Dominant start for Sky in Qatar team time trial

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Edvald Boasson Hagen is the first leader at the Tour of Qatar after Team Sky blasted to victory in the windswept opening team time trial on Sunday. With Bradley Wiggins doing massive turns on the front and the riders sticking to a carefully planned race strategy, Team Sky set a time of nine minutes and 41 seconds for the circular 8.2km course.

Team Sky started and finished with a strong tailwind but had to handle ever-changing conditions as they completed the lap around the West Bay Lagoon. On the final tailwind section, the squad flew to the finish at over 70km/h and set an average speed of 50.809km/h.

The Cervelo TestTeam set the second fastest time, but they were later penalized one minute because Heinrich Haussler pushed teammate Gabriel Rasch after doing a turn on the front. Haussler claimed it was for safety reasons, after a gust of wind blew Rasch towards him, but the judges refused to listen to their appeal, and the entire team was penalized one minute.

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Garmin moved up to second overall but was eight seconds slower than Team Sky. Team Saxo Bank finished third; 13 seconds slower, despite losing the time trial World Champion Fabian Cancellara partway round the course.

HTC-Columbia was fourth at 18 seconds, and Tom Boonen's Quick Step team was fifth at 20 seconds. The small French team Saur-Sojasun put in a surprisingly strong ride, finishing sixth at 21 seconds.

Boasson Hagen in gold

Edvald Boasson Hagen was the first rider to cross the line for Team Sky and so pulled on the leader's gold jersey.

"It's nice for the whole team. We worked so well together. We practiced a lot in training in the last few days, and we got it exactly right," Boasson Hagen said.

"It's going to be hard in the rest of the race with the wind, but I hope to stay in the front group and get some results. I've got the jersey now, and hopefully I can keep it but we'll take each day as it comes. There are so many good sprinters here but we'll see what happens. It's important to have a lead on some of them."

Team Sky riders waited together just after the finish and listened nervously as the other teams failed to beat their time. When last team Quick Step crossed the line, 20 seconds slower, team principal Dave Brailsford shouted out the news and the riders and staff celebrated with hugs and high fives.

After winning the opening criterium and final stage at the Tour Down Under, the team had struck again, showing they know how to win as a team.

Perfect ride in difficult conditions

Senior directeur sportif Scott Sunderland was all smiles after Team Sky put out a perfect ride in technically very difficult conditions.

"We had two guys, Russ Downing and Lars Petter Nordhaug, who had never done a team time trial and the other guys had never done it together, so it was quite new for us. But we did it and it's very special," he said to Cyclingnews.

"The guys prepared very well in training both yesterday and this morning when the conditions changed. Just getting the team to gel is the magic here. The strong guys did what they had to do and the weaker guys supported them fantastically, doing everything they had to do."

Team Sky filled the first six places in the overall standings after the team time trial. Tyler Farrar is seventh at eight seconds and has the best chance of taking the race lead if he can collect time bonuses during stage two and in the sprint at the end of the stage. Stuart O'Grady and JJ. Haedo (Saxo Bank) are at 13 seconds, while Tom Boonen (Quick Step) needs to pull back 20 seconds on Boasson Hagen if he is to win the Tour of Qatar again this year.

Time bonuses of three, two and one second(s) are available at intermediate sprints and 10, six and four seconds are awarded at stage finishes.

The fight for those bonus seconds will begin on Monday's second stage over 147km from the Camel Race Track to the Qatar Foundation near Doha.