The Euro Continental Championships might be the strongest as almost every team has one great rider. In especially the top sprinters will meet the first time this season.
In recent years Ben Swift often was a bit ahead of the remaining sprinters and with Bewley the biggest challenger being no Euro, this makes him the favourite normally.
Though in last 1-2 years many riders did improve significantly.
Van Stayen for Belgium
Kristoff for Norway
Degenkolb for Germany
Guarnieri for Italy
Ahlstrand for Sweden
They all will make the sprints far closer and we haven`t even talked about Vanderbiest, Guerao, Tzortzakis, Grosu, Kump, Vesely, Avelino and all the others.
As in the remaining races here in Qatar though, the wind is likely to have some huge impact, hence giving no exact sign of the 2016 sprints to come as more than the pure sprinting power is needed here.
And the race begins with shock news for Great Britain and Czech Republic. Cavendish crashed as 2nd leader while it hit Vesely as no.1 option as well. Both will make it back into the peloton but this clearly will hurt with 230km still to ride.
Ahead of them also couple others were either involved in the crash or just blocked. No big names though.
While their leader was riding himself into the peloton again, one of his team mates had attacked. It`s V.Hacecký and F.Ludvigsson.
With 180km to go and 70 km/h wind speed it`s Team Norway for leaer Kristoff to speed up after a corner. Behind them Russia, where it`s not 100% sure, who is their leader as Maksimov at least is chasing.
No echelons were created though and the pace wasn`t as high to really force them to open. Instead with 80km to go the duo in front was exhausted anyway and 3 more riders try with some long range attack: Thill Breschel Van Poppel
Germany with strong riders such as Kluge and Kupfernagel though chased them and only 10km later the trio was caught again.
It took some time until the pace dropped a bit allowing a new attack. With 33km to go it`s Wisniowski. The classic rider really has the needed skills for such attack and it might be a first sign of what to expect from him this year.
That attack also led to the first big split in the peloton and surprisingly a lot of top sprinters weren`t concentrated after ~40km of no attacking. Missing out and apparently will struggle to make it back: Guarnieri Appollonio Kennaugh Cavendish Ciolek Mohs Demare Vantomme Grosu Vesely Enger
The big favourites like Degenkolb, Swift, Kristoff or Van Stayen all lost at least one of their most important leadout riders. Italy even lost their best rider.
Just moments later Germany losing 2 more big names in Kupfernagel and Zabel. Those two though did a lot of work today.
Two teams though still have the needed riders to chase and Wisniowski is quickly caught with 25km left. Must be said though that both teams didn`t work a lot until now.
It`s Belgium for Van Stayen and Italy for Lo ciero, who seems to step up after Guarnieri got dropped. Van der Sande, Boeckmans, Sbaragli and Modolo are the four riders working right now followed by Bystrom, Thomas for Norway and Great Britain.
Soem teams though see bad chances in such a sprint and once again an attack. With 12km to go it`s Kolesnikov and Kruijswijk.
But also no chance for those 2 and with 7km to go we see some kind of sprint preperation but except for Great Britain with 3 riders (though unorganized), no real trains in this windy conditions.
It`s Boasson Hagen Sanchez Gil Dzamastagic Harrison Rowe Ahlstrand Swift Van Stayen Lo Cicero Kristoff Degenkolb Avelino Maksimov Rasmussen Tzortzakis Ulissi
A lot more interesting though on the left side as another late attack. This time by power horse Ignatiev.
With 3,2km to go the gap is still at 28s. Most sprinters are on their own, hence it`s unlucky for Dzamastagic, Ahlstrand and Van Stayen to be the ones "chasing" the most in the wind already.
Meanwhile some more sprinters found their way to the front like Kvist, Von Poppel or Coquard.
2,6km and while the sprint has to start early behind, Ignatiev still has 24s.
Ahlstrand as best PCT sprinter surely shows his skills and still is in the wind. Lo Cicero next to him being the perfect leadout for Ben Swift.
With a gap already Avelino, Tzortzakis and Degenkolb, while Van Stayen struggles!
1,4km and Ignatiev`s attempt is over. No chance in the wind against those top sprinters.
Lo Cicero still in the best position even creating a gap to Swift behind.
Next it`s Avelino being the fastest right now moving himself into 2nd position while Ahlstrand has to pay tribute to his earlier work and is losing ground.
Flamme Rouge and surprisingly we see a 2nd Great Britain shirt coming fast. It`s Luke Rowe followed by Greek Tzortzakis!
With 600m to go Avelino struggles while Swift starts his engine going into the lead.
Struggle? Who?
Surely not Avelino, who is back in the game just meters to the finish line finding some second legs. This will be some close sprint with Tzortzakis, Avelino, Lo Cicero and Swift being side-by-side. Rowe is beaten, so are pre-race favourites Van Stayen, Kristoff or Degenkolb.
Swift or Avelino? Where did later get his late acceleration from? Very close sprint. Lo Cicero though seems to be 3rd ahead of Tzortzakis.
The sprinters usually know best and it`s Swift celebrating and just moments later the jury is approving it. Gold for Great Britain but what a late push by Portuguese sprinter Avelino, who seems to prove me wrong. Ahlstrand has some huge challenger for best PCT sprinter in 2016 as next to Avelino also Lo Cicero is on the podium today as for the PCT.
4th for Tzortzakis as last of these 4 top guys today.
5th goes to Rowe while also the 6th is a surprise in Vedel Kvist.
7th to Degenkolb ahead of Maksimov (after all his early day work), Van Poppel and Ahlstrand.
Disappointing day for Kristoff (11.), Coquard (17.), Guerao (21.) and in especially Van Stayen (22.)!
Cavendish crashed as 2nd leader while it hit 
Vesely as no.1 option as well. Both will make it back into the peloton but this clearly will hurt with 230km still to ride. 
F.Ludvigsson.
Thill
Breschel
Van Poppel
Wisniowski. The classic rider really has the needed skills for such attack and it might be a first sign of what to expect from him this year.
Guarnieri
Ciolek
Demare
Vantomme
Grosu
Enger
Kolesnikov and 
Sanchez Gil
Dzamastagic
Avelino
Tzortzakis
