Kristoff takes final stage of the Tour of Qatar, Cavendish wins second title
Katusha's Norwegian Alexander Kristoff took his hat trick at the Tour of Qatar Friday, winning his third stage of five on the final day.
Katusha’s Norwegian Alexander Kristoff took his hat trick at the Tour of Qatar Friday, winning his third stage of five on the final day. Mark Cavendish (Great Britain/Dimension Data) was runner up in Doha, but garnered his second title, his first one coming in 2013.
The Cav wins the 2016 @tourofqatar_ #TOQ2016 pic.twitter.com/Jry5Yds7At
— Tour of Qatar (@tourofqatar_) February 12, 2016
A trio of fugitives skittered away on the opening stretch of Highway 7 from the Sealine Beach Resort. With Katusha and Dimension leading the peloton, the gap was only 2:10 entering the first of 10 laps around the Doha Corniche. The day’s first intermediate sprint came at the end of the fourth lap, with the escapees gobbling up all the bonus seconds.
The breakaway also sopped up all the bonus seconds of intermediate sprint two before being brought to heel on the penultimate lap. Only two seconds behind on GC, Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium/BMC) would have to nab seconds on the line and hope Cavendish was denied anything. The lead out trains started dicing, and all the principles prayed they didn’t double flat like Edvald Boasson Hagen did on Thursday.
Dimension Data summarized succinctly.
#TOQ2016 7km to go… bunch sprint coming up. BMC are marking us closely at the minute.
— Team Dimension Data (@TeamDiData) February 12, 2016
The sprint was intense, with Kristoff and Cavendish in close battle, but the Norwegian edged out the Brit by an inch. Kristoff also usurped Van Avermaet from the runner-up spot on GC.
That was a close sprint, but it was Kristoff who took the win #ToQ2016 pic.twitter.com/26HVo3wG0G
— CCC SprandiPolkowice (@CCC_Sprandi) February 12, 2016
Canadian Hugo Houle posted his best sprint result of the 15th Tour of Qatar at 46th–Houle placed 13th in the Stage 3 time trial. Like many of the riders, he’ll go on to the Tour of Oman starting Wednesday.
2016 Tour of Qatar Stage 5
1) Alexander Kristoff (Norway/Katusha) 2:56:16
2) Mark Cavendish (Great Britain/Dimension Data) s.t.
3) Roy Jans (Belgium/Wanty-Groupe Gobert) s.t.
46) Hugo Houle (Canada/AG2R) s.t.
2016 Tour of Qatar Final GC
1) Mark Cavendish (Great Britain/Dimension Data) 13:47:23
2) Alexander Kristoff (Norway/Katusha) +0:05
3) Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium/BMC) +0:08
