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January 28 to February 2, 2007: 6th Tour of Qatar
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02.02.2007 6. Sealine Beach Resort - Doha Corniche (134 km)
Tom Boonen of course
Résultats:
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Tom Boonen
Wilfried Cretskens
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101st at 1'06"
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46th at 14'32"
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After a last and short trip into the desert, the closing stage ended traditionnaly with a circuit race along the Persian Gulf in the capital Doha, at the same place where it began 6 days ago with a team-time-trial. And there has been another collective poursuit match between the sprinter teams and the break formed by Kenny de Haes, Emilien Berges and Glenn Bak. With one lap to go, everything was together again, but Milram and Quick-Step continued to hold a high pace at the front of the peloton to prepare the sprint. Kim Kirchen chosed to hide himself near the back of the pack and naturally avoided to match up with the kamikaze sprinters. In the very last meters, Milram started the Petacchi-Express, but the Italian couldn't do anything against the powerfull sprint of Tom Boonen who took yet another stage victory. The overall classification remained unchanged and Wilfried Cretskens completed the Quick-Step triumph in front of his collegues Boonen and De Jongh. Kim Kirchen, who has still important pain in his knee and his ribs didn't want to take any risk in the nervous final and was dropped with a small group in the last lap. He is noted in 101st position of the stage and in 46th place in the final overall classification.
01.02.2007 5. Al Zubarah - Mesaieed (160 km)
Quick-Step changes tactics, Kirchen 7th
Résultats:
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Greg Van Avermaet
Wilfried Cretskens
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7th at 0"
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45th at 13'26"
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The fifth stage of the Tour of Qatar 2007 was the only one not finishing in the capital Doha and in the same time, it was the longest one because the competitors crossed the country from North to South over 160 km. But this didn't prevent riders from attacking early in the stage, among them Kim Kirchen. Together with 9 other riders (Cretskens, Sieberg, Pouilhes, Van Avermaet, Krauss, Da Dalto, Kuschynski, Putsep and Tjallingii) and despite a puncture in the very first part of the race, the Luxemburgish champ broke away in the crosswind and the group took more than 6 minutes of advantage because most of the sprinter teams were represented in front and Quick-Step had with Wilfried Cretskens a good man there. Tom Boonen and consorts didn't chase behind and only Saunier Duval worked at the front of the pack, which wasn't enough to catch the break that arrived at the finish 2 minutes earlier than the first part of the peloton. Despite his big bandages on the knee and the elbow, Kim Kirchen participated in the sprint for the victory, after having worked a lot in the wind during the whole day. But due to some attacks in the very last kilometers, he was too far at the back when the sprint opened and couldn't get to the front, having to settle down with 7th place behind winner Greg Van Avermaet of Predictor-Lotto. Kirchen moved also up two positions overall to 45th place, 13 minutes behind the new leader Wilfried Cretskens who took over the jersey from his team-mate Tom Boonen.
31.01.2007 4. Camel Race Track - Doha Golf Club (140 km)
The Boonen-Show continues
Résultats:
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Tom Boonen
Tom Boonen
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38th at 5'05"
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47th at 14'02"
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Surprise at the Tour of Qatar: Tom Boonen has won a stage. But not the name of the winner is a surprise, but the manner. The former world champion and his team-mates have done a real show by creating an early break after only 5 kilometers. 4 Quick-Step riders were joined by 4 Rabobank, 4 T-Moile and several others, whereas Petacchi and Milram weren't there. The group containing some classics specialists like Eisel, Vierhouten, Klier, Van Bon, Hoste or Knaven has opened a gap in the strong winds and Boonen, Brown and Fischer finally crossed the finish line in that order. 5 minutes later, another group that had been chasing all day led by Milram crossed the line with in it Petacchi, Nazon or Zannini, but also Kim Kirchen. The Luxemburgish rider had 4 team-mates in front and didn't have to do anything but follow in this group that naerly caught the leaders with 25 km to go. The big group has arrived three quarters of an hour later at the Golf club of Doha. Boonen increases of course his lead overall, where he has now 27 seconds of advance on his team-mate and former yellow jersey Steven De Jongh. Kim Kirchen moves up to 47th position overall.
30.01.2007 3. Dohat Salwa - Khalifa Stadium (140 km)
Boonen - Petacchi: 3-0
Résultats:
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Tom Boonen
Tom Boonen
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64th at 5"
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113th at 8'46"
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Another 140 flat and windy kilometers through the Arabian desert for this stage in the South of the country and for the third time in three days, Tom Boonen took the better of Alessandro Petacchi. The stage has started very fast with 58 km covered in the first race hour, but calmed down later. Paul Healion then took off and the Irisch rider resisted against the peloton in the strong headwinds during 50 kilometers, but then was joined again with less than 10 km to go, together with his immediate chasers Baumann and Feillu. Time for the bunch sprint and Tom Boonen was one length ahead of Petacchi and Bernhardt Eisel, who had been the only one to beat the Belgian in Qatar 12 months ago. On the last kilometers, the peloton split into several pieces in a very, very nervous final. Kim Kirchen, who has damaged his knee and also has a squeezed rib, nevertheless seems to have well recovered from yesterday's crash because he has finished in the second part of the field, only 5" down on the winner who naturally retains the yellow leader's jersey.
29.01.2007 2. Al Wakra - Qatar Olympic Committee (136 km)
Boonen wins, Kirchen crashes
Résultats:
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Tom Boonen
Tom Boonen
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131st at 8'10"
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115th at 8'31"
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Unlike Tom Boonen, Kim Kirchen doesn't have a good start into the 2007 season. The second stage at the Tour of Qatar was marked by strong winds that changed directions all the time and this caused several heavy crashes in a nervous peloton. In his first road-race of the season, Kim Kirchen was envolved in a massive crash with several kilometers to go that resulted in heavy time loss for the Luxembourger who finished in a little group more than 8 minutes down on the winner. He suffered some severe cuts in his skin but shouldn't have too much damage. Concerning the stage itself, one should certainly retain two long breaks (Fischer and Pineau, then later Roesems, De Haes, Rooijakkers, Riblon and Muravyev) and of course a royal sprint with several of the best sprintes in the world. Tom Boonen has won the stage in front of Alessandro Petacchi and Jean-Patrick Nazon, whereas Tom Steels knew a very spectacular crash on the finish line. In the overall classification, Tom Boonen is also now in command, whereas Kim Kirchen is noted in 115th position.
28.01.2007 1. Doha - Doha (6 km team-time-trial)
Quick-Step wins team time trial
Résultats:
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Quick-Step
Steven De Jongh
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5th at 11"
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31st at 11"
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Quick-Step has won the opening team-time-trial of the Tour of Quatar. On the very flat course in the haven of Doha, the squad around defending champion Tom Boonen has covered the 6 km in 6'33", thus with an average speed of 55 km/h. Under the palm trees, T-Mobile team with Kim Kirchen has taken a good 5th place, only 11 seconds late on the winner. The first wearer of the yellow leader jersey is Steven De Jongh, because he was the first rider of the winning team to cross the finish line, whereas Kim Kirchen is noticed in 31st position overall. Behind Quick-Step, team Milram has taken second place at 5", announcing the battle between the sprint-stars Boonen and Petacchi for the following days under the sun of Qatar.
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Preparation of the 2007 road season
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Kim Kirchen
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Before having his first race at the end of the month in Qatar, Kim Kirchen has passed most of January in Mallorca, where he has attended a training camp and the official presentation of his T-Mobile team. Hereafter some pictures:
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the official site t-mobile-team.com
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Schleck
Schleck
