Alexander Kristoff was fifth on the first stage of the Tour of Qatar. Mark Cavendish won the stage that went from Dukhan to Al Khor Corniche, while Sacha Modolo finished second. Andrea Guardini captured third place.
Edvald Boasson Hagen helped Cavendish in the sprint. Rudsbygd No rode goal a strong 6th place.
– Did not have bones to answer
Kristoff was not particularly happy with how the stage ended.
– I was ready to fight for victory, but we took maybe a little too much responsibility at the end. I thought it would be a bit faster finishing straight with a slight tailwind, but I do not think it went so fast there. They came from behind in fairly high speed. Then it was difficult to answer. I had not quite the legs to respond either. I never came up in the pace they had. I do not think I was good enough today, but I might have been a little closer if we had run a little better draw.
– We tried. We had not fixed drawdown riders. They were in the group in the back. It was a bit halfway through the day, but there are more days, continues Kristoff to TV2.
– There was a split early there so it was a long and hard day in front?
– It was, so that was what I feared. I had hoped to start the season a little quieter. It was a brutal start, explaining the Norwegian.
– What happened?
– There was a crosswind, although it was not as much as we were unsure if it would be a split in the field. But it did eventually, and then I was luckily with the front. I’ve been working all day like the rest of the field. It has been a hard day, but it’s good for the season to get bogged down hard here, said the Norwegian.
– Would be on Kristoff
Cavendish was delighted to take the first bite.
– Katusha had most riders in the last hundred meters. I would definitve lie on Kristoff since he had the lead. I was on his wheel. It was a little hectic since BMC came up the side. They have strong riders and if they left it would be hard. They did not go and Katusha kept them. I drove to the right of Kristoff and no one came in to me, says Mark Cavendish to TV2.
He got help from Edvald Boasson Hagen.
– It was really fun that Mark took the victory. It is always important to start well, said Boasson Hagen.
– My task was to sit at the wheel of Mark. I would make sure no one else sat on his wheel. It was a good way to do it, continues Boasson Hagen.
28-year-old has sinister plans to win the Tour of Qatar on aggregate.
– The goal is that I should not lose time some of the days. Then we’ll see how it rests in the summary at the end. Hopefully I can run a good pace.
Did early weed
Kristoff, Edvald Boasson Hagen and Sven Erik Bystrøm broke early with a group of twenty riders got a gap of one minute to the main field.
Apart from the Norwegians put strong riders like Cavendish, Sam Bennett, Greg van Avermaet, Guardini and Modolo in front group.
Kristoff had with her teammates Bystrøm, Kuznetsov and Danish Michael Mørkøv. Cavendish had brought Boasson Hagen and Tyler Farrar in twenty men group. BMC feinted toward the end of the stage, which led to scaled tetgruppen.
The Norwegian riders hung well with, but in the sprint had not Kristoff enough splashes feet to cope with Cavendish. Manx missile was positioned by Boasson Hagen before the sprint. In the last few meters, there was no doubt who was strongest.
Hoping for any UCI penalty in the end of April
It was long unclear whether Katusha would be allowed to start in Qatar. Kristoff do not know how much uncertainty drained him of energy.
– Maybe it has put some in mind, but I have not thought too much about it. I do not think that was what made it today, but I did not win the first leg here last year either so I was better today than last year. We will see tomorrow, smiles Kristoff.
– Mads Kaggestad has a point today in relation to supensjonen, he believes it will . Is there a danger that it may come later at a critical stage of the season?
– I do not know. I do not hope so. Currently, no UCI come out with something. Then I do not know, answer Kristoff.
– Had it been better to take it now than later?
– It had it. It’s worse if it comes in the middle of the biggest classics, but late April fits nicely. Then I have no race.
– How is it to have this hanging over them if heading out?
– I’ll try not to focus on it. There is nothing I can do something with. I bet that it’s going okay. We’ll see.
– What happens if it comes under the classics?
– When do I get to train for the Tour de France.
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