Tour of Qatar- Stage 2: Camel Race Track → Doha Golf Club 136km

[auscyclefan94]

Camel Race Track → Doha Golf Club

Stage 2 start time: Monday 12:37 AST (8:37:00 PM UTC+1100);
Earliest live video: 14:50 AST (10:50:00 PM UTC+1100);
Approximate finish: 15:42 AST (11:42:00 PM UTC+1100);

Stage 1 results
1 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quickstep Cycling Team 2:59:29
2 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Team Garmin-Cervelo
3 Mark Renshaw (Aus) HTC-High Road
4 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Leopard Trek
5 Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team
6 Juan Antonio Flecha (Spa) Team Sky
7 Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ
8 Roger Hammond (Gbr) Team Garmin-Cervelo
9 Andreas Klier (Ger) Team Garmin-Cervelo
10 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Leopard Trek


General Classification
1 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quickstep Cycling Team 3:02:32
2 Mark Renshaw (Aus) HTC-Highroad 0:00:04
3 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Leopard Trek 0:00:08
4 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Sky Procycling 0:00:09
5 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:00:11
6 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Leopard Trek 0:00:16
7 Andreas Klier (Ger) Team Garmin-Cervelo
8 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Quickstep Cycling Team 0:00:17
9 Jeremy Hunt (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:00:19
10 Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ

 

[ingsve]

Perhaps some wind towards the end of the stage today it seems if there is any.

 

[The Hitch]

Boonen ft-cqpoints.

I mean win

 

[theyoungest]

Boonen, Haussler, Bos, Boom, I don't care... I pretty much own this race, CQ-wise

 

[Roland Rat]

Boonen, Haussler, Bos, Boom, I don't care... I pretty much own this race, CQ-wise

WGAF. I thought this was a race thread, not an online game thread. My mistake.

 

[theyoungest]

WGAF. I thought this was a race thread, not an online game thread. My mistake.

Well, then put me on ignore. I don't care.

 

[Reverend_T_Preedy]

I'll stick my neck out and say it'll be a successful breakaway today by some of the riders who lost loads of time yesterday. I can see the teams of the favourites to hammered it yesterday to take it easy today.

Niko Eeckhout for the win

 

[Frosty]

I'll stick my neck out and say it'll be a successful breakaway today by some of the riders who lost loads of time yesterday. I can see the teams of the favourites to hammered it yesterday to take it easy today.

Niko Eeckhout for the win

Could be a good call there as a lot of the sprinters were in the first group. Looking down the list, Cavendish wasnt although Eisel and Renshaw were up ahead. Not sure how much work they did though. Although some of the leading teams did do a lot of work, Quickstep only had a couple of men up there with Boonen while the rest had a relatively easy day.

 

[euanli]

So how knackered are the Garmin team going to be?

 

[Roland Rat]

As there's no wind they may just roll around and enjoy the sun, before sprinting to see who can get second behind Boonen. I'd like to see Sky give it some beans today though.

 

[Moondance]

Haussler FTW...

 

[Jamsque]

If there's no wind I would expect a rolling rest stage after the mad scramble yesterday.

 

[TeoSheva]

what about Chicchi? he will just help Boonen?

 

[Ferminal]

Haussler FTW...

Well, after yesterday's result only a fool would ignore your in-depth analysis and go against this!

 

[Eric8-A]

I think Chicchi is there to help out Boonen. He is their team leader, and with his 18 wins at Qatar and multiple overall wins at that race, it makes sense.

That sprint he did yesterday was perfect. He managed to get a nice gap on Haussler as well. It might be too early to assume, but Boonen's looking good.

 

[theyoungest]

I hope for a bunch sprint with Theo Bos, let's see if his timing has improved since last year.

Quick-Step sure look like the team to beat here, not that surprising with 7 or 8 sprinters in their squad.

 

[TeoSheva]

I think Chicchi is there to help out Boonen. He is their team leader, and with his 18 wins at Qatar and multiple overall wins at that race, it makes sense.

That sprint he did yesterday was perfect. He managed to get a nice gap on Haussler as well. It might be too early to assume, but Boonen's looking good.

it could be... but I will not be surprise if he will do his own job... the team has already good riders to help Boonen, like Maes, Steegmans etc.

 

[Eric8-A]

They can also be there as reserves in case something happens to Boonen, Quickstep has some other great sprinters to deliver to the line

 

[theyoungest]

5 riders 5' ahead; Ghyselinck, Eeckhout, Visconti, Ignatiev and Quinziato.

 

[Jamsque]

Boonen looked incredibly strong yesterday, he went from a long way out and held off a charging Haussler without too much effort. If his team can get him well-positioned he'll be very hard to beat today.

 

[Moondance]

Update from Koos Moerenhout:

"5 riders 5' ahead; Ghyselinck, Eeckhout, Visconti, Ignatiev and Quinziato."

 

[ttrider]

Boonens not great, dont get me wrong hes still very quick but after his initial jump he definitely didnt pull out on Haussler or Renshaw, Haussler as he admits himself is no where near 100%

 

[Lanark]

Boonens not great, dont get me wrong hes still very quick but after his initial jump he definitely didnt pull out on Haussler or Renshaw, Haussler as he admits himself is no where near 100%

Of course he didn't. When you make it a long sprint (like Boonen did yesterday) it's common for the guys in you slipstream (Haussler, Renshaw) to make up a lot of terrain in the last 50/100 meters. The fact that they didn't do that only shows how great Boonen's sprint was yesterday, it's quite silly to accuse him of not increasing the gap as the sprint progressed.

Yeah, i'm sure Haussler isn't near a 100%, who is?

 

[Hugo Koblet]

I'm a bit torn on Boonen. Sure he looked great yesterday because of his power and ability to keep his top speed, but I'm not so sure that he's really fast enough to win in a bunch sprint. He's really great in sprints like yesterday where he can keep his top speed and just use his power.

On the other hand, though, he has a potentially good train so that's in his favour.

 

[Ferminal]

Haussler checked his sprint when Boonen went past (thinking he had gone too early?) so that is what caused the big gap, he also gave up a fair way from the line.

All credit to Tom though for making the jump when he did.