(Procycling.no): In good and evil was Edvald Boasson Hagen and Alexander Kristoff back in the lead roles during day 4 of the Tour of Qatar.
Rudsbygd Nobody was unlucky and punctured at a critical time. It would prove to cost him the overall lead in the race.
– It was annoying. There is not much more to say, states Boasson Hagen opposite procycling.no.
– What happened?
– There were maximum bad luck. I punctured front but switched wheel and got on my bike again. Then I notice that the rear tire was flat.
That meant Boasson Hagen was forced to halt for a second time. Good advice was expensive, and the solution was finally cycle along Cervélo-bike team mate Youcef Reguigui.
– It was too small. Certainly half a meter too low for me. But I wheels went round and I got on. I tried to catch up but it was shit to even to with so much time margin against. Created ran well all day, and I felt we had good control until I suffered myself a double puncture.
So that Boasson Hagen was in trouble
LottoNL-Jumbo had shortly before set up a furious pace in side wind. When the competition got that Boasson Hagen was in trouble, they threw themselves also.
It made it impossible for Swede to run up again, though he at one point found himself front and pulled the whole group two. At the finish he was over half a minute behind the winner.
– I do not quite what happens in front there at the end. I was busy with other things. It is true that LottoNL-Jumbo set a high tempo in the field just before it happened, but I had no trouble sitting with there. I punctures get no done something. I do not know if other teams drove on further towards the end, but that’s how it is. My team worked well and everyone was let down out Mark Cavendish. It was good, for he was still in the race bib.
In the fight for the stage win was also Alexander Kristoff with. Stavanger man was sitting along with much of his team ahead asked settlement after 189 km.
Kristoff took the sprint
As it neared the finish, the Russians put the whole team in front – and drove front group smithereens together. Finally managed only Greg Van Avermaet to follow Kristoffer wheels.
Stavanger man was superior in the sprint, the Belgian finished second – while opener Jacopo Guarnieri third party.
On the tail of the group found Mark Cavendish himself and was fifth. He was closest Boasson Hagen in summary, only 26 seconds behind. That means Briton now takes over the leader jersey from team mate Boasson Hagen.
It was defintiv not the end of stage Isle of Man-man had set for itself at the forefront.
– a small rally that made at least keep the jacket?
– it was certainly good that we took care of it. The we’ll try to defend tomorrow, too. For my own part, I should of course have had it yourself.
– What did Cavendish to you afterwards?
– We have not talked much together. The team was disappointed that I punctured. It is a bit typical, but we do not do something about it now, concludes Boasson Hagen.
How it happened:
The penultimate day of the Tour of Qatar, the very lengeste stage with its 189 km.
The finish in Madinat Al Shamal has crowned both Mark Cavendish and Alexander Kristoff victors earlier.
Cavendish won here in 2009 and 2013. Kristoff took one of his three stage victories here last year.
• Read what Edvald said procycling.no: – I’ll do my best to win
This year’s edition is headed by Edvald Boasson Hagen after his wonderful display on trial bike on Wednesday.
Many would breach
the stages in Qatar is however easiest on paper. Also during Thursday’s session was the parties with crosswind and fan drive.
Today’s first shear experiments consisted of 12 men, but was never properly established. Shortly after attempted 11 man married again, but once again reacted main field.
After a couple mil got Mark McNally (Wanty-Groupe Goubert), Zhakarov, Patrick Gretsch (Ag2r), Sebastien Turgot (Ag2r), Daniel Eaton (United Healthcare), Preben Van Hecke (Topsport Vlaanderen), Berden De Vries (Rompoot), Adrien Kurek (CCC) and Thomas Koep (Stölting) allowed to go.
the first entered the sprint was overtaken in silence, but shortly after beating side the wind and BMC Racing put all their riders in front of the field.
This shared field into three parts. Mark Cavendish got mechanical problems, and Dimension Data to the pumps to get their preferred exit again.
Meanwhile, the breakup fetched before Jesper Asselman (Roompot), McNally (Wanty), Van Hecke (Topsport Vlaanderen ) and Gretsch (Ag2r) ran off again.
three of these was thus the original breach.
Dimension Data took control
With three mil worth of leg had fracture ahead in around a minute. Here the overall leader Edvald Boasson Hagen’s crew taken complete control of the main field, and ruled against an overall asked towards the end of the stage.
Boasson Hagen led ahead team mate Cavendish front leg. Since the breakup got going, it was not fought for bonus seconds along among the riders in the peloton.
It made Swede could focus on getting the same time as the field goal and thus make a opptrekkerjobb for Cavendish towards the end of the day.
Drama at the end
Within the last mile waited so a violent drama. Right after the breach was brought in, particular LottoNL-Jumbo for blowing the peloton in side wind.
It went smoothly, the field split into two – and big team like Dimension Data, Katusha, Lotto and BMC had their man ahead.
So punctured Boasson Hagen. And as it went away during that time, it happened at the worst imaginable time.
Tyler Farrar was attentive and waited for the Norwegian. He drove up again, but was forced to stop again. This time he took Farr bike, while the American was left by the wayside.
Edvald was sitting in Group 2 after this, and tried desperately to catch up to the leading group.
Kristoff took spurt
It did he never and in goal, he was 30 seconds behind, which cost him the jersey.
Alexander Kristoff set in the first group and got a great draw of his team towards the end. It made the entire front group disintegrated.
Kristoff took the sprint in front ahead of Greg Van Avermaet.
Short results, total:
1. Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) 10.51,13
2. Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing) 2
3. Manuel Quinziato (BMC Racing) 6
4. Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) +9
5. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data) 19
6. Soren Kragh Andersen (Giant Alpecin) +30
7. Sam Bennett (Bora Argon 18) 41
8. Sven Erik Bystrøm (Katusha) +49
9. Viatseslav Kuznetsov (Katusha) +50
10. Michael Schär (BMC Racing) 50
(This article is supplied by bike site www.procycling.no)
No comments:
Post a Comment