Tom Boonen isn't having things all his own way at the Tour of Qatar. Today Alberto Loddo (Tinkoff) took the honours ahead of race leader Boonen, who has scored two successive stage wins in this year's event - three if you count his squad's win in the opening team time trial.
Boonen came in a close second in the 40-man lead group, doing more than enough to retain the leader's jersey. It's now hard to see anyone taking the lead from the Quick Step fastman with only two stages left to go and an 18 second advantage over second placed Steven De Jongh - a team-mate of Boonen.
Italian Loddo is no stranger to victory in the Tour of Qatar, having won the race back in 2003 riding for the Lampre team.
Britain's David Millar (Slipstream) finished mid-pack in 52nd place, one minute adrift of the lead group. Millar's team-mate and Welsh resident Magnus Backstedt finished in 45th, 16 seconds after Loddo crossed the line.
Stage four finish: Loddo has the better of Boonen on the line. Photo: ISPA
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STAGE FOUR RESULTS
Khalifa Stadium-Al Khor Corniche, 131.5 km 1. Alberto Loddo (Ita) Tinkoff in 2-44-33
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2. Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step
3. Sebastian Siedler (Ger) Skil-Shimano
4. Angelo Furlan (Ita) Credit Agricole
5. Paolo Bossoni (Ita) Lampre
6. Christopher Sutton (Aus) Slipstream
7. Kenny De Haes (Bel) Topsport-Vlaanderen
8. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Silence-Lotto
9. Nico Eekhout (Bel) Topsport-Vlaanderen
10. Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Bougyues Telecom all same time
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OVERALL AFTER STAGE FOUR
1. Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step
2. Steven De Jongh (Ned) Quick Step at 18sec
3. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Silence-Lotto at 26sec
Britain's David Millar (Slipstream) leads the bunch on stage four. Photo: ISPA
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