Katusha's Alexander Kristoff has won the second stage and takes over the lead of the Tour Of Qatar.
The longest stage of the race at 187.5kms, saw the riders set out on a stage from Al Wakra to Al Khor.
On a day of strong winds and a sandstorm, the peloton quickly split and race leader Jose Joaquin Rojas was able to get into the front group which had a twelve second lead.
The back half of the peloton continued splitting with Sir Bradley Wiggins in the last group on the road.
Twenty six riders were now in the lead group which saw Etixx Quick Step and Trek Factory Racing having four riders in this group which had a lead of 23 seconds after 23kms.
With the second group catching the first, BMC's Greg Van Avermaet launched an attack with Wallays, Van Zyl, Morkov and Hayman and had a 1.10 lead with 75.5kms gone.
Van Avermaet took the sprint but their escape was caught with 112kms gone and thirty five riders were on the front going into the final fifty kilometres of the stage with a lead of 1.15.
Tom Boonen took the second sprint ahead of Nikolas Maes and Marcus Burghardt as back down the road, Heinrich Haussler pulled the peloton and several riders were dropped, including Arnaud Démare.
More riders were dropped from the front group including the race leader Jose Joaquin Rojas, leaving British riders Luke Rowe, Ian Stannard and Adam Blythe, Terpstra, Boonen, Maes, Arndt, Sagan, Bodnar, Stuyven, Burgharst, Van Avermaet, Kristoff, Guardini, Tleubayev, Delage, Offredo, Keukeleire, Haussler, Kluge Schorn clear.
The group was further trimmed when Niklas Arndt (Giant Alpecin), Delage, Keukeleire (puncture), Kluge, Schorn and Offredo all lost contact with twenty kilometres left.
This group of fifteen riders remained clear going into the last five kilometres and it was Alexander Kristoff of Katusha who powered home to take the victory ahead of Guardini, Van Avermaet, Sagan, Boonen, Haussler and Brit Adam Blythe.
The win gave Kristtoff the Gold Jersey and a lead of one second over Tom Boonen.