Tour of Qatar stage 5: Al Zubarah > Madinet Al Shamal, 153kms

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Bjarne Riis conducts a team talk before the stage, his Tinkoff riders need to protect Majiec Bodnar in the winds...

tinkofftactics

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The peloton sets off from the fort at Al Zubarah...

sceneryqatar

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Giant-Alpecin race away into the crosswinds, creating an immediate split behind them...

alpecinarndt

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Simone Sterbini is the first rider to crack - he'll abandon the stage later-on...

bardiani

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The wind has split the peloton in two main parts, with a 300-metres gap that's already growing...

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Maciej Bodnar (No 22) has been caught in the second group, not to Riis's instructions..! Cancellara has missed out as well...

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Ian Stannard goes on the attack, he stands to gain the most from Bodnar's absence at the front...

sky

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Niki Terpstra leads the front group that has about five Etixx riders up there...

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Kristan Sparagli and Jesper Hansen get spat out of the chasing group on a small rise - the pace is brutal..!

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Andrew Fenn changes a wheel and will get back to the chasers soon enough...

skymechanic

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Marcel Kittel cannot keep up with the second group, the German is a long way from his best form...

alpecin

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Incredibly, after a 55-kilometre chase, the chasers are closing in on the Terpstra-Stannard group...

echelonwind

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Jasper Stuyven and Fabian Cancellara race to the front after a regroupment has given the Swiss rider a second chance...

trek

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Edvald Boasson-Hagen is struggling with his form too - but he does have a flat tire as an excuse..!

mtn

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Guido Van Keirlsbulck shelters Terpstra as Etixx plie on the pressure again with the wind coming from the opposite side now...

etixx

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Ben Hermans launches an attack following a quietening down in the main group...

bmc

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The main peloton passes the fort at Al Zubarah...

sceneryqatar

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Ben Hermans leads what is now a five-man escape, and they have a two minute lead...

bmc

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Stannard swaps a wheel with Danny Pate at the start of the final circuits at Madinat Al Shamal...

skymechanic

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Marcel Kittel lends himself to the cause by collecting water bottles for his teamates...

alpecinbottleswork

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Bodnar is right alongside Terpstra - the best wheel to follow out there..!

tinkoff

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Tinkoff suddenly surges past Etixx with 20-kilometres to go..!

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Danny Van Poppel leads an attack by Trek a few minutes later...

trekvan poppel

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Pavel Brutt and Tinkoff are riding so fast that no-one else can or will attack..!

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About fifteen men are left to fight out the finish, with Sagan, Arndt, Blythe and Kristoff at the business end of the sprint...

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Alexander Kristoff wins stage five from Peter Sagan and Nikias Arndt...

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Alexander Kristoff celebrates his thrid stage-win of the race, but Niki Terpstra is still the race-leader...

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