VAN AVERMAET SURPRISES BIG NAMES IN QATAR

Tom Boonen and the other big names preferred to sit in the bunch and let the lesser-known riders share the spotlight during the fifth stage of the Tour of Qatar on Thursday.

Ten riders formed the decisive break during the 160km stage with 21 year-old Belgian Greg Van Avermaet (Predictor) winning the sprint to take his first win as a professional ahead of Germany?s Marcel Sieberg (Milram) and Frenchman Stefane Pouhlies (Ag2r). The bunch finished three minutes behind.

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