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The 131.5 kilometres long fourth stage started at the Khalifa Stadium and finished at Al Khor Corniche. Under a blue sky a
pack of 130 riders took off north, the riders started fast, taking advantage of a tail wind on most of the stage.
After 18 kilometres four riders attacked: Niki Terpstra (Milram), Roy Curvers (Skil-Shimano), Alexander Gottfried
(Tinkoff) and Rubens Bertogliati (Saunier Duval - Scott). A few moments later, a counter-attacking group including Nico Eeckhout
(Topsport Vlaanderen), Agnus Morton (Drapac Porsche), Omar Hasanin (Doha Team) and Hossein Jahanbanian (Iranian Cycling Federation)
started moving closer. After 32 kilometers, the chasing group was 1' 20" behind while the bunch was 1' 35" adrift. The
counter-attackers caught the escapees after 44 kilometres, the bunch was 1'15" adrift.
The average speed in the first
hour of theb race was 52,1 km/h, the eight leaders reached the fist intermediate sprint at Al Jemailya (km 52). Hasanin outsprinted
Curvers and Terpstra for bonus seconds and points. After 65 kilometres the race leaders reached their maximum lead:
1'30". A little bit later and like on the previous days, the Quick Step team decided to ease up the pace. Behind the breakaway
group that only had left 15"on the bunch after 73 kilometres, the pack broke up into three groups.
After 74 kilometres the eight escapees were caught back by the first bunch. Of all the stage victory contenders, only Danilo
Napolitano (Lampre), runner-up to Boonen on the two previous days was not part of the leading group of around 40
riders. The advantage of the Boonen group rapidly grew, from 35" after 87 kilometres to 1' 05" after 105 kilometres and
finally 1' 40" with 20 kilometres to go.
At the second bonus sprint at Umm Suwaiya (km 122), Greg Van Avermaet
(Silence - Lotto) outsprinted Jurgen Roelandts (Silence - Lotto) and Steven De Jongh (Quickstep).
Getting closer
to the finish at Al Khor Corniche, the Quick Step train started working for Boonen. But Italian Alberto Loddo finally surprised
everyone, beating Boonen and Sebastian Siedler (Skil - Shimano) on the line. After winning a stage back in 2002 and even
claiming the overall in 2003, 29 year old Loddo proved that it was possible to beat 'Tornado Tom' in Qatar. Boonen defended his
overall leadership with an 18" advantage over De Jongh. Boonen also keeps command of the points classification while Van Avermaet,
third overall, remains the best young rider.
Stage winner Alberto Loddo said: "It was a fantastic stage. It’s a huge satisfaction for me and the whole team. It’s
the first race of the year. I really have to thank my team mate Trussov who did a fantastic job helping me to get into the
wheels of the Quick Step riders in the last kilometre and a half. It’s great to win five years after triumphing here
in Qatar. Racing in Qatar is rather special because it’s so windy. The speed is amazing during the whole stage and we
ride at speeds of around 50km/h. It’s my second stage win here after 2002. The year starts well."
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Special Coverage Tour of Qatar 2008
Results Tour of Qatar 2008
stage 4
1 Alberto Loddo (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems
2.44.33
2 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step
3 Sebastian Siedler (Ger) Skil-Shimano
4 Angelo Furlan (Ita) Credit Agricole
5 Paolo Bossoni (Ita) Lampre
6 Christopher Sutton (Aus) Slipstream p/b Chipotle
7 Kenny De Haes (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
8 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Silence - Lotto
9 Nico Eeckhout (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
10 Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
11 Luciano André Pagliarini Mendonca (Bra) Saunier Duval - Scott
12 Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas
13 Roberto Longo (Ita) Lampre
14 Robert Wagner (Ger) Skil-Shimano
15 Roberto Petito (Ita) Liquigas
16 Steven De Jongh (Ned) Quick Step
17 Omar Hasanin (Syr) Doha Team
18 Anthony Geslin (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
19 Nicolaï Trussov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems
20 Marco Velo (Ita) Team Milram
21 Cycril Lemoine (Fra) Credit Agricole
22 Matej Mugerli (Slo) Liquigas
23 Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
24 Franck Renier (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
25 Daniele Righi (Ita) Lampre
26 Angel Gomez (Spa) Saunier Duval - Scott
27 Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas
28 Martyn Maaskant (Ned) Slipstream p/b Chipotle
29 Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) Credit Agricole
30 Gabriel Rasch (Nor) Credit Agricole
31 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Team Milram
32 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Silence - Lotto
33 Angus Morton (Aus) Drapac Porshe
34 Curvers Roy (Ned) Skil-Shimano
35 Frederik Willems (Bel) Liquigas
36 Hossein Jahanbanian (IRI) Iran Cycling Federation
37 Alexander Gottfried (Ger) Tinkoff Credit Systems
38 Wouter Weylandt (Bel) Quick Step
39 Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Quick Step
40 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Silence - Lotto
41 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Silence - Lotto
42 Leif Hoste (Bel) Silence - Lotto
0.09
43 Gorik Gardeyn (Bel) Silence - Lotto
0.11
44 Julian Dean (NZl) Slipstream p/b Chipotle
0.16
45 Magnus Backstedt (Swe) Slipstream p/b Chipotle
46 Huub Duyn (Ned) Slipstream p/b Chipotle
47 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Quick Step
0.21
48 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step
49 Kilian Patour (Fra) Slipstream p/b Chipotle
0.39
50 Aleksandr Kuschynski (Blr) Liquigas
51 Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Quick Step
0.49
52 David Millar (GBr) Slipstream p/b Chipotle
1.00
53 Jurgen Van De Walle (Bel) Quick Step
1.53
54 Antonio Cruz (USA) BMC Racing Team
3.16
55 Abbas Saeiditanha (IRI) Iran Cycling Federation
56 Tom Veelers (Ned) Skil-Shimano
57 Mehdi Sohrabi (IRI) Iran Cycling Federation
58 Martin Kohler (Swi) BMC Racing Team
59 Rafaa Chitioui (Tun) Doha Team
60 Peter Mc Donald (Aus) Drapac Porshe
61 Ralf Grabsch (Ger) Team Milram
62 Dean Windsor (Aus) Drapac Porshe
63 Koen Barbé (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
64 Rubens Bertogliati (Swi) Saunier Duval - Scott
65 Abdelbasat Hanachi (Alg) Doha Team
6.20
66 Aymen Ben Hassine (Tun) Doha Team
67 Hossein Askari (IRI) Iran Cycling Federation
6.26
68 Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Skil-Shimano
69 Raul Alarcon Garcia (Spa) Saunier Duval - Scott
8.37
70 Amir Zargari (IRI) Iran Cycling Federation
71 Raivis Belohvosciks (Lat) Saunier Duval - Scott
72 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram
73 Evert Verbist (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
74 Robbie Williams (Aus) Drapac Porshe
75 Alberto Curtolo (Ita) Liquigas
76 Kurt Hovelynck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
77 Jackson Stewart (USA) BMC Racing Team
78 Serguei Klimov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems
79 Volodymyr Dyudya (Ukr) Team Milram
80 Matej Jurco (Svk) Team Milram
81 Alexander Serov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems
82 Alexander Khatuntsev (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems
83 Nikita Eskov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems
84 Tareq Esmaeili (Qat) Doha Team
85 Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Lampre
86 Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre
87 Christophe Laurent (Fra) Slipstream p/b Chipotle
88 Hamad Afif (Qat) Doha Team
89 Seyed Mostafa Seyed Rezaei Khormizi (IRI) Iran Cycling Federation
90 Eros Capecchi (Ita) Saunier Duval - Scott
91 Khaleel Abduljanan (Qat) Doha Team
92 Taylor Tolleson (USA) BMC Racing Team
93 Stuart Shaw (Aus) Drapac Porshe
94 Maarten Den Bakker (Ned) Skil-Shimano
95 Moosa Said (Qat) Doha Team
96 Roy Sentjens (Ned) Silence - Lotto
97 Alberto Ongarato (Ita) Team Milram
98 Hossein Nateghi (IRI) Iran Cycling Federation
99 Ermanno Capelli (Ita) Saunier Duval - Scott
100 Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Lampre
101 Marco Bandiera (Ita) Lampre
102 Ghader Mizbani Iranagh (IRI) Iran Cycling Federation
103 Bernardo Riccio (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems
104 Floris Goesinnen (Ned) Skil-Shimano
105 Mathieu Heijboer (Ned) Cofidis Credit Par Telephone
106 Damien Gaudin (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
107 Jean-Paul Simon (Bel) Credit Agricole
108 Gene Bates (Aus) Drapac Porshe
109 Sébastien Minard (Fra) Cofidis Credit Par Telephone
110 Aurélien Passeron (Fra) Saunier Duval - Scott
111 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Drapac Porshe
112 Piet Rooijakkers (Ned) Skil-Shimano
113 Arnaud Labbe (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
114 Rik Verbrugghe (Bel) Cofidis Credit Par Telephone
115 Tristan Valentin (Fra) Cofidis Credit Par Telephone
116 Nick Nuyens (Bel) Cofidis Credit Par Telephone
117 Frank Hoj (Den) Cofidis Credit Par Telephone
118 Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team
119 Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) Credit Agricole
120 Yohann Gène (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
121 Kevin De Weert (Bel) Cofidis Credit Par Telephone
122 William Bonnet (Fra) Credit Agricole
123 Bert Roesems (Bel) Silence - Lotto
124 Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel) Cofidis Credit Par Telephone
125 Bart Vanheule (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
126 Pieter Ghyllebert (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
127 Saïd Haddou (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
128 Eric Berthou (Fra) Credit Agricole
129 Guido Trenti (USA) Liquigas
General Classification after stage 4
1 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step
8.48.57
2 Steven De Jongh (Ned) Quick Step
0.18
3 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Silence - Lotto
0.26
4 Christopher Sutton (Aus) Slipstream p/b Chipotle
0.32
5 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Silence - Lotto
0.36
6 Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
0.56
7 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Silence - Lotto
1.00
8 Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Quick Step
1.09
9 Alberto Loddo (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems
1.20
10 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step
1.26
11 Sebastian Siedler (Ger) Skil-Shimano
1.27
12 Robert Wagner (Ger) Skil-Shimano
1.30
13 Magnus Backstedt (Swe) Slipstream p/b Chipotle
1.36
14 Angelo Furlan (Ita) Credit Agricole
1.37
15 Gorik Gardeyn (Bel) Silence - Lotto
16 Wouter Weylandt (Bel) Quick Step
1.40
17 Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) Credit Agricole
18 Paolo Bossoni (Ita) Lampre
1.43
19 Franck Renier (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
1.44
20 Luciano André Pagliarini Mendonca (Bra) Saunier Duval - Scott
1.46
21 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Quick Step
2.08
22 Frederik Willems (Bel) Liquigas
2.28
23 Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Quick Step
3.00
24 Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas
4.24
25 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Team Milram
4.30
26 Marco Velo (Ita) Team Milram
4.31
27 Angel Gomez (Spa) Saunier Duval - Scott
4.36
28 Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas
4.40
29 Roberto Petito (Ita) Liquigas
30 Tom Veelers (Ned) Skil-Shimano
4.47
31 Leif Hoste (Bel) Silence - Lotto
4.50
32 Antonio Cruz (USA) BMC Racing Team
5.00
33 Gabriel Rasch (Nor) Credit Agricole
5.09
34 Curvers Roy (Ned) Skil-Shimano
5.34
35 Martin Kohler (Swi) BMC Racing Team
7.47
36 Omar Hasanin (Syr) Doha Team
8.04
37 Jurgen Van De Walle (Bel) Quick Step
8.16
38 Martyn Maaskant (Ned) Slipstream p/b Chipotle
9.00
39 Kenny De Haes (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
9.07
40 Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Lampre
9.08
41 Nicolaï Trussov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems
9.09
42 Anthony Geslin (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
9.11
43 Roberto Longo (Ita) Lampre
9.26
44 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Silence - Lotto
9.27
45 Matej Mugerli (Slo) Liquigas
10.12
46 Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) Credit Agricole
10.17
47 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram
10.21
48 Floris Goesinnen (Ned) Skil-Shimano
10.29
49 Julian Dean (NZl) Slipstream p/b Chipotle
10.37
50 Daniele Righi (Ita) Lampre
10.38
51 Cycril Lemoine (Fra) Credit Agricole
12.06
52 Aleksandr Kuschynski (Blr) Liquigas
12.29
53 Roy Sentjens (Ned) Silence - Lotto
13.02
54 William Bonnet (Fra) Credit Agricole
13.04
55 Stuart Shaw (Aus) Drapac Porshe
13.07
56 Volodymyr Dyudya (Ukr) Team Milram
13.18
57 David Millar (GBr) Slipstream p/b Chipotle
58 Yohann Gène (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
13.24
59 Mathieu Heijboer (Ned) Cofidis Credit Par Telephone
13.28
60 Aurélien Passeron (Fra) Saunier Duval - Scott
13.29
61 Nico Eeckhout (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
13.40
62 Kurt Hovelynck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
15.34
63 Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Skil-Shimano
15.45
64 Dean Windsor (Aus) Drapac Porshe
16.27
65 Koen Barbé (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
16.54
66 Huub Duyn (Ned) Slipstream p/b Chipotle
17.05
67 Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team
17.48
68 Frank Hoj (Den) Cofidis Credit Par Telephone
17.52
69 Tristan Valentin (Fra) Cofidis Credit Par Telephone
70 Robbie Williams (Aus) Drapac Porshe
18.03
71 Alberto Ongarato (Ita) Team Milram
18.04
72 Maarten Den Bakker (Ned) Skil-Shimano
18.20
73 Marco Bandiera (Ita) Lampre
18.27
74 Bernardo Riccio (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems
18.43
75 Alberto Curtolo (Ita) Liquigas
18.52
76 Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
19.14
77 Rafaa Chitioui (Tun) Doha Team
20.29
78 Eric Berthou (Fra) Credit Agricole
20.53
79 Evert Verbist (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
20.56
80 Pieter Ghyllebert (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
81 Arnaud Labbe (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
20.57
82 Piet Rooijakkers (Ned) Skil-Shimano
21.27
83 Alexander Gottfried (Ger) Tinkoff Credit Systems
21.28
84 Angus Morton (Aus) Drapac Porshe
21.29
85 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Drapac Porshe
22.17
86 Aymen Ben Hassine (Tun) Doha Team
22.20
87 Nikita Eskov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems
22.36
88 Hossein Askari (IRI) Iran Cycling Federation
22.50
89 Ghader Mizbani Iranagh (IRI) Iran Cycling Federation
23.39
90 Raivis Belohvosciks (Lat) Saunier Duval - Scott
24.40
91 Peter Mc Donald (Aus) Drapac Porshe
24.45
92 Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Lampre
24.58
93 Mehdi Sohrabi (IRI) Iran Cycling Federation
25.03
94 Eros Capecchi (Ita) Saunier Duval - Scott
25.06
95 Bert Roesems (Bel) Silence - Lotto
25.31
96 Bart Vanheule (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
25.36
97 Taylor Tolleson (USA) BMC Racing Team
25.37
98 Matej Jurco (Svk) Team Milram
25.40
99 Kevin De Weert (Bel) Cofidis Credit Par Telephone
25.41
100 Nick Nuyens (Bel) Cofidis Credit Par Telephone
101 Rik Verbrugghe (Bel) Cofidis Credit Par Telephone
102 Raul Alarcon Garcia (Spa) Saunier Duval - Scott
25.42
103 Serguei Klimov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems
25.49
104 Alexander Serov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems
25.55
105 Guido Trenti (USA) Liquigas
26.22
106 Gene Bates (Aus) Drapac Porshe
26.28
107 Christophe Laurent (Fra) Slipstream p/b Chipotle
26.33
108 Ralf Grabsch (Ger) Team Milram
27.15
109 Rubens Bertogliati (Swi) Saunier Duval - Scott
27.20
110 Abbas Saeiditanha (IRI) Iran Cycling Federation
27.32
111 Saïd Haddou (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
27.56
112 Abdelbasat Hanachi (Alg) Doha Team
28.03
113 Hossein Nateghi (IRI) Iran Cycling Federation
28.09
114 Ermanno Capelli (Ita) Saunier Duval - Scott
28.43
115 Hossein Jahanbanian (IRI) Iran Cycling Federation
28.46
116 Alexander Khatuntsev (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems
30.05
117 Jackson Stewart (USA) BMC Racing Team
30.07
118 Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel) Cofidis Credit Par Telephone
30.11
119 Kilian Patour (Fra) Slipstream p/b Chipotle
30.20
120 Seyed Mostafa Seyed Rezaei Khormizi (IRI) Iran Cycling Federation 30.24
121 Matteo Bono
(Ita) Lampre
30.34
122 Jean-Paul Simon (Bel) Credit Agricole
31.26
123 Sébastien Minard (Fra) Cofidis Credit Par Telephone
31.55
124 Damien Gaudin (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
32.36
125 Amir Zargari (IRI) Iran Cycling Federation
32.53
126 Tareq Esmaeili (Qat) Doha Team
37.19
127 Hamad Afif (Qat) Doha Team
38.18
128 Moosa Said (Qat) Doha Team
129 Khaleel Abduljanan (Qat) Doha Team
38.27
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