(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Team Katusha rider Alexander Kristoff of Norway yesterday stunned experienced rivals with a well-timed sprint to take stage two of the Tour of Qatar where British cycling legend Bradley Wiggins dropped more time in the desert challenge.
The 27-year-old Norwegian won the bunch sprint off the Corniche stretch in Al Khor ahead of Italy's Andrea Guardini (Astana) and Belgium's Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing).
Slovakia's Peter Sagan finished in fourth spot followed by four-time Qatar champion Tom Bonnen of Belgium.
Sky Team's Wiggins, the Tour de France champion in 2012, was held up by strong crosswinds, eventually crossing the finish line 9 minutes and 18 seconds back to end all chance of overall victory.
Oslo-born Kristoff said it was a tiring stage that started in Al Wakra and concluded in Al Khor. The riders completed a distance of 194.5kms.
"It was a very long sprint," Kristoff said after picking up the golden jersey for the first time this week.
"I bridged up to Terpstra and Guardini who had a little gap, and with 500 meters to go I went full gas," Kristoff, winner of two Tour de France stages last year, said.
"I felt I had it under control but Guardini is a fast guy, I was only sure when I crossed the finish line. I am really happy today with this victory," he added.
The stage winner was not bothered about heavy winds in Doha.
"The windy conditions today suited me very well. In Norway I live at the coast. We even have more wind there," Kristoff said after confirming he had just a one-second lead over Boonen.
Overnight leader Spain's Jose Joaquin Rojas (Movistar) also failed to impress as he finished just over three minutes adrift.
Day two of the Tour of Qatar was the scene of one of the most spectacular stages in the history of the event.
A sandstorm hit the peloton in the first hour of what was to be an action-packed stage.
After a tremendous battle between the teams of the favourites, 15 men eventually made it clear to the finish in Al Khor where Kristoff conquered his first ever stage in Qatar.
While the riders had struggled against the wind on stage one, the conditions were a lot more favourable for the second and longest day of the event: a 194.5km ride from Al Wakra to Al Khor Corcniche.
The 141 riders at the start knew the wind would make the day a fast one, but little did they imagined that a sandstorm would hit the pack as soon as they left Al Wakra.
Straight from the start, making the best of the strong tailwind, the favourites' teams moved to the front and managed to break the pack apart. At the front of the wind and sand swept race, were the likes of Rojas, Boonen, as well as Sagan, Fabian Cancellara, Kristoff, Adam Blythe and Heinrich Haussler.
The front group's lead grew to 45 seconds over the first chasing bunch but things calmed down and the peloton bunched up again at the 50km mark.
After intense battle in the wind, the first intermediate sprint (at 108.5-km mark), was won by Greg Van Avermaet ahead of Mathew Hayman and Michael Morkov. Led by the riders of Etixx Quickstep, mainly Boonen, around 40 riders powered away. The only big names missing were Marcel Kittel (TGA) and Wiggins.
Meanwhile, the front five saw their lead drop down dramatically. They were finally caught by the Golden Jersey group at the 123-km mark.
Sixty riders eventually bunched up together again before another big split occurred.
The second bonus sprint (at 157.5-km mark) was clinched by Boonen ahead of Nikolas Maes (EQS) and Marcus Burghardt (BMC).
As the pace continued being impressive, several riders failed to keep up. Overnight White Pearl Jersey owner Arnaud Demare (FDJ) was the first to drop out followed by Rojas.
With 25 kilometres to go, only 15 riders remained at the front: Niki Terpstra, Boonen, Maes (EQS), Sagan, Maciej Bodnar (TCS), Jasper Stuyven (TFR), Burghardt, Van Avermaet (BMC), Kristoff (KAT), Andrea Guardini, Rusian Tleubayev (AST), Luke Rowe, Ian Stannard (SKY), Adam Michael Blythe (OGE) and Haussler (IAM). The front group remained together all the way to the Al Khor Corniche.
Despite a few attempts, victory was to be decided after a group sprint. Without the slightest team-mate, an exhausted Kristoff flew to victory claiming his first ever success in his sixth appearance at the Tour of Qatar. Sagan claimed the White Pearl Jersey for the best young rider.
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