World champion Tom Boonen (Quick Step) won the windy second stage of the Tour of Qatar Tuesday, a 138km leg between Doha's camel race track and the Al Khor Corniche.

The wind helped split the pack into thirds

Photo: Graham Watson

The 25-year-old Belgian, who also won the first stage on Monday and heads the overall standings, proved too strong for Italian Paride Grillo (Ceramica Panaria-Navigare) and German veteran Eric Zabel (Milram) in a sprint finish.

"It wasn't so simple today," said Boonen. "The wind and the sometime-dangerous roads made the course difficult. There were a lot of falls and punctures. You had to be careful."

Just ask Finot of Arabia

Photo: Graham Watson

Frenchman Gilles Canouet (Agritubel) got things hopping with an early break, but it was the brisk pace and a cross-headwind that quickly split the pack into three groups just 15km into the day’s racing. Boonen, Zabel and Fabian Cancellara (CSC) made the front group, but Milram and Phonak organized a successful chase and the leaders’ advantage was erased.

The break of the day came from Pieter Ghyllebert (Chocolade Jacques). When a change in direction slowed the pack, the Belgian shot away, gradually building a lead of 12:47 by the feed zone at 78km.

Later, the smile would get turned upside down

Photo: Graham Watson

Ten kilometers later, the pack had slipped still further adrift, to 14:20. But with a more favorable wind, the final leg to Al Khor saw the chase gain steam under pressure from Quick Step, and Ghyllebert was finally caught with just 4km to go, setting up a bunch finale.

The sprinters’ teammates began jockeying for position, with Boonen’s Quick Step comrades and the Skil-Shimano guys in there, too. Cancellara got the ball rolling, but it was Boonen who wrapped it up, taking his second consecutive stage and confirming his grip on the leader’s jersey.

As did Boonen, who found himself chasing

Photo: Graham Watson

"It was nerve-wracking in the final stretch," said Boonen. "But once I was set on the way by my teammates, I had the sprint down to perfection."

Results
Stage
1. Tom Boonen (B), Quick Step, 138km in 3:31:06
2. Paride Grillo (I), Ceramica Panaria-Navigare, same time
3. Erik Zabel (G), Milram, s.t.
4. Stuart O’Grady (Aus), CSC, s.t.
5. Marcel Sieberg (G), Team Wiesenhof, s.t.
6. Rene Haselbacher (A), Gerolsteiner, s.t.
7. Graeme Brown (Aus), Rabobank, s.t.
8. Kenny Robert Van Hummel (Nl), Skil-Shimano, s.t.
9. Galdos Alonso Aitor (Sp), Ceramica Panaria-Navigare, s.t.
10. Robert Hunter (RSA), Phonak, s.t.

Overall (after two stages)
1. Tom Boonen (B), Quick Step, 6:27:20
2. Erik Zabel (G), Milram, at 0:10
3. Aurelien Clerc (Swi), Phonak, at 0:11
4. Robert Hunter (RSA), Phonak, at 0:16
5. Steven De Jongh (Nl), Quick Step, at 0:17
6. Nicolas Jalabert (F), Phonak, at 0:19
7. Fabrizio Guidi (I), Phonak, at 0:20
8. Aart Vierhouten (Nl), Skil-Shimano, s.t.
9. Nick Ingels (B), Davitamon-Lotto, s.t.
10. Sebastian Lang (G), Gerolsteiner, s.t.

And Horner gets a bottle

Photo: Graham Watson

Complete results