Alexander Kristoff wins stage two of the Tour of Qatar
Crosswinds splinter the peloton as Alexander Kristoff and the classics men make their mark in the Tour of Qatar
Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) took the sprint win from a compact lead group on stage two of the 2015 Tour of Qatar. The Norwegian Milan-San Remo champion and double 2014 Tour de France stage winner also takes the overall lead.
Crosswinds once again served to split the peloton to pieces in conjunction with some aggressive riding, not least from the Etixx-QuickStep team of Tom Boonen and defending champion Niki Terpstra.
By the finale, an elite group of 15 riders remained out front with Andrea Guardini (Astana) placing second behind Kristoff and Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) in third. The outcome confirmed the race's status as a serious warm-up for the classics contenders.
British riders Adam Blythe (Orica-GreenEdge) and Ian Stannard (Sky) both finished in the top 10 - in seventh and 10th positions respectively.
Overnight leader Jose Joaquin Rojas (Movistar) was not part of the lead group, and so relinquished his position at the top of the table to Kristoff. Boonen sits in second place by just one second, with Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) in third at three seconds.
Luke Rowe (Sky) is the highest-placed British rider overall in 11th place, with Stannard in 12th and Blythe in 13th. All three are 10 seconds adrift of Kristoff.
Bradley Wiggins (Sky) missed the day's decisive split to finish 109th and 9-18 behind Kristoff, although he will have his eye on Tuesday's time trial stage.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
>>> Tour of Qatar 2015 route: Stage by stage
Results
Tour of Qatar 2015, stage two: Al Wakra to Al Khor Corniche, 194km
1. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha
2. Andrea Guardini (Ita) Astana
3. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing
4. Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo
5. Tom Boonen (Bel) Etixx-QuickStep
6. Heinrich Haussler (Aus) IAM Cycling
7. Adam Blythe (GBr) Orica-GreenEdge
8. Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing
9. Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek Factory Racing
10. Ian Stannard (GBr) Sky all same time
Other
13. Luke Rowe (GBr) Sky at same time
Overall classification after stage two
1. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha in 7-39-31
2. Tom Boonen (Bel) Etixx-QuickStep at 1 sec
3. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing at 3 secs
4. Andrea Guardini (Ita) Astana at 4 secs
5. Niki Terpstra (Ned) Etixx-QuickStep at 8 secs
6. Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing at 9 secs
7. Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo at 10 secs
8. Heinrich Haussler (Aus) IAM Cycling at same time
9. Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek Factory Racing at same time
10. Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Tinkoff-Saxo at same time
Other
11. Luke Rowe (GBr) Sky at 10 secs
12. Ian Stannard (GBr) Sky at 10 secs
13. Adam Blythe (GBr) Orica-GreenEdge at 10 secs
33. Andy Fenn (GBr) Sky at 1-41
42. Scott Thwaites (GBr) Bora-Argon 18 at 3-18
94. Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky at 10-01
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.
-
Rapha's loss, your gain: prices slashed sitewide amid profitability concerns
The British clothing brand unveils an almost unheard-of 25% discount across its entire product range
By Hannah Bussey Published
-
A phone app saved my life after a crash, you shouldn't ride anywhere remote without it
Having taken a life-threatening tumble while out riding on the UK's South Downs, John Powell is coming back from the brink
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
Check out Alexander Kristoff’s €5,000 sunglasses from Tour de France podium
Performance cycling kit can be expensive, but Alexander Kristoff’s Tour de France sunglasses might just raise the bar.
By Alex Ballinger Published
-
Alexander Kristoff: 'I'm 33 and have four kids but still managed to win'
The Norwegian says he'll enjoy his day in yellow after a surprise stage victory
By Jonny Long Published
-
Alexander Kristoff fights to huge sprint victory after nightmare stage one of Tour de France 2020
Alexander Kristoff fought hard to a huge sprint victory on stage one of the Tour de France 2020, after a nightmare day for the peloton.
By Alex Ballinger Published
-
Alexander Kristoff sprints to victory at Ghent-Wevelgem 2019
John Degenkolb takes second behind Kristoff in reduced sprint finish
By Richard Windsor Published
-
Alexander Kristoff snaps seatstay clean in half during Hatta Dam sprint
The Norwegian was forced to push his way to the line of the brutal climb
By Alex Ballinger Published
-
Astana's Alexey Lutsenko powers to solo victory on stage two of the Tour of Oman
Kazakh moves into second overall as Kristoff retains race lead
By Owen Rogers Published
-
Geraint Thomas wins the 2018 Tour de France as Alexander Kristoff takes final stage victory
Kristoff sprinted to victory on stage 21 ahead of John Degenkolb and Arnaud Démare as Geraint Thomas seals overall Tour de France victory
By Richard Windsor Published
-
Alexander Kristoff wins Abu Dhabi Tour stage one after Mark Cavendish crashes out
UAE Team Emirates' Alexander Kristoff won the opening stage of the Abu Dhabi Tour, out-sprinting Andrea Guardini and Caleb Ewan on a flat first day.
By Henry Robertshaw Published