In short
| Stage winner | Greg VAN AVERMAET |
 (maillot or) |
Rick FLENS |
 (maillot argent) |
Rick FLENS |
 (maillot bleu) |
Mikel GAZTANAGA |
All classifications
| Stage |
|---|
 |
|
• Individual time • Individual points • Best young • Best team |
|
| Overall |
|
|
• Individual time • Individual points • Best young • Best team |
Stage by stage
| 1 | Sunday 28 January | 6 km |
| Corniche de Doha | team TT | |
| 2 | Monday 29 January | 135.5 km |
| Al Wakra > Qatar Olympic Committee | ||
| 3 | Tuesday 30 January | 140 km |
| Dohat Salwa > Khalifa Stadium | ||
| 4 | Wednesday 31 January | 139.5 km |
| Camel Race Track > Doha Golf Club | ||
| 5 | Thursday 1 February | 160.5 km |
| Al Zubarah > Mesaieed | ||
| 6 | Friday 2 February | 134 km |
| Sealine Beach Resort > Doha Corniche | ||
| Total | 715.5 km | |
The race
Thursday 1 February 2007| stage 5 | Al Zubarah > Mesaieed - 160.5 km |
|---|
Winning break for Van Avermaet
For the first time of the last two editions of the Tour of Qatar, a stage was won by a breakaway rider.
Part of a ten men group that took off after 10 km, Greg Van Avermaet went on to claim the 5th stage of the event.
Also in the leading pack, Wilfried Cretskens becomes the new overall leader.
The film of the stage
Stage 5: Al Zubarah - Messaieed, 156.5 km
129 riders at the start, 17 teams
Weather conditions: slightly cloudy, some rain, windy
The 129 riders of the Tour of Qatar started the day’s 5th stage from the top northern tip of the country in All Zubarah before heading down south to Messaieed on the longest course of the week: 156,5 kms. Despite some timid attempts on behalf of two Chocolade Jacques riders (Coenen and Vanheule), the first real breakaway occurred at km 30 when Van Impe (QST), Sieberg (MRM), Baumann (TMO), Belohvosciks (SDV) and Mikhailov (AST) managed to take away from the pack but only had a maximum 25’’ lead. The five were eventually caught less than 10 kilometres later.
At km 40, ten riders took off: Cretskens (QST), Sieberg (MRM), Kirchen (TMO), Pouilhes (A2R), Van Avermaet (PRL), Krauss (GST), Da Dalto and Kuschynski (LIQ), Putsep (BTL) and Tjallingii (SKS). Their lead gradually grew from 40” at km 45 to 2’15 at km 49. After covering 48.400 km during the first hour, the leading ten made it to the first intermediate sprint (km 55) won by Van Avermaet ahead of Da Dalto and Tjallingii with a 3’50 lead over the pack. At km 60, golden jersey Tom Boonen witnessed his first real fright when he suffered a puncture. Dropped behind, the Belgian had to battle it out for about 20 kms in a second group before finally moving back within a front pack including Petacchi (MRM), Brown (RAB) and Eisel (TMO). Meanwhile the gap had dropped down to 45” for the leading men et km 81 but increased again once all the favourites were together again: 2’05 at the entry of the feeding zone (km 85.5) and then 3’15 at km 91.
The second bonus sprint (km 105) was claimed by Tjallingii ahead of Kuschynski and Krauss while the pack remained 5’35 adrift. The gap carried on increasing and the front men enjoyed a maximum 6’10 lead at km 117. With the main field failing to really react, the leading riders could start considering stage victory as the gap stayed over the 5’ mark with 25 kilometres to go. Indeed for the first time of the last two editions of the Tour of Qatar, a stage was to be claimed by a rider involved in a breakaway. In the final sprint to the line, Greg Van Avermaet clinched victory, beating Sieberg and Pouilhes. He therefore does as well as Lars Michaelason, winner on his own back in 2005.
In yesterday’s leading group alongside his team mate and leader Tom Boonen, Wilfried Cretskens went one step further today capturing the overall race leadership with only one day to go. The new golden jersey has a 2’19 lead over Tom Boonen who crossed the finish line with the first part of the pack, close to 3’ after the day’s winner.
LE MAGAZINE
Wilfried Cretskens: “A bit of a surprise’’
It’s a bit of a surprise to find myself with the golden jersey on my shoulders today. I certainly wasn’t expecting that. After what we had managed yesterday with Tom Boonen, the goal this morning before the start of the stage was to have a Quickstep rider in all breakaway attempts. So I was the one to be in the good group. I then really wanted to win the stage but I unfortunately missed out on victory for 20 metres. To be the leader of the Tour of Qatar with only one stage to go is incredible for me. I’m only a team mate for Tom Boonen and my job is to launch him for his sprints. It’s a fantastic reward, a great gift.