Boonen wraps up Qatar win as Cav crashes

Fri, 10 Feb 13:29:00 2012

Tom Boonen completed victory in the Tour of Qatar while Mark Cavendish crashed just moments away from the finish on stage six.

0210_Tour of Quatar : Cavendish fall - 0

Boonen, who finished safely in the bunch, claimed his fourth Tour of Qatar title, adding to victories in 2006, 2008 and 2009, while FDJ's Arnaud Demare won the sixth and final stage.

Belgian rider Boonen ended up 28 seconds ahead of American Tyler Farrar in the general classification, with Sky's Juan Antonio Flecha five seconds further back in third place.

"All four wins here have been hard,” he said. “If you win four times it’s 24 days of hard labour. But this was nice because there were a lot of good riders here.

"Two days ago the hard stage we had was really like a classic. Normally after a hard stage you can break it up a bit in the following ones but this year it has been a man to man fight. We controlled the last two stages as a team so I am happy. I think that this year has definitely been a very important one.”

Demare, meanwhile, was thrilled with his victorious sprint to the line.

"I was placed in ideal conditions in the last couple of kilometres with the help of my teammates," Demare said. "It's an amazing feeling. Tom Boonen and Tyler Farrar came to congratulate me. I have admired them in front of my TV for so long."

Cavendish, who had been in a good position to win his third stage of the tour on the route between Sealine Beach Resort and Doha, went down heavily around 200m from the finish line.

Tour of Qatar final stage

Despite the peloton having to find their way around him, however, Cavendish appeared to escape without serious injury.

His Team Sky team-mates waited for him before completing the stage together, while FDJ rider Arnaud Demare, the U23 road race world champion, pounced to take the line first and in the process claim his maiden professional stage victory.

Cavendish, who won sprints on stages three and five, still managed to finish sixth overall.

Cavendish falls in Qatar

Eurosport

Comment 1 - 13 of 13

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  1. veloboy22 - with an attitude like that its quite clear­ that you've never really been in 7th or 8th place.­ To be good at any sport, especially endurance sports,­ takes a respect for your opponents and a strong­ character. Comments like yours suggest you lack both in­ enough depth to never be anywhere near to troubling the­ top 10 evening Cat 4 races...

    From RichG, on Mon 13 Feb 6:50
  2. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    his teammate removed the helmet, if the doctor had­ removed it and he had to be helped over the line then­ ok! hard to say if it was damaged or not but as he was­ going to get to same time as the bunch there was time­ to put the helmet back on. a helmet has to be worn, how­ close from the line should that rule be ignored, 200m,­ 500m, final 3km?

    From veloboy22, on Mon 13 Feb 2:28

  3. If your helmet is smashed after a fall I'd suggest­ he's not going to put it on for the final 150­ metres!

    From RiChArD, on Mon 13 Feb 0:24

  4. dont wear cracked helmets kiddies!!! they are pretty­ useless!!! dont say i didnt tell ya!!!

    From spartacus, on Sun 12 Feb 22:19
  5. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    If the rules say you have to were a helmet, its a fair­ call. Or is Cav above and beyond the rules everyone­ else has to follow?

    From Richard R, on Sat 11 Feb 22:43

  6. don't say anything against cav on here, you'll­ be torn apart by blinkered idiots. crash his fault­ yesterday. sky lead out not working

    From L, on Sat 11 Feb 22:22

  7. veloboy22......that is why you will always be a­ looser.Well done Cav,you and the Sky boys are doing­ Bitish Cycling proud.chapeau!

    From MATTHEW, on Sat 11 Feb 14:45

  8. what a week for cav,ilness ,wins and crash!! al part of­ the job i guess,thankfully not serious injury,congrats­ to tom,roll on classics season!!

    From spartacus, on Sat 11 Feb 0:49

  9. veloboy...you only wish and dream you could compete at­ this level...... rules rules rules eh, be careful out­ their with your stabalisers on !!!

    From Gary, on Sat 11 Feb 0:12

  10. Nice win for Tom, he should be feeling his old self­ again after this one. Roll on the classics and some­ interesting races with Cancellara, Gilbert et al.

    From Unchained malady, on Sat 11 Feb 0:03
  11. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    he crossed the line not wearing a helmet, if i was in­ 7th or 8th overall or in the prizes overall i would­ complain and take a higher finish and the prize money­ that goes with it

    From veloboy22, on Fri 10 Feb 22:51

  12. Did you miss stage 3 and 5 victories? He won them with­ two men supporting him for most of the race and was­ alone in the last 500km each time, Cavendish will have­ a good season whatever team he is on of which Sky is­ not a bad choice as he knows the setup. He was looking­ like he would win this stage before he was shunted I­ have a feeling he will have a good season, he looks in­ great shape.

    Only time will tell which one of us is­ right

    From Brendan Whitfield, on Fri 10 Feb 22:04

  13. I cannot understand Cavendish joining a team where­ Wiggins has an ambition to win a major tour,when he has­ just left a team which was dedicated to his reaching­ the final kilometre.

    I hope that I am completely wrong­ but I have a feeling in my water that for him this­ season will not turn out as he wishes.

    From David, on Fri 10 Feb 21:51
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