Tom           OMEGA PHARMA-QUICK STEP 15h 42' 14" 
2  FARRAR Tyler         GARMIN - BARRACUDA        + 00' 28"
3  FLECHA Juan Antonio  SKY PROCYCLING            + 00' 33"
4  STEEGMANS Gert       OMEGA PHARMA-QUICK STEP   + 00' 34"
5  VEELERS Tom          PROJECT 1T4I              + 01' 00"
6  CAVENDISH Mark       SKY PROCYCLING            + 01' 05"
7  CANCELLARA Fabian    RADIOSHACK-NISSAN         + 01' 06"
8  NAVARDAUSKAS Ramunas GARMIN - BARRACUDA        + 01' 09"
9  KRUOPIS Aidis        GREENEDGE CYCLING TEAM    + 01' 10"
10 BLYTHE Adam          BMC RACING TEAM           + 01' 14"