Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) won the second stage of the 2014 Tour of Qatar on Monday, bringing his total stage wins in the race to 21 - not including his four overall wins.
Boonen suffered during the 2013 season, first with a severe infection in his arm and then a fractured rib after crashing in the Tour of Flanders, which led to him missing Paris-Roubaix. His win shows that he is on track for 2014.
Just as in Sunday's opening stage, the high winds split the Tour of Qatar peloton to assist in the formation of an elite selection at the front of the race - including Boonen and his team-mate and overall race leader Niki Terpstra.
Michael Morkov (Tinkoff-Saxo) came home in second behind Boonen, with Jurgen Roelandts (Lotto-Belisol) in third.
British riders Andy Fenn (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) and Ian Stannard (Sky) finished in the front group of eight riders, in fourth and sixth respectively. Fenn moves into the lead in the best young riders classification and is now sixth overall with Stannard seventh overall.
Terpstra finished in seventh place to maintain the overall lead going in to Tuesday's third stage: a 10.9km individual time trial around Lusail which should serve to shake up the general classification.
Results Tour of Qatar 2014, stage two: Camel Race Track to Al Khor Corniche, 160.5km 1. Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma-QuickStep
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2. Michael Morkov (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo
3. Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Belisol
4. Andrew Fenn (GBr) Omega Pharma-QuickStep
5. Matti Breschel (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo
6. Ian Stannard (GBr) Sky
7. Niki Terpstra (Ned) Omega Pharma-QuickStep
8. Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Belisol all same time
9. Lars Boom (Ned) Belkin at 5 secs
10. Karsten Kroon (Ned) Tinkoff-Saxo at same time
Overall classification after stage two
1. Niki Terpstra (Ned) Omega Pharma-QuickStep in 6-43-30
2. Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Belisol at 5 secs
3. Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma-QuickStep at 14 secs
4. Michael Morkov (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo at 20 secs
5. Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto-Belisol at 26 secs
6. Andy Fenn (GBr) Omega Pharma-QuickStep at 26 secs
7. Ian Stannard (GBr) Team Sky at 26 secs
8. Matti Breschel (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo at 26 secs
9. Lars Boom (Ned) Belkin at 31 secs
10. Karsten Kroon (Ned) Tinkoff-Saxo at 31 secs
Tom Boonen wins stage two of the 2014 Tour of Qatar
(Image credit: Watson)
Related links
<a href="http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/tour-qatar-2014-preview-113986">Tour of Qatar 2014: Coverage and preview</a>
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Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.
