Race Leader Tom Boonen won the fourth stage of the Tour Of Qatar today.
Riding in the gusting side wind, today's 144km stage was from Al Thakhira to Madinat Al Shamal and saw two groups on the road.
Team Sky had four riders in the first group of seventeen riders including Jeremy Hunt and Ian Stannard but not yesterday's winner Mark Cavendish who was at the front of the second group trying to catch up.
With twenty kilometres to go, the front group, which had race leader Tom Boonen in it along with Brit Adam Blythe of BMC, were twenty seven seconds ahead and five kilometres later. another five seconds had been added to their lead.
The second group had now given up any chance of winning the stage and with nine kilometres left, the gap was at a minute and ten seconds.
With 5.4kms to go, Fabian Cancellera (pictured below) broke away with Adam Blythe right in his wheel.
Tom Bonnen had to attack and caught up with Flecha from Team Sky, before Blythe picked up a puncture.
There were six riders at the front going into the final kilometre. Fabian Cancellera went but Tom Boonen beat Tom Veelers and him in the sprint to win in a time of 3:03:14.
Ian Stannard was tenth.
Boonen is now 31 seconds ahead of Tyler Farrar in the General Classification. Adam Blythe is tenth, a minute and fourteen seconds back.
Picture copyright of Covsupport News Service. Credit CNS/KM