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Kristoff gets satisfaction on Tour of Qatar’s world championships course

February 9, 2016
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Stymied in Monday’s reduced bunch sprint, Katusha’s Alexander Kristoff (Norway) found the legs to inch out Stage 1 winner Mark Cavendish in Tuesday’s look at the October world championships course in Doha on the Tour of Qatar’s second day. Cavendish retains the race lead.

Unlike Monday’s stage, where a small, elite sprinters’ group got away in the wind, Stage 2 was a little more conventional, but had some drama in its middle. The 135-km took in the world championship’s 80-km starting route and three laps of the winding Pearl circuit.

Four escapees trickled away on the starting route but were pulled back just before the first intermediate sprint, which went to Kristoff. The effort into the headwind split the peloton, with Kristoff in the first group and Cavendish in the second. Unlike Monday, when the first hour was whipped at 52-km/h, the first hour of Tuesday was slogged at 38-km/h.

It took just over 42-km for the Cav group to reach the Kristoff group as it started the Pearl circuits. Immediately, three intrepid riders created another breakaway, with Preben Van Hecke (Belgium/Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise) first over the second intermediate sprint. Katusha did the majority of work, and the final fugitive surrendered with 15-km remaining.

There was a massive crash inside the final kilometer, but Cavendish and Kristoff were at the sharp end of things. Instead of a bunch sprint, it was really down to the duo, and the judges had to look at the photo to determine the winner.

Stage 3 is an 11-km time trial in Lusail, which, like all stages of the Tour of Qatar, is flat but wind-threatened.
2016 Tour of Qatar Stage 2
1) Alexander Kristoff (Norway/Katusha) 3:11:26
2) Mark Cavendish (Great Britain/Dimension Data) s.t.
3) Roy Jans (Belgium/Wanty-Groupe Gobert) s.t.
89) Hugo Houle (Canada/AG2R) s.t.

2016 Tour of Qatar GC
1) Mark Cavendish (Great Britain/Dimension Data) 6:39:51
2) Alexander Kristoff (Norway/Katusha) +0:05
3) Sacha Modolo (Italy/Lampre) +0:14
102) Hugo Houle (Canada/AG2R) +12:14