Tour of Qatar - Spoiler

[Keith Oates]

Team Sky off to a good start in this race, they are really showing that although the team is new, the rider and management have some experience. Hope they continue to show good from throughout the year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Skip Madness]

After that stage I'd say Boasson Hagen is the safest bet for GC, although I won't write Farrar or Haussler off.

 

[Stephen-D]

Awesome, i have recorded the races on my Sky+ so will watch them when i get a spare moment, looks like there doing good though, :0 cheers for the updates.

 

[dmoan]

A good start for Team Sky - I bet Bradley's first thoughts were to celebrate the win with a tray full of pints!

Don't discount Tom Boonen just yet - he looked pretty strong yesterday, taking long turns on front. At one point, only he and two others were going through and off - the rest of the Quickstep team looked to be barely holding onto the wheel!

With the perfectly flat terrain, the Belgian teams could have quite an advantage if the wind picks up and riding in echelons becomes necessary…

 

[Flying_Monkey]

The Tour of Qatar is the world's most boring bike race... that's about the most interesting thing I can find to say about it!

 

[BigSteev]

Bit of a set back for them today though.

 

[Keith Oates]

Kurt-Asle Arvesen out with a broken collarbone, not the best start for the new year and new team!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Keith Oates]

The Tour of Qatar is the world's most boring bike race... that's about the most interesting thing I can find to say about it!

It's not the most interesting FM, but at least it's better than reading about 'cross'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Keith Oates]

None of the ''favorites" in the first three today though!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1 Geert Steurs (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator
2 Wouter Mol (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team
3 Roger Kluge (Ger) Milram

 

[dmoan]

The Tour of Qatar is the world's most boring bike race... that's about the most interesting thing I can find to say about it!

Agreed, but it is good to see some cycling back on the telly again.

I don't know if you can get coverage in Canada, but a game we like to play is to count the number of spectators by the side of the road. Sometimes we even have to take our shoes off to keep count! Maybe scope for a particularly sad drinking game - see one spectator, sink a shot. See two, down a pint!

Roll on the cobbled Classics!

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Well, that was actually more interesting than most stages of Qatar - a real strongman's day with riders like Burghardt, Gilbert and Hammond up there at the top too.

 

[Keith Oates]

The stage may be flat and uninteresting but the wind made this one different and has really upset a few of the hopefuls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[rich p]

Tof Q has an interesting day!

Hold the front page..

 

[Willo]

I still fell asleep watching it on Sky+ last night - not totally the fault of the action on the TV but nevertheless I woke up to find the leaders 500m from the finish. From what I did watch, I only saw one spectator and that was a fella getting out of a lorry/van who happened to pause and take a gander at what was going on. For me, there has to be some spectator excitement (or presence at least) - like watching a football game without a crowd, it's rubbish

 

[rich p]

Boonen in a bog standard sprint. The bleak and bland countryside from the aerial shots doesn't help maintain interest.
Magnus Backstedt isn't too bad as back up commentator.