Tom Boonen and Alessandro Petacchi go head to head this week for the first time in 2007 in the Tour of Qatar with first blood going to 2005 World Champion Tom Boonen.  Arguably the two fastest men in the world will duel it out all week long for the overall lead as well as each stage race.  The win put Boonen into the overall lead by seven seconds after his Quick-Step team won the opening stages team time-trial on Sunday and then the Belgian sprinted to victory yesterday.  Boonen won the event last year while Petacchi sat out most of the year through injuries.

Also featuring in the tour is the Sean Kelly development team featuring four Irish boys Mark Cassidy, Stephen Gallagher, Paul Healion and Paidi O’Brien.  They came in a respectable 36 seconds back on Boonen’s team in the time-trial.

It’s these early tours in the year that will set the phycological edge for the rest of the year between the sprinters.  Stage 3 runs today and you can follow it all on Eurosport.

Ex-sprinting great Tom Steels (who won a Tour de France stage in Ireland) also entered the race looking to show he still has what it takes with the fastest in the world but crashed out in the bunch sprint fracturing his collarbone and ending his tour.

Race report [cyclingnews.com]

Category: Pro Road Racing » |

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