2015 Tour of Qatar

the 2015 Ladies edition 2015 Ladies Tour of Qatar 2015 Tour of Qatar UCI Asia Tour Bellegem (Kortrijk) - Eurométropole Tour, étape 1, 2 octobre 2014, arrivée (B32).JPG Niki Terpstra, the winner of the 2015 Tour of Qatar 160px Niki Terpstra 8–13 February 2015 6 784.4 km 17h 36' 48" Niki Terpstra NED OPQ 2015 gold Maciej Bodnar POL SAX 2015 Alexander Kristoff NOR KAT 2015 Alexander Kristoff NOR KAT 2015 grey Peter Sagan SVK SAX 2015 white OPQ 2015 2014 2016 The 2015 Tour of Qatar was the 14th edition of the Tour of Qatar cycling stage race. It was organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), the organisers of the Tour de France. The race was rated as a 2.HC event, the second highest rating an event can receive, and was part of the 2015 UCI Asia Tour. The 2015 race consisted of six stages. It started in Dukhan on 8 February 2015 and finished on 13 February in Doha, the capital city of Qatar. The Tour of Qatar puts unusual demands on riders: it has no significant climbs, but almost every stage is affected by strong crosswinds. These conditions make the race ideal preparation for the spring classics season, so many prominent classics riders were present. The flat stages, suitable for sprinters, and individual time trial meant that specialists in these disciplines also chose to ride in Qatar. The race was won by Dutch rider Niki Terpstra of OPQ 2015. It was the second successive year that Terpstra won the race after his victory in 2014; it was the fourth successive victory for OPQ 2015 yes and eighth overall in Qatar. Terpstra took the lead of the race with victory in the third stage of the race, the individual time trial, and held the lead of the race to the finish. Maciej Bodnar (TTS 2015) took second place, six seconds behind Terpstra; Alexander Kristoff won stages 2, 4 and 5 on the way to finishing third, nine seconds off the overall lead. In the race's other classifications, Kristoff won the silver jersey of the points classification, thanks to his three stage wins. Peter Sagan (TTS 2015) was the winner of the pearl white jersey of the young rider classification as he was the highest placed rider born after 1 January 1990. The team classification was won by OPQ 2015 yes. Preview thumb|right|Tom Boonen, four times the overall victor at the Tour of Qatar The Tour of Qatar was one of the early races in the season, coming in the middle of three races in the Middle East (alongside the Dubai Tour and the Tour of Oman) that saw high levels of participation from the top European teams.Benson Daniel Tour of Qatar: Etixx-QuickStep look to continue domination http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-qatar-2015/preview Cyclingnews.com 12 February 2015 The race was particularly popular as a preparation race for riders aiming for the spring classics.Westby Matt Tour of Qatar 2015 preview: Sir Bradley Wiggins, Tom Boonen and Niki Terpstra among favourites for victory http://www1.skysports.com/cycling/news/12040/9703278/tour-of-qatar-2015-preview-sir-bradley-wiggins-tom-boonen-and-niki-terpstra-among-favourites-for-victory Skysports.com 12 February 2015 The significant challenge in the Tour of Qatar was the strong winds across the desert, which frequently caused the peloton to split into echelons. As well as attracting the top classics riders, the flat nature of the course meant many stages could be won by sprinters; the individual time trial also attracted many of the time trial specialists, who had a chance of overall victory. OPQ 2015 had dominated the race since it began. This included winning the last three editions (with Tom Boonen, Mark Cavendish and Niki Terpstra).Tour of Qatar 2015 - General Classification http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Tour_of_Qatar_2015-editions ProCyclingStats 12 February 2015 13 February 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150213010016/http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Tour_of_Qatar_2015-editions dead Boonen had won the overall race on four previous occasions, as well as winning 22 stages.Tour of Qatar: All Winners http://www.cyclingstage.com/tour-of-qatar-2015/winners-qatar/ CyclingStages.com 12 February 2015 Boonen and Terpstra were both among the favourites for the overall victory, along with world time-trial champion Bradley Wiggins (SKY 2015).Bradley Wiggins is main Tour of Qatar threat, says Tom Boonen http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/bradley-wiggins-main-tour-qatar-threat-says-tom-boonen-156488 Cycling Weekly 12 February 2015 Marcel Kittel (GIA 2015) was the most prominent sprinter to travel to Qatar, alongside Peter Sagan (TTS 2015), Alexander Kristoff (KAT 2015), and several others. Teams 18 teams were selected to take part in the event, including 13 UCI WorldTeams.Teams http://www.letour.fr/tour-of-qatar/2015/us/teams.html letour.com Amaury Sport Organisation 6 February 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150206060358/http://www.letour.fr/tour-of-qatar/2015/us/teams.html 6 February 2015 dead dmy-all Each team was permitted to include between five and eight riders. 15 teams had the full allowance of eight riders; 3 teams had seven-man teams. The race therefore began with 141 riders.Tour of Qatar 2015 - General Classification http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Tour_of_Qatar_2015-startlist ProCyclingStats 5 April 2015 14 April 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150414075216/http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Tour_of_Qatar_2015-startlist dead 9 of these withdrew during the course of the event; 132 finished the final stage.Tour of Qatar 2015 - General Classification http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Tour_of_Qatar_2015-result ProCyclingStats 5 April 2015 20 April 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150420012017/http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Tour_of_Qatar_2015-result dead UCI World Teams AST BMC EQS FDJ IAM LAM MOV OGE GIA KAT SKY TTS TFR 2015 UCI Professional Continental teams CSF TNE COF MTN TSV 2015 Route The 2015 event had a very similar format to the previous year's race. It consisted of six stages, of which five were flat stages and one was an individual time trial.http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Tour_of_Qatar_2015-stages Tour of Qatar 2015 stages ProCyclingStats 6 February 2015 6 February 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150206094632/http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Tour_of_Qatar_2015-stages dead The individual time trial, on the third day of racing, used precisely the same course as the corresponding stage in 2014.For the 2014 stage, see http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Tour_of_Qatar_2014_Stage_3_Lusail-profiles Tour of Qatar 2014 - Stage 3 (ITT) ProCyclingStats 5 April 2015 20 April 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150420174416/http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Tour_of_Qatar_2014_Stage_3_Lusail-profiles dead For the 2015 stage, see http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Tour_of_Qatar_2015_Stage_3_Lusail-profiles Tour of Qatar 2015 - Stage 3 (ITT) ProCyclingStats 5 April 2015 +List of stages Stage Date Course Type Distance Winner 1 8 February Dukhan to Sealine Beach 22px Flat stage 136 km 0 on José Joaquín Rojas ESP 2 9 February Al Wakrah to Al Khor Corniche 22px Flat stage 194.5 km 0 on Alexander Kristoff NOR 3 10 February Lusail to Lusail 22px Individual time trial 10.9 km 0 on Niki Terpstra NED 4 11 February Al Thakhira to Mesaieed 22px Flat stage 165.5 km 0 on Alexander Kristoff NOR 5 12 February Al Zubara Fort to Madinat ash Shamal 22px Flat stage 153 km 0 on Alexander Kristoff NOR 6 13 February Sealine Beach Resort to Doha Corniche 22px Flat stage 124.5 km 0 on Sam Bennett IRL Stages Stage 1 8 February 2015 — Dukhan to Sealine Beach, 136 km 0 on thumbnail|right|Stage 1 route The race began with a 136 km 0 on route from Dukhan in the west of Qatar to the Sealine Beach Resort, Mesaieed.Tour of Qatar 2015 - Stage 1 http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Tour_of_Qatar_2015_Stage_1_Sealine_Beach-stages ProCyclingStats 10 February 2015 11 February 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150211005656/http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Tour_of_Qatar_2015_Stage_1_Sealine_Beach-stages dead The route was flat and, as normal in the Tour of Qatar, the principal difficulty was caused by crosswinds.Tour of Qatar 2015: Stage 1 Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-qatar-2015/stage-1/results Cyclingnews.com 10 February 2015 thumb|left|José Joaquín Rojas (pictured here in 2013) won stage 1 The initial breakaway was formed early in the race by Luca Sterbini (CSF 2015) and Jarl Salomein (TSV 2015). They built a lead that reached seven minutes by the half-way point. Midway through the stage, a change in direction meant the peloton was now racing in crosswinds, and OPQ 2015 along with TFR 2015 attacked. They formed echelons and split the peloton. Riders such as Bradley Wiggins (SKY 2015), Nacer Bouhanni (COF 2015) and Alejandro Valverde (MOV 2015) were left adrift from the front group, but another turn into a headwind meant the groups could come back together. Shortly before the second intermediate sprint, Tom Boonen (OPQ 2015 yes) and Peter Sagan (TTS 2015) were involved in a crash, but were both able to remount and rejoin the peloton.Boonen and Sagan crash mid-race in Tour of Qatar opener http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/boonen-and-sagan-crash-mid-race-in-tour-of-qatar-opener Benson Daniel Cyclingnews.com 10 February 2015 After Nikias Arndt (GIA 2015) won that sprint, Greg Van Avermaet made a short-lived attack before a more determined effort from Lars Boom and Lieuwe Westra (both AST 2015) and Matti Breschel (TTS 2015). Though they achieved a lead of nearly a minute, the attack was ultimately unsuccessful, due to crosswinds and a combination of OPQ 2015 yes, TFR 2015 yes and TNE 2015 riding at a high tempo.Jose Joaquin Rojas wins opener at 2015 Tour of Qatar http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/02/news/jose-joaquin-rojas-wins-opener-2015-tour-qatar_360361 Velonews.com 10 February 2015 10 February 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150210203757/http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/02/news/jose-joaquin-rojas-wins-opener-2015-tour-qatar_360361 dead In the final 10 km 0 on, the peloton split again. The main field was reduced to 51 riders, with Marcel Kittel (GIA 2015 yes), Wiggins, Edvald Boasson Hagen (MTN 2015), Luca Paolini (KAT 2015) and Filippo Pozzato (LAM 2015) among the notable riders to lose time.Tour of Qatar 2015 - Stage 1 http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Tour_of_Qatar_2015_Stage_1_Sealine_Beach ProCyclingStats 10 February 2015 10 February 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150210060148/http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Tour_of_Qatar_2015_Stage_1_Sealine_Beach dead In the final kilometre, José Joaquín Rojas (MOV 2015 yes) attached himself to the back of the OPQ 2015 yes leadout train. He opened his sprint with 300 m -2 on remaining, taking other riders by surprise, and was able to hold them off and take the victory.de Neef Matt Daily News Digest http://cyclingtips.com.au/2015/02/daily-news-digest-11/ Cyclingtips.com.au 10 February 2015 11 February 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150211005801/http://cyclingtips.com.au/2015/02/daily-news-digest-11/ dead This was Rojas' first victory since the 2014 Vuelta a Castilla y León.Wynn Nigel Jose Joaquin Rojas wins Tour of Qatar stage one as Wiggins loses time http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/racing/jose-joaquin-rojas-wins-tour-qatar-stage-one-156524 Cycling Weekly 10 February 2015 Boonen finished second in the sprint, with Arnaud Démare (FDJ 2015) third. Stage 1 result 1 José Joaquín Rojas SPA MOV 2015 3h 49' 50" 2 Tom Boonen BEL OPQ 2015 + 0" 3 Arnaud Démare FRA FDJ 2015 + 0" 4 Peter Sagan SVK TTS 2015 + 0" 5 Sam Bennett IRE TNE 2015 + 0" 6 Jasper Stuyven BEL TFR 2015 + 0" 7 Heinrich Haussler AUS IAM 2015 + 0" 8 Andrea Guardini ITA AST 2015 + 0" 9 Alexander Kristoff NOR KAT 2015 + 0" 10 Nacer Bouhanni FRA COF 2015 + 0"General classification after stage 1 1 José Joaquín Rojas SPA MOV 2015 3h 49' 40" 20px|Gold jersey20px|Silver jersey 2 Tom Boonen BEL OPQ 2015 + 4" 3 Arnaud Démare FRA FDJ 2015 + 6" 20px|White jersey 4 Niki Terpstra NED OPQ 2015 + 8" 5 Roberto Ferrari ITA LAM 2015 + 9" 6 Peter Sagan SVK TTS 2015 + 10" 7 Sam Bennett IRE TNE 2015 + 10" 8 Jasper Stuyven BEL TFR 2015 + 10" 9 Heinrich Haussler AUS IAM 2015 + 10" 10 Andrea Guardini ITA AST 2015 + 10" |} Stage 2 9 February 2015 — Al Wakrah to Al Khor Corniche, 194.5 km 0 on thumbnail|right|Stage 2 route The second stage took the riders 187.5 km 0 on from Al Wakrah, south of Doha, to Al Khor Corniche.Tour of Qatar 2015 - Stage 2 http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Tour_of_Qatar_2015_Stage_2_Al_Khor_Corniche-profiles ProCyclingStats 10 February 2015 Early in the stage, OPQ 2015 launched an attack, quickly splitting the pack in crosswinds to create a lead group of 30 riders.Benson Daniel Etixx-QuickStep launch desert warfare in Qatar but Kristoff wins battle http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/etixx-quickstep-launch-desert-warfare-in-qatar-but-kristoff-wins-battle Cyclingnews.com 10 February 2015 Riders left behind included the race leader, José Joaquín Rojas (MOV 2015), Bradley Wiggins (SKY 2015), Marcel Kittel (GIA 2015) and Lars Boom (AST 2015). The lead group, however, failed to establish a lead of more than half a minute and work from BMC 2015 and MTN 2015 brought the field back together after 60 km 0 on, when the wind changed to a tailwind.Benson Daniel Kristoff wins stage 2 at the Tour of Qatar http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-qatar-2015/stage-2/results Cyclingnews.com 10 February 2015Kristoff rides into Tour of Qatar lead with stage 2 win http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/02/news/road/kristoff-rides-tour-qatar-lead-stage-2-win_360390 VeloNews.com 10 February 2015 11 February 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150211022012/http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/02/news/road/kristoff-rides-tour-qatar-lead-stage-2-win_360390 dead thumb|left|Alexander Kristoff (pictured here in 2009) won stages 2, 4 and 5 At this point a five-man breakaway formed, including Michael Mørkøv (TTS 2015), Greg Van Avermaet (BMC 2015 yes), Johann van Zyl (MTN 2015 yes), Jelle Wallays (TSV 2015), and Mathew Hayman (OGE 2015), establishing a lead of nearly four minutes. At the next change of direction, OPQ 2015 yes again attacked in the crosswinds. The breakaway was caught after 124 km 0 on, with the peloton again splitting. Wiggins, Kittel and Fabian Cancellara (TFR 2015) had all been dropped. Soon afterwards, further attacks from OPQ 2015 yes removed Rojas and Arnaud Démare (FDJ 2015) from the leading group. Tom Boonen won the second intermediate sprint, earning three bonus seconds. With 5 km 0 on remaining, the leading group was reduced to 15 riders. In the final kilometre, Andrea Guardini and Niki Terpstra had formed a small gap, but Alexander Kristoff bridged up to the pair and launched his sprint with 500 m 0 on remaining. Kristoff was able to win the stage ahead of Guardini, with Van Avermaet in third. Due to the 10-second time bonus for winning the stage, Kristoff took over the overall lead of the race, one second ahead of Boonen, who moved into the lead of the points competition. Several riders who had been contenders for the overall victory, including Wiggins and Cancellara, finished over nine minutes behind Kristoff, eliminating them from contention for overall victory.Benson Daniel Cancellara: Tour of Qatar is a special race http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cancellara-tour-of-qatar-is-a-special-race Cyclingnews.com 10 February 2015 Stage 2 result 1 Alexander Kristoff NOR KAT 2015 3h 49' 51" 2 Andrea Guardini ITA AST 2015 + 0" 3 Greg Van Avermaet BEL BMC 2015 + 0" 4 Peter Sagan SVK TTS 2015 + 0" 5 Tom Boonen BEL OPQ 2015 + 0" 6 Heinrich Haussler AUS IAM 2015 + 0" 7 Adam Blythe GBR OGE 2015 + 0" 8 Marcus Burghardt GER BMC 2015 + 0" 9 Jasper Stuyven BEL TFR 2015 + 0" 10 Ian Stannard GBR SKY 2015 + 0" || General classification after stage 2 |- | 1 | Alexander Kristoff NOR 20px|Gold jersey | KAT 2015 | align="right"| 7h 39' 31" |- | 2 | Tom Boonen BEL 20px|Silver jersey | OPQ 2015 | align="right"| + 1" |- | 3 | Greg Van Avermaet BEL | BMC 2015 | align="right"| + 3" |- | 4 | Andrea Guardini ITA | AST 2015 | align="right"| + 4" |- | 5 | Niki Terpstra NED | OPQ 2015 | align="right"| + 8" |- | 6 | Marcus Burghardt GER | BMC 2015 | align="right"| + 9" |- | 7 | Peter Sagan SVK 20px|White jersey | TTS 2015 | align="right"| + 10" |- | 8 | Heinrich Haussler AUS | IAM 2015 | align="right"| + 10" |- | 9 | Jasper Stuyven BEL | TFR 2015 | align="right"| + 10" |- | 10 | Maciej Bodnar POL | TTS 2015 | align="right"| + 10" |} |} Stage 3 10 February 2015 — Lusail to Lusail, 10.9 km 0 on, individual time trial (ITT) thumbnail|right|Stage 3 route The third stage of the race was a 10.9 km 0 on individual time trial at Lusail. The course followed a route that went past the Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail Sports Arena and Losail International Circuit.Tour of Qatar 2015 - Stage 3 http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Tour_of_Qatar_2015_Stage_3_Lusail-profiles ProCyclingStats 10 February 2015 thumb|left|Luke Rowe (pictured here in 2013) moved into the lead of the young riders competition after stage 3 The riders were not allowed to use time trial bicycles as would normally be allowed in an individual time trial; conventional road bicycles were to be used instead.Gallery: On the start line at the Tour of Qatar http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/gallery-on-the-start-line-at-the-tour-of-qatar Cyclingnews.com 10 February 2015 Favourites for the stage victory included current world champion Bradley Wiggins (SKY 2015), four-time world champion Fabian Cancellara (TFR 2015), Matthias Brändle (IAM 2015) and Niki Terpstra (OPQ 2015). Wiggins was wearing the rainbow jersey of the world time-trial champion in a race for the first time and was riding a road bike with modifications for better aerodynamics.Niki Terpstra upstages Bradley Wiggins and Fabian Cancellara in Tour of Qatar third stage http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-11/terpstra-upstages-cancellera-wiggins-in-tour-of-qatar/6084898 ABC 10 February 2015 The first fast time was set by Lars Boom, who took 14' 33" to complete the course, before Matthias Brändle took over the lead with a time of 14' 22". Wiggins briefly took the lead with a time of 14' 13", but soon afterwards Cancellara went one second faster. Terpstra, however, rode eight seconds quicker to win the stage and take over the gold jersey of overall leader.Niki Terpstra takes ITT win and gold jersey in Tour of Qatar stage 3 http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/02/news/road/niki-terpstra-takes-itt-win-gold-jersey-tour-qatars-third-stage_360507 VeloNews 10 February 2015 11 February 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150211014927/http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/02/news/road/niki-terpstra-takes-itt-win-gold-jersey-tour-qatars-third-stage_360507 deadFarrand Stephen Terpstra nets double victory in Tour of Qatar time trial http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-qatar-2015/stage-3/results Cyclingnews.com 10 February 2015 The race leader after stage 2, Alexander Kristoff, finished 44 seconds behind Terpstra, 36 seconds off the overall lead. Other riders to lose significant time were Tom Boonen and Peter Sagan. Boonen retained his silver jersey, but Sagan lost his white jersey as leader of the young riders classification to Luke Rowe (SKY 2015 yes). Stage 3 result 1 Niki Terpstra NED OPQ 2015 14' 03" 2 Fabian Cancellara SWI TFR 2015 + 8" 3 Bradley Wiggins GBR SKY 2015 + 9" 4 Maciej Bodnar POL TTS 2015 + 9" 5 Ian Stannard GBR SKY 2015 + 10" 6 Matthias Brändle AUT IAM 2015 + 18" 7 Guillaume Van Keirsbulck BEL OPQ 2015 + 20" 8 Edvald Boasson Hagen NOR MTN 2015 + 21" 9 Greg Van Avermaet BEL BMC 2015 + 24" 10 Reto Hollenstein SWI IAM 2015 + 25"General classification after stage 31 Niki Terpstra NED OPQ 2015 7h 53' 42" 20px|Gold jersey 2 Maciej Bodnar POL TTS 2015 + 11" 3 Ian Stannard GBR SKY 2015 + 12" 4 Greg Van Avermaet BEL BMC 2015 + 19" 5 Luke Rowe GBR SKY 2015 + 33" 20px|White jersey 6 Alexander Kristoff NOR KAT 2015 + 36" 7 Tom Boonen BEL OPQ 2015 + 42" 20px|Silver jersey 8 Heinrich Haussler AUS IAM 2015 + 44" 9 Andriy Hrivko UKR AST 2015 + 46" 10 Peter Sagan SVK TTS 2015 + 48" Stage 4 11 February 2015 — Al Thakhira to Mesaieed, 165.5 km 0 on thumbnail|right|Stage 4 route The fourth stage of the race was a 165.5 km 0 on route from Al Thakhira to the city of Mesaieed.Tour of Qatar 2015 - Stage 4 http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Tour_of_Qatar_2015_Stage_4_Mesaieed-profiles ProCyclingStats 11 February 2015 With the wind generally coming from the south, the riders were riding into a headwind most of the day.http://www.letour.com/tour-of-qatar/2015/us/stage-4/news/flm/kristoff-doubles-in-mesaieed.html letour.com Amaury Sports Organisation 11 February 2015 Kristoff doubles in Mesaieed https://web.archive.org/web/20150211235853/http://www.letour.com/tour-of-qatar/2015/us/stage-4/news/flm/kristoff-doubles-in-mesaieed.html 2015-02-11 dead Due to the strong winds, the stage started 40 minutes before the scheduled time, as the race organisers were worried about the possibility of sandstorms and of slow racing leading to a late finish. Despite the headwind, three riders formed a breakaway. They were Jaco Venter (MTN 2015), Dmitriy Gruzdev (AST 2015), and Jarl Salomein (TSV 2015). The three riders built a lead that reached nearly four minutes.Kristoff grabs another Qatar stage win, Terpstra stays in front http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/02/news/road/kristoff-grabs-another-qatar-stage-win-terpstra-stays-front_360629 Velonews 11 February 2015 11 February 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150211194023/http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/02/news/road/kristoff-grabs-another-qatar-stage-win-terpstra-stays-front_360629 deadFarrand Stephen Kristoff strikes again in Mesaieed http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-qatar-2015/stage-4/results Cyclingnews.com 11 February 2015 OPQ 2015, riding for race leader Niki Terpstra, controlled the breakaway through most of the day. They were supported towards the end of the race by FDJ 2015. Unlike the earlier road stages, the lack of crosswinds meant that there were no echelons or significant splits in the peloton.Benson Daniel Kristoff enjoys best ever start to a season in Tour of Qatar http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kristoff-enjoys-best-ever-start-to-a-season-in-tour-of-qatar Cyclingnews.com 11 February 2015 The breakaway was caught with 19 km 0 on remaining. thumb|left|Peter Sagan (pictured here in 2013) was second in two stages and won the youth classification In the final kilometres of the stage, several teams tried to ride at the front, including MTN 2015 yes, MOV 2015, FDJ 2015 yes, TTS 2015 and OGE 2015. The strong pace caused several riders to crash, including Lars Boom (AST 2015), Theo Bos (MTN 2015 yes) and Bradley Wiggins (SKY 2015). All were unhurt and able to finish the stage. Despite the presence of Marcel Kittel, the team's principal sprinter, GIA 2015 were riding in support of Nikias Arndt. Kittel took a turn in his lead-out train; since he was in poor form following a period of illness, he had requested the team support Arndt instead.Brown Gregor Kittel without sprint kick http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/02/news/kittel-without-sprint-kick_360635 Velonews.com 11 February 2015 11 February 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150211233316/http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/02/news/kittel-without-sprint-kick_360635 dead In the final kilometre, the Katusha team moved to the front before Kristoff again started his sprint early; again, the other sprinters were unable to catch him and he crossed the finish line first. He was only slightly ahead of Peter Sagan (TTS 2015 yes), who was so close at the finish line that Kristoff was unsure whether he had won. Arndt was third after GIA 2015 yes had done excellent work in the last kilometre.Stephen Puddicombe Alexander Kristoff wins Tour of Qatar stage four http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/racing/alexander-kristoff-wins-stage-four-tour-of-qatar-157022 Cycling Weekly 11 February 2015 There was a small split in the peloton at the end of the race. Several riders lost five seconds, including Terpstra, Ian Stannard (SKY 2015), Luke Rowe (SKY 2015 yes), Greg Van Avermaet (BMC 2015) and Tom Boonen (OPQ 2015 yes). Kristoff moved up into fifth place in the overall standings thanks to this split and the time bonus for winning the stage. He also took over leadership of the silver jersey of the points classification. Terpstra retained his overall lead, while Rowe remained the leader of the young riders classification. Stage 4 result 1 Alexander Kristoff NOR KAT 2015 4h 15' 57" 2 Peter Sagan SVK TTS 2015 + 0" 3 Nikias Arndt GER GIA 2015 + 0" 4 Adam Blythe GBR OGE 2015 + 0" 5 Nicola Ruffoni ITA CSF 2015 + 0" 6 Heinrich Haussler AUS IAM 2015 + 0" 7 Borut Božič SLO AST 2015 + 0" 8 Andrea Guardini ITA AST 2015 + 0" 9 José Joaquín Rojas SPA MOV 2015 + 0" 10 Sacha Modolo ITA LAM 2015 + 0" || General classification after stage 4 |- | 1 | Niki Terpstra NED 20px|Gold jersey | OPQ 2015 | align="right"| 12h 09' 44" |- | 2 | Maciej Bodnar POL | TTS 2015 | align="right"| + 6" |- | 3 | Ian Stannard GBR | SKY 2015 | align="right"| + 12" |- | 4 | Greg Van Avermaet BEL | BMC 2015 | align="right"| + 19" |- | 5 | Alexander Kristoff NOR 20px|Silver jersey | KAT 2015 | align="right"| + 21" |- | 6 | Luke Rowe GBR 20px|White jersey | SKY 2015 | align="right"| + 33" |- | 7 | Peter Sagan SVK | TTS 2015 | align="right"| + 37" |- | 8 | Heinrich Haussler AUS | IAM 2015 | align="right"| + 39" |- | 9 | Andriy Hrivko UKR | AST 2015 | align="right"| + 41" |- | 10 | Tom Boonen BEL | OPQ 2015 | align="right"| + 42" |} |} Stage 5 12 February 2015 — Al Zubara Fort to Madinat ash Shamal, 153 km 0 on thumbnail|right|Stage 5 route Stage 5 was a 153 km 0 on route starting at Al Zubara Fort. The riders first travelled east towards Al Ghuwariyah, before returning to Al Zubarah. The route then took them north-east along the coast, before finishing with two laps of a circuit in Madinat ash Shamal.Tour of Qatar 2015 - Stage 5 http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Tour_of_Qatar_2015_Stage_5_Madinat_ash_Shamal-profiles ProCyclingStats 13 February 2015 OPQ 2015 once again attacked early in the stage, breaking the peloton into echelons in the opening kilometres. Maciej Bodnar (TTS 2015), in second place overnight, was among the riders who failed to make the lead group. The gap between the groups never extended much beyond half a minute and, after around 60 km 0 on of racing, Bodnar's group was able to rejoin the lead group and the racing, which had been frenetic until that point, calmed down.Farrand Stephen Kristoff takes his third sprint victory http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-qatar-2015/stage-5/results Cyclingnews.com 13 February 2015Kristoff takes win number three at Tour of Qatar http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/02/news/road/kristoff-takes-win-no-3-tour-qatar_360699 VeloNews 13 February 2015 13 February 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150213071231/http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/02/news/road/kristoff-takes-win-no-3-tour-qatar_360699 dead thumb|left|Al Zubara Fort, the starting location of the stage At that point a breakaway formed, made up of Ben Hermans (BMC 2015), Marco Haller (KAT 2015), Jelle Wallays (TSV 2015), Dmitriy Gruzdev (AST 2015) and Mathew Hayman (OGE 2015). The five riders at one point had a lead of over two and a half minutes.Niki Terpstra keeps lead in Qatar despite Tinkoff-Saxo pressure http://cyclingtips.com.au/2015/02/daily-news-digest-15/ Cyclingtips.com.au 13 February 2015 Matt de Neef 13 February 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150213192157/http://cyclingtips.com.au/2015/02/daily-news-digest-15/ dead Hayman won both intermediate sprints and at one point was virtual leader of the race, before the peloton behind took up the chase in earnest. The breakaway was caught with 13 km 0 on remaining. In the final six kilometres, KAT 2015 yes and BMC 2015 yes attacked and forced another split in the peloton. Tom Boonen was among two OPQ 2015 yes riders in the 10-man front group, but Niki Terpstra, the race leader, was not. Alexander Kristoff (KAT 2015 yes) and Maciej Bodnar were in the lead group, which built a lead of 15 seconds. Terpstra would have lost the race lead, but OPQ 2015 yes were able to bring the groups back together.Nick Bull Niki Terpstra keeps lead in Qatar despite Tinkoff-Saxo pressure http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/racing/niki-terpstra-keeps-lead-qatar-despite-tinkoff-saxo-pressure-157304 Cycling Weekly 13 February 2015 After the race, it was revealed that the three TTS 2015 yes riders in the leading group were not aware that Terpstra had been dropped and, with team radios banned, directeur sportif Bjarne Riis was not able to inform them.Benson Daniel kristoff realistic about chances of winning tour of qatar http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kristoff-realistic-about-chances-of-winning-tour-of-qatar Cyclingnews.com 13 February 2015 As they approached the finishing line, Kristoff again opened his sprint early and was able to hold off the rest of the field for his third stage victory of the race. Peter Sagan (TTS 2015 yes) finished second and Nikias Arndt, again sprinting for GIA 2015 in place of Marcel Kittel, finished third. Sagan therefore moved into first place in the young riders competition, overtaking Luke Rowe (SKY 2015). Thanks to the time bonus on the finish line, Kristoff was now in third place overall, just 11 seconds behind Terpstra. This meant that Kristoff could win the overall victory in the race if he was able to win the final stage and take time bonuses at the intermediate sprints.Benson Daniel Terpstra ready to fight for overall success at the Tour of Qatar http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/terpstra-ready-to-fight-for-overall-success-at-the-tour-of-qatar Cyclingnews.com 13 February 2015 Following the stage, the race organisers announced that Lars Boom (AST 2015 yes) had been disqualified from the race. His bike had developed a puncture about 20 km 0 on from the finish and he had attempted to regain contact with the peloton by chasing in the slipstream of his team car.News shorts: Merckx backs Contador's Giro-Tour double http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/news-shorts-merckx-backs-contadors-giro-tour-double Cyclingnews.com 14 February 2015 Stage 5 result 1 Alexander Kristoff NOR 20px KAT 2015 3h 03' 01" 2 Peter Sagan SVK TTS 2015 + 0" 3 Nikias Arndt GER GIA 2015 + 0" 4 Tom Boonen BEL OPQ 2015 + 0" 5 Adam Blythe GBR OGE 2015 + 0" 6 Heinrich Haussler AUS IAM 2015 + 0" 7 José Joaquín Rojas SPA MOV 2015 + 0" 8 Arnaud Démare FRA FDJ 2015 + 0" 9 Greg Van Avermaet BEL BMC 2015 + 0" 10 Nacer Bouhanni FRA COF 2015 + 0" || General classification after stage 5 |- | 1 | Niki Terpstra NED 20px|Gold jersey | OPQ 2015 | align="right"| 15h 12' 45" |- | 2 | Maciej Bodnar POL | TTS 2015 | align="right"| + 6" |- | 3 | Alexander Kristoff NOR 20px|Silver jersey | KAT 2015 | align="right"| + 11" |- | 4 | Ian Stannard GBR | SKY 2015 | align="right"| + 12" |- | 5 | Greg Van Avermaet BEL | BMC 2015 | align="right"| + 19" |- | 6 | Peter Sagan SVK 20px|White jersey | TTS 2015 | align="right"| + 31" |- | 7 | Luke Rowe GBR | SKY 2015 | align="right"| + 33" |- | 8 | Heinrich Haussler AUS | IAM 2015 | align="right"| + 39" |- | 9 | Andriy Hrivko UKR | AST 2015 | align="right"| + 41" |- | 10 | Tom Boonen BEL | OPQ 2015 | align="right"| + 42" |} |} Stage 6 13 February 2015 — Sealine Beach Resort to Doha Corniche, 124.5 km 0 on thumbnail|right|Stage 6 route The final stage of the 2015 Tour of Qatar started where stage 1 had finished, at the Sealine Beach Resort south of Mesaieed. It took the riders north to Doha. In Doha, the riders rode to the Doha Corniche, where they completed ten laps of a 5.7 km 1 on on finishing circuit.Tour of Qatar 2015 2015 Qatar Cycling Federation Qatar 87 http://velorooms.com/roadbooks/2015/qatar.pdf 5 April 2015 After the previous stage, Niki Terpstra (OPQ 2015) had indicated that his team would happily allow a breakaway to win the stage in order to deny Alexander Kristoff (KAT 2015) the possibility of taking overall victory with the aid of the bonus seconds for the stage win and intermediate sprints. A break was allowed to go away early, formed of Marcus Burghardt (BMC 2015), Preben Van Hecke (TSV 2015), Nicola Boem and Stefano Pirazzi (both CSF 2015). They were able to build a lead of over two minute, but KAT 2015 yes took up the chase to support Kristoff in seeking bonus seconds.Terpstra defends Tour of Qatar title http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/02/news/road/terpstra-defends-tour-qatar-title_360771 VeloNews 13 February 2015 18 March 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150318064307/http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/02/news/road/terpstra-defends-tour-qatar-title_360771 deadSam Bennett wins final stage of Tour of Qatar http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-qatar-2015/stage-6/results Cyclingnews.com 13 February 2015 thumb|left|Sam Bennett (pictured here in 2014) won stage 6 The two intermediate sprints were both located on the finish line of the finishing circuit, on the fourth and seventh lap. Burghardt, Van Hecke, and Boem were caught first, while Pirazzi was caught on lap 4. OPQ 2015 yes attempted to place riders in the sprint to prevent Kristoff winning the bonus seconds; they succeeded in winning the sprint with Tom Boonen, but Matteo Trentin was beaten by Kristoff to second place. Kristoff therefore won two bonus seconds, placing him nine seconds behind Terpstra. With a ten-second bonus available to the stage winner, Kristoff was now within reach of the overall win. OPQ 2015 yes then sent their rider Iljo Keisse into a breakaway alongside Gijs Van Hoecke (TSV 2015), with the intent of preventing Kristoff winning any more bonus seconds. Keisse won the intermediate sprint with Van Hoecke second; they then allowed the peloton – led by Katusha – to catch them. In the final kilometres of the stage, KAT 2015 yes, who had done most of the work throughout the day, were unable to maintain their position at the head of the peloton. After the stage, Kristoff admitted that his team was tired from their work during the week.Tour of Qatar. Alexander Kristoff is third in final classification http://www.katushateam.com/news/press/tour-of-qatar-alexander-kristoff-is-third-in-final-classification KAT 2015 13 February 2015 13 February 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150213205215/http://www.katushateam.com/news/press/tour-of-qatar-alexander-kristoff-is-third-in-final-classification dead Fabian Cancellara put in an attack in the final five kilometres, but was brought back by the peloton led in particular by IAM 2015 and AST 2015. In the final kilometre, TTS 2015 came to the front in support of Peter Sagan. Sam Bennett (TNE 2015) was given a strong lead-out by his teammates. He was then able to follow Andrea Guardini (AST 2015 yes), who launched his sprint with 200 m -1 on to go.Benson Daniel Bennett secures breakthrough win in Tour of Qatar http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/bennett-secures-breakthrough-win-in-tour-of-qatar Cyclingnews.com 13 February 2015 Bennett was then able to come past and take his first win of 2015, which he later described as the biggest of his career so far.Bull Nick Sam Bennett celebrates biggest career win to date in Qatar http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/racing/sam-bennett-celebrates-biggest-career-win-date-qatar-157469 Cycling Weekly 13 February 2015 Kristoff finished 19th; he therefore failed to gain the bonus seconds he needed for overall victory and finished nine seconds behind Terpstra. Terpstra therefore won the Tour of Qatar for the second successive season. Kristoff won the silver jersey of the points competition, thanks to his three stage wins, while Sagan won the young riders competition. OPQ 2015 yes won the teams competition. Stage 6 result 1 Sam Bennett IRE TNE 2015 2h 24' 03" 2 Andrea Guardini ITA AST 2015 + 0" 3 Nacer Bouhanni FRA COF 2015 + 0" 4 Peter Sagan SVK 20px TTS 2015 + 0" 5 Youcef Reguigui ALG MTN 2015 + 0" 6 Adam Blythe GBR OGE 2015 + 0" 7 Matteo Trentin ITA OPQ 2015 + 0" 8 Tom Boonen BEL OPQ 2015 + 0" 9 Jasper Stuyven BEL TFR 2015 + 0" 10 José Joaquín Rojas SPA MOV 2015 + 0" || Final general classification |- | 1 | Niki Terpstra NED 20px|Gold jersey | OPQ 2015 | align="right"| 17h 36' 48" |- | 2 | Maciej Bodnar POL | TTS 2015 | align="right"| + 6" |- | 3 | Alexander Kristoff NOR 20px|Silver jersey | KAT 2015 | align="right"| + 9" |- | 4 | Ian Stannard GBR | SKY 2015 | align="right"| + 12" |- | 5 | Greg Van Avermaet BEL | BMC 2015 | align="right"| + 19" |- | 6 | Peter Sagan SVK 20px|White jersey | TTS 2015 | align="right"| + 31" |- | 7 | Luke Rowe GBR | SKY 2015 | align="right"| + 33" |- | 8 | Heinrich Haussler AUS | IAM 2015 | align="right"| + 39" |- | 9 | Tom Boonen BEL | OPQ 2015 | align="right"| + 39" |- | 10 | Andriy Hrivko UKR | AST 2015 | align="right"| + 41" |} |} Classification leadership table In the 2015 Tour of Qatar, three different jerseys were awarded. The first of these was the general classification. It was calculated by adding together the times recorded in each stage of the race, then making adjustments to take account of bonus seconds won for stage victories and intermediate sprints in the road stages (the winner of the individual time trial did not receive bonus seconds). The winner of each stage received a ten-second bonus; the rider coming second received a six-second bonus; the third rider across the line received a four-second bonus. Similarly, the winner, second-placed and third-placed riders in intermediate sprints won three-, two- and one-second bonuses respectively. If two riders were tied on the same time, the precise time (to one-hundredths of a second) recorded in the time trial would have been used to separate the riders. The leader of the general classification wore a gold jersey and the winner of the competition is considered the overall winner of the race.Sporting stakes / rules - Tour of Qatar 2015 http://www.letour.fr/tour-of-qatar/2015/us/sporting-stakes-rules.html letour.fr Amaury Sport Organisation 14 February 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150206061821/http://www.letour.fr/tour-of-qatar/2015/us/sporting-stakes-rules.html 6 February 2015 The points classification was determined by adding together the points that each rider won on each stage. Points were awarded for coming in the top ten in the stage (the winner won 15 points; the tenth-placed rider won one point). Points were also awarded for coming in the top three in the intermediate sprints that took place on each road stage (three points for the winner, two for the second-placed rider and one for the third). The leader of the points classification was awarded a silver jersey. The third classification was the young rider classification. This was open to riders born on or after 1 January 1990. The first eligible rider in the general classification was considered the leader of the young rider classification and was awarded a pearl white jersey. Finally, there was a classification for teams. After each stage, the times of the first three riders on each team were added together. The team with the lowest cumulative time was the leader of the team classification. Stage WinnerGeneral classification25px|link=|alt=Points classification25px|link=|alt=Young rider classification25px|link=|alt=Teams classification 1 José Joaquín Rojas José Joaquín Rojas José Joaquín Rojas Arnaud Démare AST 2015 2Alexander Kristoff Alexander Kristoff Tom Boonen Peter Sagan OPQ 2015 3Niki TerpstraNiki Terpstra Luke Rowe 4Alexander Kristoff Alexander Kristoff 5 Alexander Kristoff Peter Sagan 6 Sam Bennett Final Niki Terpstra Alexander Kristoff Peter Sagan OPQ 2015 References 30em External links http://www.letour.fr/tour-of-qatar/ Tour of Qatar 2015 Tour of Qatar