NBA | Page 6 SPORT DAY | Page 9 James’ QOC marks To Advertise here triple-double NSD with Call: 444 11 300, 444 66 621 leads Cavs ‘We Ride for past Kings Doha’ event Wednesday, February 10, 2016 CRICKET Jumada I 1, 1437 AH Warne GULF TIMES lashes out at ‘selfi sh’ Steve Waugh SPORT Page 3 CYCLING/ TOUR OF QATAR Kristoff pips Cavendish to take Stage II honours ‘We had a great day and I am very happy I could hold Cavendish behind me, but it was a very close sprint’ By Yash Mudgal Results & Standings Doha 1. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Team Katusha 3:11:26; 2. Mark Cavendish (GBR) Dimen- atusha’s Alexander Kristoff edged out sion Data; 3. Roy Jans (Bel) Wanty-Groupe former champion Mark Cavendish in Gobert; 4. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC a sprint showdown to take the second Racing Team; 5. Edvald Boasson Hagen stage of the Tour of Qatar yesterday. (Nor) Dimension Data; 6. Andrea Franc- KIn an extremely close sprint, Kristoff ’s lunge to esco Palini (Ita) Skydive Dubai; 7. Sacha the line was just enough to get the better of the Modolo (Ita) Lampre-Merida; 8. André Looij (Ned) Roompot-Oranje Peloton; 9. Tomasz Manxman and take the stage honours at the Qatar Kiendys (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice; 10. University after the 134km race. Viacheslav Kuznetsov (Rus) Team Katusha “We had a great day and I am very happy I could hold Cavendish behind me, but it was a very close GENERAL CLASSIFICATION sprint. After crossing the line I was not sure about 1. Mark Cavendish (GBR) Dimension Data the win, maybe I was ahead by just a few centime- 6:39:51; 2. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Team Katusha 0:00:05; 3. Sacha Modolo (Ita) tres,” Kristoff said. Lampre-Merida 0:00:14; 4. Andrea Guardini It was his fourth stage win in Qatar—he had won (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:00:17; 5. Edvald three stages here last year. Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data The two were part of a small group that remained 0:00:18; 6. Viacheslav Kuznetsov (Rus) in fray after a crash took out a number of riders Team Katusha; 7. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) around 300m from the fi nish. They went head to BMC Racing Team 0:00:20; 8. Arnaud Ger- head with the wind on his face in the fi nal metres ard (Fra) Fortuneo-Vital Concept 0:00:21; 9. for the two-man sprint and a photo fi nish was Sven Erik Bystrøm (Nor) Team Katusha; 10. needed to confi rm Kristoff ’s win by a tyre’s width. Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team “It was a little uphill at the fi nish. It suited me POINTS CLASSIFICATION quite well. We tried to enter the fi nal kilometre in 1. Mark Cavendish (GBR) Dimension Data a good position, but, of course, other teams had 32 pts; 2. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Team the same plans. In the last straight I stayed on the Katusha 27; 3. Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre– wheel of Jacopo and it worked well. The whole Merida 17; 4. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) team did a great job for the lead out but also earlier Dimension Data 14; 5. Greg Van Avermaet in the day at the front of the race,” the 28-year-old (Bel) BMC Racing Team 12; 6. Andrea Guar- Norwegian added. dini (Ita) Astana Pro Team 9; 7. Roy Jans (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert 9; 8. Sam Bennett “This kind of hard sprints suit me really well (Irl) Bora-Argon 18 7; 9. Andrea Francesco and I knew I had a chance today, but of course, af- Palini (Ita) Skydive Dubai 5; 10. Viacheslav ter yesterday's stage I was not sure I would be able Kuznetsov (Rus) Team Katusha 4 to do it. Tomorrow is another day. I am not such a YOUTH CLASSIFICATION good specialist of time trial, but we will see how Team Katusha’s Alexander Kristoff (right) edges out Mark Cavendish of Dimension Data (left) to win the Tour of Qatar Stage II yesterday. PICTURES: Jayaram 1. Sven Erik Bystrøm (Nor) Team Katusha close I can be. Also, we have Slava Kuznetsov and 6:40:12; 2. Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) he has a chance to do well tomorrow. So, anyway out of us but as soon as we caught the front group away for a fi nish at Qatar University. Vlaanderen and Smukulis of Astana managed to Team Giant-Alpecin; 3. Soufiane Haddi we will try to do our best tomorrow and in other we were back riding again,” the Manxman added. Before that circuit, the peloton headed north, build a lead which was never allowed to exceed (UAE) Skydive Dubai 0:01:43; 4. Mekseb stages,” he said. The Dimension Data rider again had high praise passing the Losail motor racing circuit then turn- 40 seconds. Van Hecke won the fi nal intermediate Debesay (Eri) Dimension Data; 5. Moreno Despite fi nishing second, Cavendish retained for his team. “The lads were superb again. Coming ing back to Doha. A break of four riders was quickly sprint, on what will be the World Championship's Hofland (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo; 6. the overall leader’s gold jersey in the race going to the fi nal straight the wind kept changing from able to build a lead of two minutes, though behind fi nish line, before he and Smukulis were caught, Simone Antonini (Ita) Wanty-Groupe into today’s all-important individual time trial. head to crosswind all the time so coming to the them, the peloton had split under the pressure of setting up a bunch sprint. Gobert; 7. Xhuliano Kamberaj (UAE) Kristoff is now second at fi ve seconds as Roy Jans sprint the other teams were always going to come the ever-present crosswinds. On the fi nal straight, a one kilometre slightly up- Skydive Dubai; 8. Nils Politt (Ger) Team Ka- of Wanty-Groupe Gobert fi nished third. from behind but the Dimension Data guys kept me By the time the fi rst intermediate sprint was hill hill drag, Katusha and Dimension Data battled tusha; 9. Daniel Eaton (USA) UnitedHealth- “That was a really close one. At the end of the at the front really well. reached at 39km, the four escapees had been to establish their leadout trains. While the crash care Professional Cycling Team; 10. Lukas day I was happy with how it went, on that fi nish I “Edvald did a really, really good leadout. Unfor- brought back by a strong group, including Kristoff took out some of those further back, it could not Postlberger (Aut) Bora-Argon 18 0:06:54 can't be too disappointed on losing to Kristoff , he tunately, the wind was coming from the front right who won the bonus seconds by winning the sprint. prevent the leaders from launching their sprint. TEAMS CLASSIFICATION is strong on that type of fi nish. I am happy to keep so you wanted the barrier side. I had to let Kristoff Cavendish was some 40 seconds down in the Team Dimension Data Sport Director Roger 1. Team Katusha 20:00:36; 2. BMC Rac- the jersey,” Cavendish said. in so I knew I had to go on his outside which kind second group, but his team brought him back in Hammond said: “Today was another very dif- ing Team; 3. Bora-Argon 18 0:00:05; 4. “We controlled it at the beginning and then it of made it harder for me,” the 2011 World Cham- the leas as the race entered the Worlds circuit. fi cult day considering the strong winds. Katusha Dimension Data 0:01:43; 5. Astana Pro split in the middle and we thought it might come pion explained. After exiting the Pearl circuit, the pack re- tried hard to attack but the guys rode really well as Team 0:03:26; 6. Fortuneo-Vital Concept; back anyway on the fi nal circuits but we wanted to The stage was held as a second test event for mained bunched all the way to the fi nal straight a team, keeping the race together in very diffi cult 7. Skydive Dubai 0:05:09; 8. Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise; 9. Team Lotto NL- this year's UCI World Championships and took entering the Qatar University boundary. conditions. In the sprint Mark was very close, re- be at the front to kind of make life a bit easier but we Jumbo; 10. UnitedHealthcare ended up in the second split. It took some energy in four laps of the 15.3km circuit, before heading Belgian champion Van Hecke of Topsport taining his lead which is really good for us.” UCI CHIEF ALL PRAISE FOR TOUR OF QATAR ORGANISERS By Yash Mudgal Championships will have a good time. The stage incorporated four laps of the Doha “I think it is going to be a great World 15.4km finishing circuit on the Pearl, though Championships. I am sure the riders will enjoy the final seven kilometres of the stage is not the event,” the Briton added. part of the Worlds course. CI president Brian Cookson praised the When asked about the QCF’s attempt to “I don’t think the final circuit will create any Tour of Qatar organisers yesterday, say- get the race upgraded to World Tour status splits but it’s definitely going to be uncomfort- Uing the race has "developed well" in the next year, Cookson said: “Let’s wait and see. It able no matter where you are in the group.