Cavendish wins 1st stage of Tour of Qatar

DOHA — Britain's Mark Cavendish won the first stage of the Tour of Qatar Monday ahead of Italian pair Sacha Modolo and Andrea Guardini. The former world road race champion covered the 175 kilometers from Dukhan to the Al Khor Corniche in 3hr 28.31sec, eight seconds in front of Modolo and 11 seconds ahead of Guardini. It was a first stage win of the season for Cavendish, and a first win also for his new South African Dimension Data team. "It is the first stage win for Dimension Data on the World Tour and was the result of a great team performance," he said. "You can't win in Qatar without a good team, it just isn't possible. I am so happy to have won this stage." Tuesday's 135-kilometer second stage around the campus of the University of Qatar will see the peloton tackle the course prepared for the world road race championships in October. The tour comprises five stages and will cover a total distance of 626.4 kilometers. Cavendish is seeking a second win in the Tour of Qatar, having been victorious in 2013. Tour of Qatar organizers Sunday blocked multiple winner Etixx from competing in this year's race citing "disciplinary problems" with the Belgian team. "I've decided not to send them an invitation despite their wish to participate," Qatar Cycling Federation President Sheikh Khalid Bin Ali Al Thani said. "On several occasions the team has displayed disciplinary problems," he explained. "For example they take too long to change and give interviews even though they are expected on live television, and they take too long to reach the podium." The Sheikh accused the team of "lacking respect". Etixx has dominated the Tour of Qatar, with Tom Boonen winning four editions (2006, 2008, 2009, 2012) and Niki Terpstra successful in 2014 and 2015. — Agencies