The season is here! since 5 years the season starts with the exotic Tour of Qatar, this small race is a good trainning with good weather so many ProTour teams are there.
This year the race has had a blue colour, blue like Quick-Step maillot.
The belgium team won the first stage, a Team time trial, behind Milram and Liquigas. The second stage was won by Tom Boonen, his first win of the season and it was behind the great sprinter Alessandro Petacchi.
The third stage was similar as the second, a big sprint won by Tom Boonen and Alessandro Ptacchi was the secong again.
The fourth was more fun because a 22 riders group that arrived with 5min over the second group and 47 minutes!! over the main group..and yes, it will won by the belgium Tom Boonen again but in this case over Greame Brown (Rabbobank).
The next stage was very amazing, a small group arrived with near 3min to the second group where was the leader Tom Boonen, this stage was won by Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Predictor-Lotto, the neo won his first stage. there were a change of leader but not problem to Quick-Step because the new leader would be Wilfried Cretskens a belgium of QSI.
The last stage was like the first satages, a big sprint won by..yeah Tom Boonen ahead Petacchi.
General classification
1 Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Quick-Step 15.50.58
2 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick-Step 2.09
3 Steven De Jongh (Ned) Quick-Step 2.44
4 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) T-Mobile 2.52
5 Gregory Henderson (NZl) T-Mobile 3.01
6 Andreas Klier (Ger) T-Mobile 3.08
7 Leif Hoste (Bel) Predictor-Lotto 3.09
8 Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 3.11
9 Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank 3.30
10 Servais Knaven (Ned) T-Mobile 3.44
11 Loyd Mondory (Fra) Ag2R Prévoyance 4.04
12 Francisco José Ventoso (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 4.09
13 Piet Rooijakkers (Ned) Skil-Shimano 4.26
14 Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank 4.39
15 Michael Schär (Swi) Astana 4.58
That was all from Qatar, and on tuesday 6th will start the european season with The Gp Apertura in France, Estrella Besseges, Mediterranean Tour…the season is here!
