# Tour of Qatar. Final Kilometers



## Keski (Sep 25, 2004)

Stage 1


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## qatarbhoy (Aug 17, 2009)

Cheers for posting that Keski. It's funny to see our local roads... very familiar scenes to local cyclists as they start their weekend rides from the Golf Club and head up the road past the petrol station which was shown in the start of this video.


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

(spolier)





















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Tommeke!!!!! Nice to see the old man reminding everyone that Qatar is his race.


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## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

Wait, tom boonen...an old man?...that's weeeeeird. That guy is like a perpetual child in my mind.

Edit: that's some beautiful scenery by the way, but I bet you don't get too many landscape painters coming down to Qatar. Which is a pity, because that would be some easy ass landscapes, like a Rothko. Maybe that's why I never understood Rothko? They were actually Qatar landscapes!!!!


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## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

Nice finish and a good winner. Must hurt Eddy to see Tommeke win as soon as he got off Eddy's bikes.
I like the comment "It would be nice to see Pozzato do something this year". LOL. 
Not holding my breath for that!


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## qatarbhoy (Aug 17, 2009)

I wonder if Tom was motivated by Eddy's recent comments about his loss of form and strength.



foto said:


> Wait, tom boonen...an old man?...that's weeeeeird. That guy is like a perpetual child in my mind.
> 
> Edit: that's some beautiful scenery by the way, but I bet you don't get too many landscape painters coming down to Qatar. Which is a pity, because that would be some easy ass landscapes, like a Rothko. Maybe that's why I never understood Rothko? They were actually Qatar landscapes!!!!


Tom is certainly a baby-face... but then he has only just reached his 30s so he's hardly old. :blush2:

Noone comes to Qatar for the scenery. Like Wagner, it has 'beautiful moments but terrible half-hours'. We do get great sunsets though!

FWIW, the Emir's third wife, Sheikha Moza, bought a Rothko for about $80 million, so you may be onto something.


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## Keski (Sep 25, 2004)

Stage 2


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## qatarbhoy (Aug 17, 2009)

Hah, I thought they'd use the actual race track (which is fantastic), not the support roads around it. That's where our local cycling club runs its own ITTs and TTTs - I've raced there myself.  Not that I troubled the top rankings mind you...


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## T0mi (Mar 2, 2011)

Why did they use standard road bikes ? To keep logistic cost down ?


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

qatarbhoy said:


> Like Wagner, it has 'beautiful moments but terrible half-hours'.


Ahem!


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## simonaway427 (Jul 12, 2010)

T0mi said:


> Why did they use standard road bikes ? To keep logistic cost down ?


Wondering this as well....


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## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

My guess is so they can keep control of their shyte in the gusty crosswinds.


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## johnny dollar (Jul 21, 2010)

According to the Garmin team site from 2010: _Qatar rules mandate that racers use their standard road bikes, rather than TTT bikes._

link

I guess things haven't changed.


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## qatarbhoy (Aug 17, 2009)

> _Why did they use standard road bikes ? To keep logistic cost down ? _


This is correct.


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## T0mi (Mar 2, 2011)

johnny dollar said:


> According to the Garmin team site from 2010: _Qatar rules mandate that racers use their standard road bikes, rather than TTT bikes._
> 
> link
> 
> I guess things haven't changed.


It looks like you are right :



> *Article 8. Team time trial*
> 
> The stage will take place according to Chapter V of the UCI regulations, “Team time trials”.
> 
> Only equipment that complies with the rules of a mass-start road race will be authorized.


Here is a link to the full regulation of Tour of Qatar :
Tour of Qatar 2012 - Special rules


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## Oasisbill (Jan 15, 2011)

kbwh said:


> Ahem!


 I also like the quote, "Wagner's music is much better than it sounds".


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## qatarbhoy (Aug 17, 2009)

Oasisbill said:


> I also like the quote, "Wagner's music is much better than it sounds".


I like Wagner, there's just so much of it.


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

I tend to play some personal "best of" bits, like the drunk Vienna Philarmonic (with Solti) doing the coda of Das Rheingold. 

How are your interviews coming along, qb?


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## Keski (Sep 25, 2004)

Stage 3


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## qatarbhoy (Aug 17, 2009)

kbwh said:


> I tend to play some personal "best of" bits, like the drunk Vienna Philarmonic (with Solti) doing the coda of Das Rheingold.
> 
> How are your interviews coming along, qb?


Didn't get to ask many questions, but got some interesting insights nonetheless. Also, tons of autographs, photographs, and water bottles. 

They don't usually see that many fans in Qatar so the riders enjoyed being cheered to the skies by our hyper-enthusiastic youngsters. I hope Team Sky include a photo or two on their website. Edit: indeed they did! Check out the first 3 pics in the Stage 3 photo gallery, and on Facebook.

Team Sky | Pro Cycling | Tour of Qatar | Latest News | Team Sky rule the school

Team Sky | Pro Cycling | Tour of Qatar | Gallery | Qatar stage three gallery

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150610567684873&set=a.10150610565119873.407686.194104484872&type=3&theater


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## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

qatarbhoy said:


> I wonder if Tom was motivated by Eddy's recent comments about his loss of form and strength.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Man, $80 million! What a rip-off. I would have painted her a landscape just as nice for half that (plus materials, of course).

Also, do you guys actually put some Wagner on your stereo for home listening? I can't imagine when I would be in the mood, except maybe when I am polishing my armor, or oiling up the old broadsword.


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## qatarbhoy (Aug 17, 2009)

foto said:


> Also, do you guys actually put some Wagner on your stereo for home listening? I can't imagine when I would be in the mood, except maybe when I am polishing my armor, or oiling up the old broadsword.


Last time I listened to Wagner was when I watched the entire Ring Cycle. It was hard to think of Siegfried and Brunnhilde as young lovers when they were played by middle aged opera singers with a certain girth.


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

The first time I listened throught the Ring (the Solti) I made my own images up, or recalled Arthur Rackham:










The only Ring I've seen is the Boulez one on DVD, where the main characters actually look the part.
On the other hand I think I've seen the worlds fattest Tannhäuser in the Oslo opera house. Next up is Tristan und Isolde this spring.

Great stuff at Sky, qb.


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## jlandry (Jan 12, 2007)

Thanks Keski.


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

thanks Kesi.This is awesome. As always!


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## Keski (Sep 25, 2004)

Stage 4


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## velominati (Nov 23, 2011)

Thanks Keski. Stellar job.


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## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

exciting stage finish.


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## ewarnerusa (Oct 11, 2007)

foto said:


> exciting stage finish.


That was the best Tour of Qatar stage finish I've ever seen. Gotta love it when Boonen and Sparticus throw down! Can't wait for the Classics!


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

Thanks again, Keski.

Average speed 48 km/h...


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## Keski (Sep 25, 2004)

Stage 5


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## albert owen (Jul 7, 2008)

I am really enjoying this. Excellent, fast racing. 
Boonen looking very strong - the best he's looked for quite a while.
Cavendish is a class apart - simply awesome.
Farrar - as always - a whiney, waste of space.


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

amazing, just amazing, thanks for sharing, Keski!


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## Chainstay (Mar 13, 2004)

*Crazy finish*

There were several spots where a crash looked imminent including Boonen getting closed off in the last kick to the line.

Cav was fun to watch, very cool headed. He almost always finds a gap to squirt through even without a lead-out.


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## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

I don't get race tactics. I looked like Cav got the jump on everyone, but they were only about 100m to the line. What were those Liquigas riders waiting for? Or if not Liquigas who ever they are, I can't tell my eyes aren't so good. But it looks like Cavendish gets to decide when its time to jump.


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

Cavendish has this kick, you know... And he is of course a marvel at positioning himself. Expect him to be up there without a train come July. Flecha and Eisel will do.


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## qatarbhoy (Aug 17, 2009)

I was at the finish line with my friends today. After the laps of the Corniche the breakaway was swallowed up and in the final sprint all you could make out was an FDJ rider flying over the line, arms aloft, several bike lengths ahead of the chasers.

Cavendish was nowhere to be seen and then everyone realised there'd been a crash. Cav rode past a few minutes later, helmet off, looking very scuffed up - his silver points jersey was a blackened mess, and from my photos he had cuts to his left elbow and knee, though nothing worse. Rod Ellingsworth stopped by with Mark's Pinarello shortly after and talked to us about it. Afterwards the teams were just packing up by their cars while the crowds took photos and mixed among them. I saw Mark Renshaw, Eric Zabel (working with Katusha now), van Summeren, and Team Sky. Bernie Eisel was giving lots of interviews. I'll post some pics once I've shrunk them.


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## locobaylor (Mar 11, 2008)

The crash:




<br /><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xoi8h5_tour-of-quatar-cavendish-fall_sport" target="_blank">Tour of Quatar : Cavendish fall</a> <i>by <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/EurosportTurkiye" target="_blank">EurosportTurkiye</a></i>


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## Keski (Sep 25, 2004)

Stage6


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## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

Nice video. Crashes are scary.


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## qatarbhoy (Aug 17, 2009)

Cross-posted from the Lounge - some pics of the last laps by one of our Doha riders. Watch the slideshow all the way and you will be rewarded with some excellent shots of Cavendish after his accident.

Tour Of Qatar - Boom Shanka Photos


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