*** Favourites ***
BMC Racing Team

** Outsiders **
Omega Pharma – QuickStep Cycling Team, RadioShack – Leopard, Team Argos – Shimano, Lampre – Merida

The Frenchman Vogondy is the first man out for Accent Jobs.
They are 3rd best in finish 3 seconds down on RusVelo.

The Bardiani team is by far the greenest thing in Qatar today.
5th best in goal 11 seconds down.

MTN – Qhubeka looks far from a team going for the win with less than optimal positioning.
Somehow it works and they set new best time 16 seconds faster than RusVelo.

UnitedHealtcare looks like they have practiced this discipline a bit more.
Yet they are provisionally 7th 34 seconds slower than the African team.

Champion Systems might be an Asian team racing in Asia, but they have only sent Europeans and North Americans.
That give them provisional 5th place 25 seconds slower than MTN.

Europcar looks very focused going towards the finish.
They squeeze in one second faster than Champion Systems.

BMC are named the big favourites by the bookmakers and they live up to that.
Even though the 3 seconds to MTN are less than expected!

Lead by Cancellara RadioShack – Leopard have announced they have come here to win.
They take the first step by cutting one second of BMC’s time.

Lampre – Merida are lighting up the desert in their attempt to redeem themselves after a highly disappointing start of the season. Will this be the Italian teams first win.
At least they are one second faster than RadioShack.

Argos – Shimano might not have the biggest engine of all, but they have one of the best sprint trains in the peloton and sometimes that’s just as good.
Today it is good enough for 5th place 22 seconds down on Lampre.

Orica – GreenEdge traditionally likes this discipline and today is no difference.
They cut yet another second of the best time.

With the World Champion and the GC leader this is the team everyone have been waiting for as well as the team everyone spoke about before the race.
And they do as expected taking the stage and consolidating their lead.