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Tour of Qatar 2012 Live Dashboard
Race Info, Preview, Live Video, Results, Photos and Highlights

The barren, flat landscape of Qatar features some surprisingly interesting racing due to the wind
Big Photos from 2011 — reuters
Big Photos from 2009 Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage 4 | Stage 5 | Stage 6 — sirotti

2012 Tour of Qatar Teams
Team Rosters and Withdrawals
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  Printable Startlist

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News and Updates for Tour of Qatar 2012

 February 10 update: Also today, stage 2 of Tour Méditerranéen from Southern France. Photos and highlights after each stage.

Stage 6 results: First year pro Arnaud Demare wins the final stage while veteren Tom Boonen wraps up the overall




Stage 6 results
1  Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ-BigMat                2:20:44   
2  Denis Galimzyanov (Rus) Katusha      
3  Mark Renshaw (Aus) Rabobank      
4  Roger Kluge (Ger) Project 1t4i      
5  Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha      
6  Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin-Barracuda      
7  Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale      
8  Allan Davis (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team      
9  Aaron Kemps (Aus) Champion System      
10 Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team  

Final general classification
1  Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma-QuickStep      15:42:14   
2  Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin-Barracuda            + 0:28   
3  Juan Antonio Flecha (Spa) Sky Procycling       + 0:33   
4  Gert Steegmans (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step   + 0:34   
5  Tom Veelers (Ned) Project 1t4i                 + 1:00   
6  Mark Cavendish (GBr) Sky Procycling            + 1:05   
7  Fabian Cancellara (Swi) RadioShack-Nissan      + 1:06   
8  Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Garmin-Barracuda    + 1:09   
9  Aidis Kruopis (Ltu) GreenEdge Cycling Team     + 1:10   
10 Adam Blythe (GBr) BMC Racing Team              + 1:14
Démare opens professional account in Doha — cyclingnews
Cavendish hurt in Qatar crash — cyclingnews
Kluge defends himself over Cavendish crash — cyclingweekly.co.uk
Stage 6 photos — cyclingnews
Unforgiving roads take their toll in Qatar — cyclingnews
February 9 update: Tom Boonen will take a healthy 31s lead into the traditional circuit finish on Doha Corniche to decide this year's Tour of Qatar. — Steve
7 Big Photos from the same stage last year — reuters

Stage 5 results: Cavendish gets win number 2 while Boonen maintains his lead

Stage 5 results
1  Mark Cavendish  (Sky Procycling)
2  Daniel Oss  (Liquigas - Cannondale)
3  Peter Sagan  (Liquigas - Cannondale)
4  John Degenkolb  (Project 1t4i)
5  Rüdiger Selig  (Katusha)
6  Allan Davis  (GreenEdge)    

General classification after stage 5
1  Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-Quick Step)
Cavendish roars to victory at Al Khor Corniche — cyclingnews
Cavendish wins again in Qatar — cyclingweekly.co.uk
February 9 update: Tom Boonen won the finish in Al Khor Corniche last year from a small break much like he won yesterday's finish at Madinat Al Shamal. The peloton is expected to have 8 mph crosswind for this stage. — Steve
 Big Photos from Al Khor Corniche finish in 2011 — reuters

Stage 4 results: Tom Boonen strengthens his overall lead with his second stage win this week


Stage 4 results
1   Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-Quick Step)      
2   Tom Veelers (Project 1t4i)      
3   Fabian Cancellara (RadioShack-Nissan)      
4   Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky)      
5   Gert Steegmans (Omega Pharma-Quick Step)  + 0:04   
6   Nikolas Maes (Omega Pharma-Quick Step)    + 0:11   
7   Yoann Offredo (FDJ-BigMat)                + 0:14   
8   Bernhard Eisel (Sky)      
9   Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Barracuda)      
10  Ian Stannard (Sky)                        + 0:36     

General classification after stage 4
1  Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-Quick Step)      
2  Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Barracuda)           + 0:31   
3  Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky)                 + 0:34
Boonen too good for Veelers and Cancellara in Qatar — cyclingnews
Juan Antonio Flecha places 4th and is up to third overall after Tom Boonen extended his overall lead — teamsky
Blythe rues missed opportunity — cyclingweekly.co.uk
Stage 4 photos — cyclingnews
February 8 update: Of all of the 2012 Tour of Qatar stages that can be affected by the wind, this is the one to keep an eye on. After all we finish in Madinat Al Shamal and a "shamal" is the name for a northwesterly wind blowing over Iraq and the Persian Gulf states which is often strong during the day. However, as we head north to the tip of Qatar, the wind isn't suppose to be major factor. — Steve

Stage 3 results: Mark Cavendish comes around Tom Boonen on the slight uphill finish



World Champion Mark Cavendish wins in Qatar — cyclingnews
Cavendish takes first win in rainbow jersey — cyclingweekly.co.uk
Stage 3 photos — cyclingnews
February 6 update: The riders will drive to the other (west) side of Qatar in the morning then cycle back to Doha. The peloton will have to contend with a forecasted 11 mph ENE wind. Tom Boonen will be hoping the crosswind is strong enough to create a split to improve his chances against the pure sprinters. There is apparently a sharp corner near the slight uphill finish at Al Gharafa Stadium. — Steve
 Big Photos from the recently completed Etoile de Bessèges (2.1 FRA) (all five stages)

Stage 2 results: Garmin-Barracuda wins the TTT; Boonen still in the lead

Stage 2 TTT results
1   Garmin - Barracuda          12:38   
2   Omega Pharma-Quick Step    + 0:07   
3   Sky Procycling             + 0:09   
4   Katusha Team      
5   Liquigas-Cannondale        + 0:13   
6   RadioShack-Nissan          + 0:14   
7   GreenEdge Cycling Team     + 0:16   
8   BMC Racing Team      
9   Rabobank Cycling Team      + 0:17   
10  Lotto-Belisol Team      
11  FDJ-Bigmat                 + 0:23   
12  Project 1t4i               + 0:24   
13  Farnese Vini-Selle Italia  + 0:31   
14  Champion System            + 1:03   
15  Bridgestone Anchor         + 1:11   
16  RTS Racing Team            + 1:34   

General classification after stage 2
1  Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep)     
2  Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Barracuda)
Stage TTT 2 results — cyclingnews
Garmin-Barracuda blitzes team time trial but Boonen clings to gold — velonation
Contador banned for two years after clenbuterol positive — cyclingweekly.co.uk
Stage 2 photos — cyclingnews

February 5 update: Stage 2 is a short (11.3 km) team time trial near the Doha MotoGP course with roundabouts and 90 degree corners according to Eurosport. As usual for this race, only road bikes will be used. Lusail, the host city for this stage, is the newest planned development in Qatar and its proposed a new eco-friendly football stadium will host the opening and final matches of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. — Steve
 Big Photos from the recently completed Etoile de Bessèges (2.1 FRA) (all five stages)

Stage 1 results: Tom Boonen wins the tailwind sprint finish


Boonen scorches to victory in Doha — cyclingnews
Tom Boonen cruises to sprint victory in opening Qatar stage — velonation
Full Official Stage 1 Results — letour
Stage 1 photos — cyclingnews
Injury hampers Renshaw's title defence — smh.au
February 5 update: Every stage of this race is flat that's why there aren't any stage profiles in case you were looking for them here. Stage 1 is an out and back (on different roads) from the suburbs of Doha finishing at the Doha Golf Club. The return leg is expected to have a 11 mph tailwind from the NE. — Steve
First crash of the Tour of Qatar (and more live photos from Erik Dekker) — now.rabosport.nl

2012 Tour of Qatar Race Preview

February 4 update:
Top sprinters to battle it out at Tour of Qatar — gulf-times
Cav poised for Qatar — skysports
Cavendish feverish on eve of Tour of Qatar — velonation
Renshaw must prove his worth — smh.au
Cyclist Renshaw prepares for life after Cavendish — afp
Greipel out of Tour of Qatar — cyclingnews
Big Photos from 2011 — reuters
January 25 update: The 2012 Tour of Qatar (Tour du Qatar, Ronde van Qatar), the 11th anniversary of the event, is Sunday February, 5th to Friday February, 10th. Information on the overall route, stage maps and timetables are now posted. No need for profiles with this race as the every stage is dead flat. The team time trial has been moved to stage 2 this year. Expected starters included Philippe GILBERT, Thor HUSHOVD and Taylor PHINNEY from BMC Racing, André GREIPEL (Lotto - Belisol), Tom BOONEN and Francesco CHICCHI from Omega Pharma - Quickstep, Mark RENSHAW (Rabobank) and Mark CAVENDISH (Sky). There will be live streaming video each day — Steve



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Cavendish to make Sky debut at Tour of Qatar — cyclingweekly.co.uk
Cavendish to start season in Qatar — afp
Eleven ProTeams listed amongst sixteen squads for Tour of Qatar — velonation
[Thomas] Dekker to open 2012 season at Tour of Qatar — cyclingnews
About Qatar — en.wikipedia.org

Live Streaming Video and TV Coverage

January 25 update: Listed below are some of the media outlets for the 2012 Tour of Qatar along with links to their tv guide and live coverage. Links get verified and updated prior to each stage. Let me know if you see new options. Please report (email) new links and incorrect or missing information. — Steve
VERSUS Tour of Qatar VERSUS Tour of Qatar

media source tv or internet comments/restrictions
eurosport    live video (english)
   live video (english)
   live video (english)
   live video (english)
   live video (dutch)
   live video (dutch)
   live audio (english)
  tv schedule (british)
  tv schedule (int'l/cet)
 Stage 3 Live video on Eurosport 2 starting at 13:00 CET
official live ticker English and French... not available
live text updates? English
 steephill txt updates
 #toq twitter group		 short text updates from any and everyone
check back at race time for more and updated links; email send a comment or a new live link

2012 Route Map


Route Map (Large Version)

2011 Tour of Qatar Archived Coverage

2010 Tour of Qatar Archived Coverage

2009 Tour of Qatar Archived Coverage