Tour of Qatar 2015: Alexander Kristoff, Master of the Crosswinds in stage 2
Echelons! Straight from the start Etixx makes good use of the crosswinds and tears the pack apart. When the pace drops after 50 km’s Greg Van Avermat attacks, but he and his fellow-escapees are reeled in after Etixx sends the pack flying once again. Eventually the stage boils down to a sprint with 15 riders. Alexander Kristoff is fastest and wears the leaders jersey tomorrow. (Slideshow route/profile)
Tour of Qatar 2015: Results 2nd stage
1. Alexander Kristoff (Nor)
2. Andrea Guardini (ita) s.t.
3. Greg Van Avermaet (bel) s.t.
4. Peter Sagan (Svk) s.t.
5. Tom Boonen (bel) s.t.
6. Heinrich Haussler (aus) s.t.
7. Adam Blythe (gbr) s.t.
8. Marcus Burghardt (ger) s.t.
9. Jasper Stuyven (bel) s.t.
10. Ian Stannard (gbr) s.t.
GC after stage 2
1. Alexander Kristoff (Nor)
2. Tom Boonen (bel) + 0.01
3. Greg Van Avermaet (bel) + 0.03
4. Andrea Guardini (ita) + 0.04
5. Niki Terpstra (Nld) + 0.08
6. Marcus Burghardt (Ger) + 0.9
7. Peter Sagan (Svk) + 0.10
8. Heinrich Haussler (aus) s.t.
9. Jasper Stuyven (bel) s.t.
10. Maciel Bodnar (pol)
Race report
Straight from the start Etixx opens fire and the pack is torn into pieces. Boonen, Cancellara, Sagan, Kristoff, Haussler and Terpstra are in the first group, while Wiggins, Valverde, Gilbert and Kittel are forced to chase. The pace is high and leader Rojas is dropped, just like Arnaud Démare.
With 40 kilometres done 25 riders are upfront. A group with Rojas is 15 seconds down, Demaré and Bouhanni are at 1’10” and Wiggins and valverde are at 2’25”.
When the pace of the leading group is dropped, Van Avermaet attacks. He is accompanied by Wallays, Van Zyl, Mørkøv and Hayman, while Rojas, Bouhanni and Valverde are able to rejoin Boonen et al. A group with Démare and Wiggins joins the bunch at kilometre 102.
Van Avermaet and compadres race to a 3’50” gain. Wallays is caught after he punctures.
Results of the first intermediate sprint: 1. Greg van Avermaet 2. Mathew Hayman 3. Michael Morkov.
In the third hour of racing Boonen speeds up once again and all of a sudden riders are everywhere. In the first group of 36 riders are Boonen, Terpstra, Sagan, Kristoff, Haussler, Gilbert, Bouhanni, Démare and Rojas. Kittel, Valverde and Boasson Hagen missed out and are chasing. A little later Bouhanni and Gilbert are dropped, the latter because he needs to change a wheel. Bad timing.
Results of the second intermediate sprint: 1. Tom Boonen 2. Nikolas Maes 3. Marcus Burghardt.
With Boonen, Terpstra, Maes, Vandenbergh and Van Keirsbulck Etixx is strong upfront and they get assistance of Haussler. The Australian champion accelerates with 30 kilometres left and Démare and leader Rojas are amongst the victims. A group of 15 riders is set to battle it out in the finale: Terpstra, Boonen, Maes, Sagan, Bodnar, Stuyven, Burghardt, Van Avermaet, Kristoff, Guardini, Tleubajev, Rowe, Stannard, Blythe and Haussler.
Alexander Kristoff is fastest on the line at Al Khor Corniche, while Andrea Guardini is second. The strong Etixx team performance is not given a proper follow-up by Boonen as he finishes fifth.
Tomorrow the riders battle it out on a racing circuit.
Tour of Qatar 2015 stage 2: Images and more
Click on the images to zoom
Alexander Kristoff
Watch the highlights of recent races here:
Related articles Favourites - Tour of Qatar 2015 Overview - Tour of Qatar 2015 Stage 6 - Bennett stage win, Terpstra takes GC - Tour of Qatar 2015 Stage 5 - Kristoff takes third - Tour of Qatar 2015 Stage 4 - Kristoff outsprints Sagan - Tour of Qatar 2015 ITT - Terpstra powers to win - Tour of Qatar 2015 Rojas outsprints Boonen in stage 1 - Tour of Qatar 2015 Route stage 1: Dukhan - Sealine Beach Resort - Tour of Qatar 2015 Route stage 3: ITT Lusail Circuit - Tour of Qatar 2015 Route stage 4: Al Thakhira - Mesaieed - Tour of Qatar 2015 Route stage 5: Al Zubara Fort - Madinat ash-Shamal - Tour of Qatar 2015 Route stage 6: Sealine Beach Resort - Doha Corniche - Tour of Qatar 2015 More articles Critérium du Dauphiné 2023 Route stage 1: Chambon-sur-Lac - Chambon-sur-Lac
Critérium du Dauphiné 2023: Riders
Critérium du Dauphiné 2023: GC Favourites
Critérium du Dauphiné 2023 Route stage 2: Brassac-les-Mines - La Chaise-Dieu
Critérium du Dauphiné 2023 Route stage 3: Monistrol-sur-Loire - La Coteau
Critérium du Dauphiné 2023 Route stage 4: Cours - Belmont-de-la-Loire
Critérium du Dauphiné 2023 Route stage 5: Cormoranche-sur-Saône – Salins-les-Bains
Critérium du Dauphiné 2023 Route stage 6: Nantua - Crest-Voland
Critérium du Dauphiné 2023 Route stage 7: Porte-de-Savoie - Col de la Croix de Fer
Critérium du Dauphiné 2023 Route stage 8: Le Pont-de-Claix - La Bastille, Grenoble
Tour de Suisse 2023: The Route
Tour de Suisse 2023: Riders
Tour de Suisse 2023 Route stage 1: Einsiedeln - Einsiedeln
Tour de Suisse 2023 Route stage 2: Beromünster - Nottwil
Tour de Suisse 2023 Route stage 3: Tafers - Villars-sur-Ollon
Tour de Suisse 2023 Route stage 4: Monthey - Leukerbad
Cycling Calendar 2023
Tour de France 2023: The Route
Tour de France 2023: Riders
Tour de France 2023: GC Favourites
Tour de France 2023 Route stage 1: Bilbao - Bilbao
Tour de France 2023 Route stage 2: Vitoria-Gasteiz - San Sebastián
Tour de France 2023 Route stage 3: Amorebieta-Etxano - Bayonne
Tour de France 2023 Route stage 4: Dax - Nogaro
Tour de France 2023 Route stage 5: Pau - Laruns
Tour de France 2023 Route stage 6: Tarbes - Cauterets
Tour de France 2023 Route stage 7: Mont-de-Marsan - Bordeaux
Tour de France 2023 Route stage 8: Libourne - Limoges
Tour de France 2023 Route stage 9: Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat - Puy de Dôme
Like our Facebook page and stay on top of all pro-race information!