Tour of Qatar stage 5: Cavendish three in a row

Mark Cavendish moved a step closer to claiming overall victory at the Tour of Qatar when he reeled off his third win in as many days on stage 5 to Madinat Al Shamal. The Omega Pharma-QuickStep rider saw off the brisk challenge of Yauheni Hutarovich (Ag2r-La Mondiale) to take the bunch sprint and extend his overall lead to 15 seconds ahead of Brent Bookwalter (BMC).

After having to fend largely for himself in the final kilometre on the previous two days, Cavendish was able to count on an impeccable lead-out from his Omega Pharma-QuickStep team on this occasion. Dutch champion Niki Terpstra acted as the last man, and performed the unfamiliar role with considerable aplomb, moving aside 250 metres from home for Cavendish to apply the finish.

From there, the result was never in doubt. Hutarovich, who surprised Cavendish on the opening road stage of the 2010 Vuelta a España, looked to repeat the feat here, but the Manxman had enough in reserve to kick once more in sight of the line to ensure victory. Aidis Kruopis (Orica-GreenEdge) claimed 3rd ahead of Adam Blythe (BMC), while another Briton, Luke Rowe (Sky) finished 5th.

Afterwards, Cavendish was typically fulsome in his praise for his new teammates and he acknowledged their role in helping him overcome the most significant obstacle to his bid to take overall honours in Doha on Friday.

“I’ve always had commitment from the guys these last two days, but today they rode like a unit like I know QuickStep can, and I was so proud to be at the back of that,” Cavendish said afterwards.

“We knew from last year that if we could get through this stage, we would be in with a very good chance of winning the Tour of Qatar. The guys just stayed there at the front and controlled it, controlled it, controlled it. I had four of five guys surrounding me the whole day, just keeping me sheltered. They’re big guys, I never saw the wind and they just rode perfectly.”

Terpstra’s efforts on Cavendish’s behalf were a particular highlight of the finale on three laps of a 13km circuit around the seaside town of Madinat Al Shamal. First, Terpstra set up Cavendish to win the intermediate sprint with 26km to go, and he then latched onto a dangerous move from Taylor Phinney (BMC) and Bernhard Eisel (Sky) which ghosted off the front immediately afterwards.

When that trio was swept up with one lap to go, Terpstra duly took up arms once again as part of the Omega Pharma-QuickStep train, and launched Cavendish towards victory in the finishing straight. “He led me out for the first sprint, so I sprinted and then he carried on,” Cavendish said of Terpstra’s policing of the Eisel-Phinney move. “He’s strong like that and he’s up there on GC as well, so we have options.”

Fast start

Before the start at Al Zubara Fort, Team Sky gathered under a canopy for a tactical briefing from directeur sportif Servais Knaven, and once the flag dropped, the squad was on the offensive in a bid to break Omega Pharma-QuickStep’s stranglehold on the race.

Surprisingly, it was Norwegian champion Edvald Boasson Hagen who was the first attacker, bringing Marco Haller (Katusha) clear with him inside 15km. Puffed along by a slight breeze, the pair built up a buffer of 1:30 at one point, but once they turned back into a headwind, their effort petered out and they were reeled in after 45km.

Soon afterwards, a five-man move featuring Martin Elmiger (IAM Cycling) was allowed to sally clear, although the pace behind remained high, and the bunch duly fractured into three groups when the race returned to Al Zubara Fort and swung sharp right into a stretch of crosswinds. Although BMC looked to seize the initiative, Cavendish and his phalanx of Omega Pharma-QuickStep footmen were placed safely in the front echelon, and it was clear that the golden jersey would not be changing hands at the day’s end.

Undeterred, however, Phinney went on the offensive once again on the finishing circuit, after the break had been reeled in and the peloton had regrouped. Third across the line in the second intermediate sprint with 26km to go, Phinney never sat up and simply powered clear with Eisel and Terpstra for company. The American’s efforts brought their advantage to 30 seconds at one point, before Omega Pharma-QuickStep dutifully shut down the move.

“I found a good group going up the road with Eisel and Terpstra, but unfortunately Terpstra wasn't working, which makes sense since his team has the jersey and he's not going to work to put me in the jersey,” Phinney said. “Bernie and I had a go, but we needed a couple of more horse powers. Still, it's better to give it a go rather than just sit back and let Cav take it.”

Overall, Cavendish now holds a lead of 15 seconds over Brent Bookwalter (BMC), while Phinney lies a further 5 seconds back in 3rd. Barring disaster, Cavendish is on course to claim the second stage race victory of his career and he explained afterwards that he has been able to rely on some expert advice from the absent Tom Boonen, four times a winner of the race.

“I was texting with him last night and he said to just bring it home. I was like, ‘that’s easy for some to say,’” Cavendish smiled. “I was a bit nervous actually but he was giving me tips yesterday.”