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Cavendish back in Tour of Qatar lead after teammate Boasson Hagen punctures late

Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) wears the gold Tour of Qatar leader’s jersey again on Thursday after an unfortunate flat tire at Stage 4’s 8-km-to-go mark dashed leader and stage 3 victor Edvald Boasson Hagen’s chances of winning the 2016 title. Cavendish came fifth as Alexander Kristoff (Norway/Katusha) nabbed his second win in three days. The Manx Missile leads Belgian Classics man Greg van Avermaet by two seconds with one stage remaining.

It was another day for some intrepid souls to stick themselves in the wind. The race began at the Al Zubarah Fort, explored the interior and then headed to Madinat Al Shamal for four laps of 14-km. At first 11-riders broke away in the interior, but the move was reduced to four between the day’s two intermediate sprints.

With 25-km to go, things got dicey in the peloton. A crash made people nervous and the Jumbo-Lotto took over to stay out of trouble in the crosswinds. Then Norway’s Boasson Hagen drifted back with the puncture. Even though his squad helped him to make contact, first BMC and then Katusha whipped up the pace to keep him detached. Meanwhile, the fugitives had all been captured.

Katusha split up the peloton with an echelon in the last kilometre’s cross winds and fragmented the bunch. Cavendish, alone up front, held onto the sextet that fought out the sprint, but Kristoff would not be denied his brace of Tour of Qatar wins.

Friday’s conclusion of the 15th edition starts at the Sealine Beach Resort but is centred around 10-laps of the Doha Corniche.

2016 Tour of Qatar Stage 4
1) Alexander Kristoff (Norway/Katusha) 3:57:12
2) Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium/BMC) s.t.
3) Jacopo Guarnieri (Italy/Katusha) s.t.
121) Hugo Houle (Canada/AG2R) +5:05

2016 Tour of Qatar GC
1) Mark Cavendish (Great Britain/Dimension Data) 10:51:14
2) Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium/BMC) +0:02
3) Manuel Quinziato (Italy/BMC) +0:06
106) Hugo Houle (Canada/AG2R) +17:32