Tour of Qatar: BMC Win Team Time Trial

201105_OnimpexBanner_600_ad

The BMC Racing Team with Stephen Cummings and Adam Blythe win the 14-kilometre team time trial on stage 2 of the Tour of Qatar.

RST Cycle Clothing & Trigon Bikes

Knifing through the desert wind on their BMC TMR01s, five of the eight BMC Racing Team riders crossed the line together in 16 minutes and seven seconds, five seconds faster than runner-up Sky Pro Cycling and 10 seconds ahead of third-placed Omega Pharma-Quick Step.

Video

2013_Stage2_Qatar

Race leader Bookwalter said the team did not panic when it reached the halfway point nine seconds slower than Sky. “My biggest worry was that we would get too excited and blow guys up,” he said. “I felt like we already had a consistent pace and we were actually cautious on the turnarounds.”

“So maybe we lost a couple seconds there. But I was confident the energy we saved was going to come through near the finish. Taylor (Phinney) and Michi (Schär) were ridiculously strong at the end.”

BMC Racing Team Assistant Director Jackson Stewart said specific practice for the team time trial during last month’s training camp in Spain paved the way for success. “We had our rotations down and I thought we did everything perfectly,” he said.

The result also allowed Bookwalter to keep his lead in the points classification with four stages to go. Phinney, in second overall, remains the best young rider while assuming the “excellency” jersey from Bookwalter.

In addition to the aforementioned riders, Greg Van Avermaet and Larry Warbasse were also part of the winning squad. “It’s just not me who is wearing the leader’s jersey, I feel like it’s the whole team,” Bookwalter said. “Those guys made it happen today and I’m just honored to be the one wearing it.”

RESULT

1. BMC Racing Team 16:07
(Inc Stephen Cummings and Adam Blythe)

2. Sky Procycling @0:04
(Inc Geraint Thomas, Ian Stannard, Luke Rowe)

3. Omega Pharma – Quick-Step @0:10
(inc Mark Cavendish)

4. RadioShack – Leopard @0:11
5. Katusha Team @0:15
6. Astana Pro Team @0:17
7. Orica GreenEDGE 0:23
9. Cannondale Pro Cycling Team @0:24
10. Team Saxo-Tinkoff @0:26
11. Team Argos – Shimano @0:30
12. AG2R La Mondiale @0:33
13. Team NetApp – Endura
(inc Russell Downing, Zak Dempster)

14. IAM Cycling @0:37
15. Vacansoleil – DCM @0:51
16. Bardiani Valvole – CSF Inox @0:59
17. Champion System Pro Cycling Team @1:15
(Inc Matt Brammeier)
18. Japan 1:48

Overall after Two Stages
1. Brent Bookwalter (BMC) 3:44:44
2. Taylor Phinney (BMC) @ 6 seconds
3. Adam Blythe (BMC) @ 10 seconds
4. Greg Van Avermaet (BMC)
5. Michael Schar (BMC)
6. Bernie Eisel (Sky) @ 11 seconds
7. Edvald Boasson-Hagen (Sky) @ 15 seconds
8. Geraint Thomas (Sky)
9. Mathew Hayman (Sky)
10. Luke Rowe (Sky)

 

RST Cycle Clothing & Trigon Bikes

Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)

Other News on VeloUK

Tags: , ,