The 3rd stage of the Tour of Qatar had riders tackle a 10.9km individual time trial. After yesterday’s brutal day in the desert where riders were battered by sand and wind, the peloton were again exposed to the unrelenting elements albeit for just 10.9km. 

Team MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung had Edvald Boasson Hagen give the course a good crack and the Norwegian star was able to come in just 21 seconds down on eventual winner, Niki Terpstra (Etixx-Quickstep). This performance was good enough to net 8th position for the MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung rider on the stage.

Fabian Cancellara (Trek Factory Racing) and Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky) completed the stage podium. Terpstra would take the lead in the GC. Team MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung will now look ahead to the upcoming 3 road stages where they hope to have one of their sprinters challenging for the victory.

“It was really hard and windy today with sand once again. I managed to pace myself well, I didn’t expect a podium today as it’s quite hard to beat Bradley and the other specialists but I’m happy with my performance though. We just have to wait and see if I can hold on to a top 10 finish," Boasson Hagen said before the stage had finishes.

“Edvald Boasson Hagen showed the world class level he is at today with a top 10 finish," sports director Jens Zemke said. "Again we had a sandstorm today and very few spectators. It is a hard battle for every second here in Qatar and in hard conditions. We can be satisfied with the day though after Edvald’s performance, he showed he is ready for the season.

"So we have the world’s best riders here in the desert of Qatar. I think with Edvald finishing in the top 10 it shows we are ready to compete against the big World Tour teams. It is a good start to the season for Edvald, he has shown he is ready for the season and the classics can come now. We are satisfied with this first performance."