This was a 2km stage around the Cultural Village and Cavendish crashed but got back on his bike to finish in 130th and last place, some one minute and thirteen seconds down on winner Rabobank's Lars Boom who completed the course in 3 mins and 7 seconds beating Fabian Cancellera.
Team Sky's Alex Dowsett had a cracking ride and finished six tenths of a second down on Boom in fifth place.
Ireland's Matt Brammier was tenth and the rest of the British/Irish riders finished: Russell Downing 22nd, Daniel Lloyd 28th, Bradley Wiggins 29th, Jeremy Hunt 39th, Ian Stannard 41st, Andrew Fenn 52nd, Sam Bennett 62nd, Roger Hammond 72nd and Mark McNally 92nd.
Monday's stage is 145.5km long and from Dukhan to Al Khor Corniche. You can see it live on Eurosport 2.