Cav sprints to Tour of Qatar stage win
British rider Mark Cavendish of the Sky team won a sprint finish for the third stage of the Tour of Qatar on Tuesday ahead of Belgian Tom Boonen.
Lithuanian Aidis Kruopis finished third just ahead of Australian Mark Renshaw.
It was Cavendish's first success since winning the world road race title last September.
"It's obviously an extraordinary feeling," said the Isle of Man rider.
"I'm very happy. I was feverish two days ago, so I'm not 100percent. And despite that I managed to beat a very impressive Boonen."
Boonen, who rides for the Omega Pharma-Quick Step team, holds the overall race lead after the 146km stage between Dukhan and the Al Gharafa Stadium here.
Wednesday's fourth stage will cover 144km from Al Thakira to Madinat Al Shamal in the north of the gas-rich Gulf state.
STAGE RESULTS
1 Mark Cavendish (GBr, Sky Procycling)3:23:48
2 Tom Boonen (Bel, Omega Pharma-QuickStep) same time
3 Aidis Kruopis (Ltu, GreenEdge Cycling Team) same time
4 Mark Renshaw (Aus, Rabobank) same time
5 John Degenkolb (Ger, Project 1t4i) same time
6 Tyler Farrar (USA, Garmin-Barracuda) same time
7 Rüdiger Selig (Ger, Katusha) same time
8 David Boucher (Fra, FDJ-BigMat) same time
9 Robert Wagner (Ger, RadioShack-Nissan) same time
10 Aliaksandr Kuchynski (Blr, Katusha) same time
11 Adam Blythe (GBr, BMC Racing Team) same time
12 Matthias Friedemann (Ger, Champion System) same time
13 Mehdi Sohrabi (IRI, Lotto Belisol Team) same time
14 Bernhard Eisel (Aut, Sky Procycling) same time
15 Baden Cooke (Aus, GreenEdge Cycling Team) same time
16 Philippe Gilbert (Bel, BMC Racing Team) same time
17 Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel, Omega Pharma-Quick) Step 0:00:03
18 Gert Steegmans (Bel, Omega Pharma-Quick Step) same time
19 Juan Antonio Flecha (Spa, Sky Procycling) same time
20 Adam Hansen (Aus, Lotto Belisol Team) same time
OVERALL STANDINGS
1 Tom Boonen (Bel, Omega Pharma-QuickStep) 6:47:49
2 Tyler Farrar (USA, Garmin-Barracuda) 0:00:06
3 Mark Cavendish (GBr, Sky Procycling) 0:00:08
4 Johan Vansummeren (Bel, Garmin-Barracuda) 0:00:12
5 Thomas Dekker (Ned, Garmin-Barracuda) same time
6 Robert Hunter (RSA, Garmin-Barracuda) same time
7 Mikhail Ignatyev (Rus, Katusha) 0:00:17
8 Bernhard Eisel (Aut, Sky Procycling) 0:00:18
9 Rüdiger Selig (Ger, Katusha) same time
10 Adam Blythe (GBr, BMC Racing Team) 0:00:19
11 Gert Steegmans (Bel, Omega Pharma-Quick Step) same time
12 Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel, Omega Pharma-Quick Step) same time
13 Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu, Garmin-Barracuda) same time
14 Aidis Kruopis (Ltu, GreenEdge Cycling Team) 0:00:21
15 Aliaksandr Kuchynski (Blr, Katusha) same time
16 Juan Antonio Flecha (Spa, Sky Procycling) same time
17 Robert Wagner (Ger, RadioShack-Nissan) 0:00:23
18 Mark Renshaw (Aus, Rabobank) 0:00:25
19 Baden Cooke (Aus, GreenEdge Cycling Team) same time
20 Philippe Gilbert (Bel, BMC Racing Team)