Mark Cavendish loses Tour of Qatar lead to Edvald Boasson Hagen

Mark Cavendish has fallen to second place overall at the Tour of Qatar after Dimension Data team-mate Edvald Boasson Hagen took the lead by winning stage three’s individual time trial.

Boasson Hagen stopped the clock on a flat, 11km course next to the Lusail race track in 13min 26sec, which was 25 seconds faster than runner-up Jos van Emden (LottoNL-Jumbo), 29 seconds quicker than third-placed Manuel Quinziato (BMC Racing) and 44 seconds ahead of seventh-placed Cavendish.

The result sees Boasson Hagen move 26 seconds clear of Cavendish at the top of the general classification, with Quinziato six seconds further back in third.

Cavendish now faces a tough task to win the race overall for the second time in his career.

He will need to finish first in both of the final two stages, taking the 10 bonus seconds available to the winner on each day, as well as claiming at least another six bonus seconds at intermediate sprints.  

Cavendish is unlikely to target Boasson Hagen's lead given that the pair are team-mates, but the threat of crosswinds and potential splits in the peloton on both of the last two stages mean the title is still far from decided.

Stage three result

1 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data, 13:26

2 Jos van Emden (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo, +25secs

3 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing, +29

4 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing, +32

5 Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Astana, +40

6 Lieuwe Westra (Ned) Astana, +43

7 Mark Cavendish (GB) Dimension Data, +44

8 Jordan Kerby (Aus) Drapac Professional Cycling, same time

9 Soren Kragh Andersen (Den) Giant-Alpecin, +45

10 Daniel Oss (Ita) BMC Racing, +47

General classification

1 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data, 6:53:35

2 Mark Cavendish (GB) Dimension Data, +26secs

3 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing, +32

4 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing, +34

5 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha, +45

6 Soren Kragh Andersen (Den) Giant-Alpecin, +48

7 Sven Erik Bystrom (Nor) Katusha, +1:02

8 Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora-Argon 18, +1:07

9 Viacheslav Kuznetsov (Rus) Katusha, +1:10