Boonen stronger than the wind in Qatar

Today the long awaited wind smiled on the Omega Pharma â€" Quick-Step Cycling Team. In the inhospitable of peninsula blackamoor Boonen clinched a ordinal success after his conclusion in the prototypal stage, his 20th individualized bull’s eye in Qatar, at the modify of a gruelling vie in which the emblem of Omega Pharma â€" Quick-Step shined brilliantly.

The vie was circumscribed by a series of echelons that broke up the assemble and mitt whatever of the day’s favourites by the wayside. The men from Omega Pharma â€" Quick-Step remained consistently in the prototypal positions of the peloton to refrain eventual breakups of their group. At most 5 kilometres from the arrival, mass an speed by Cancellara, a assemble of 6 riders remained in the lead: Cancellara, Flecha, Veelers and three men from Omega Pharma â€" Quick-Step: Boonen, Maes and Steegmans. In the terminal digit kilometres, prototypal Maes and then Steegmans took the status in hand. At 400 metres Cancellara launched his running but it was null in the face of Tornado Tom’s sheer power.

“This is an essential step towards the generalized classification,” said Boonen. “The more arduous the vie conditions, the more the riders who are in crowning appearance are emerging. Today our aggroup had a perfect race. Once again Steegmans carried me perfectly. I hit enthusiastic establishment in Gert and again today we proved our worth.”

Boonen now leads the generalized arrangement with a 31’’ advantage over President Farrar and 34’’ on Juan Antonio Flecha.

“It won’t be easy to indorse the jersey in these incoming some life but I’m lucky to hit a enthusiastic aggroup with me,” continuing Boonen. “Personally, I see good and I’m looking nervy to the terminal stages with confidence, modify if in the inhospitable insipid tyres and echelons are conception of the course.”

“Today the aggroup did a enthusiastic job and Boonen capitalised on everyone’s efforts” Sports Director Wilfried Peeters said. “Too intense that Vandenbergh and Van Keirsbulck got flats. The incoming digit stages are going to be a battle. With a little luck we’ll essay to indorse our leadership.”

Tomorrow the riders module counterbalance 160 kilometres, from Camel vie Track to Al Khor Corniche.

Stage Classification â€" Al Takhira-Madinat al Shamal 144 km 1. blackamoor Boonen (Omega Pharma â€" Quick-Step Cycling Team) 2. blackamoor Veelers (Team Project 1t4i) 3. Fabian Cancellara (Team Radioshack) 4. Juan Antonio Flecha (Team Sky) 5. Gert Steegmans (Omega Pharma â€" Quick-Step Cycling Team) 6. Nikolas Maes (Omega Pharma â€" Quick-Step Cycling Team)

General Classification after 4 stages 1. blackamoor Boonen 9h50’51’’ 2. President Farrar at 31’’ 3. J.A. Flecha at 34’’ 4. Gert Steegmans at 36’’ 5. Bernard Eisel at 45’’

Shaver Price