In a hectic finish of the Stage 1 in Qatar, Brent Bookwalter (BMC) held off a late burst from the peloton to take the stage win. The 28-year-old team domestique formed a three man break away with two Swiss riders, Gregory Rast (RSN) and Martin Elmiger (IAM Cycling) and took the win by half a bike length.
Today’s stage, a 145.2-kilometre course from Katara Cultural Village to Dukhan beach proved why the Tour of Qatar has a reputation as a tough race. With 50kph crosswinds battering the riders, turns in direction saw the peloton blown apart. With a four man breakaway out front including the Sky man Bernhard Eisel, a 28-man group formed behind 30seconds back and a further group at one minute 20, included Mark Cavendish and many of his Omega Pharma-QuickStep colleagues.
Battling the ferocious wind, OPQS rode hard to bring Cavendish back into contention and at 12km to go everything had come back together. The peloton swung from one side of the road to the other as riders made attempts to break clear and at 10km out Elmiger broke away. Bookwalter and Rast joined and opened up a 45second gap on the peloton.
A rather jovial peloton, with the likes of Cancellara smiling and joking with other riders seemed to have called the race a day. OPQS took to the front and seemed the only team with any interest of bringing back the trio. The gap slowly dropped, as did the number of OPQS riders fighting to keep Cav in contention. Their earlier work had drained their legs of energy and Sky took to the front to help out and set up their rider Edvald Boasson Hagen.
Coming into the final bend, Bookwalter led the trio, the peloton fast approaching. Rast jumped the BMC rider who responded with his own burst of speed, winning the stage, clear of the Swiss rider. Rast said he was ‘dead’ from his efforts and Elmiger, 34, thought he was too old to contest the sprint.
A close finish to the stage as Eisel led the peloton only metres behind the breakaway. Elia Viviani (Cannondale) took fifth and Cavendish (OPQS) came in just behind. The manxman kicked early with little left of his lead out train to try and bring in the trio. He came up short, fading in the final metres, his old HTC teammate Eisel sneaked past.
Elmiger sits in second in the overall classification and BMC rider Taylor Phinney, who picked up bonus seconds in the first intermediate sprint, sits in fifth, five seconds back and leads the youth classification by two seconds.
Bookwalter managed the unthinkable, holding off the sprinters on the first stage at Qatar. Tomorrow’s stage, a 14-kilometre team time trial round the streets of Al Rufaa will see the American try and defend his Gold jersey. The sprinters will be back in action on Tuesday’s stage to Mesaieed.
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