Tour of Qatar stage four: Fastest road race in history?

The fourth stage of the 2014 Tour of Qatar could lay claim to be the fastest road race since records began

Wind has split the peloton on stage four of the 2014 Tour of Qatar

(Image credit: Graham Watson)

With an official average speed of 56.816km per hour, the fourth stage of the 2014 Tour of Qatar could claim to be the fastest professional road race in history.

Won by Tom Boonen, a steady tailwind blew riders east from one side of the flat Gulf state to the other, and the big guns at Omega Pharma-Quickstep, Belkin and BMC revelled in the conditions.

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Richard Abraham is an award-winning writer, based in New Zealand. He has reported from major sporting events including the Tour de France and Olympic Games, and is also a part-time travel guide who has delivered luxury cycle tours and events across Europe. In 2019 he was awarded Writer of the Year at the PPA Awards.