Third For Wiggins In Tour Of Qatar Time Trial

10 February 2015 04:17
Sir Bradley Wiggins finished third in the Tour Of Qatar Individual Time Trial but it was not enough to stop Niki Terpstra of Etixx Quick Step from winning the stage and taking the overall lead in the race.

Stage Three was a 10.9km individual time trial around the Lusail circuit and saw Lars Boom set an early time of 14.33.

On a windy day, former World Hour Record holder Mathias Brandle finished in a time of 14.21 but going down the ramp was British time trial champion Sir Bradley Wiggins.

The Team Sky rider made short work of the course finishing in 14.12. However, Wiggins, who was pipped in the prologue in the opening stage of the Tour De France in Liege in 2012, was to be beaten by the same man again.

That man was Trek Factory's Fabian Cancellera who went two seconds quicker to finish in a brilliant time of 14.10.

Ian Stannard of Team Sky posted a time of 14.14 to go third quickest but that only last until Maciej Bodnar finished just over a second slow than Cancellera , who lost his top place when Niki Terpstra of Etixx Quick Step finished in 14:03.590, some eight seconds quicker.

Race leader Alexander Kristoff of Katusha was the last man down the ramp as Luke Rowe of Team Sky finished in 14.34 and with Boonen and Kristoff who finished in 14.47 not getting the time of 14.03, it was Terpstra's victory and enough to give him the Gold Jersey with an eleven second lead over Maciej Bodnar, twelve seconds over Ian Stannard and thirty three seconds over fifth placed Luke Rowe.

Result

1 Niki Terpstra

2 Fabian Cancellera +8

3 Bradley Wiggins +9

4 Maciej Bodnar +9

5 Ian Stannard +10

Source: DSG