It was being touted as the battle between Bradley Wiggins and Fabian Cancellara, but in the end Niki Terpstra (Etixx-Quick Step) bettered all to win the 10-kilometer time trial, and with it take the overall lead.

Fabian Cancellara finished in second place, eight seconds behind Terpstra, while Bradley Wiggins rounded out the top three, just a shade over one second off Cancellara’s pace.

“Of course somehow it’s a pity to be second,” said Fabian Cancellara when we reached him at the hotel after he had pedaled back from the time trial, “but eight seconds? It’s a lot. I think Bradley and I went 100%, I mean like everyone else, but it was still a little bit of a surprising gap, actually. That is almost one second per kilometer. But in the end, that’s racing; that’s the time trial. I did my best, I gave all I could, and when I do that I can say I am happy.”

The powerful gales that blow in Qatar are always the biggest factor facing the riders, and Tuesday’s stage three was no different. On an exposed, pancake flat course surrounded by sand in every direction the unsettling intense snap of flags revealed that the dreadful wind would be a foe to be faced, yet again.

The 10-kilometer time trial was raced on standard road bikes, and Bradley Wiggins, who started before Fabian Cancellara, blasted across the finish with a provisional best time of 14:12.

It was always going to be close in a time trial this brief, and when Cancellara rushed through the finish the clock revealed he was over a second quicker than Wiggins. Most thought it might be enough, but Terpstra - in a show of impeccable early season form - bested the two renowned specialists by a solid margin, crushing the race of truth in a time of 14:03.

“When someone beats you by eight seconds there is nothing to say,” pointed out director Dirk Demol. “You can’t say that you made a mistake in a turn or something. I was hopeful when Fabian crossed the finish and he was a second faster than Bradley [Wiggins]. I can’t say he made any mistake, he did a really good time trial and it proves that his condition is good. So overall I am satisfied, I was hoping for the win of course, but very satisfied with Fabian’s form.”

Fabian Cancellara agreed that aside from the disappointment of missing out on the victory, today was an important first test of where his form stands and he came away pleased with what he saw, especially after the dismal stage of yesterday:

“Once again it was windy, hard, intense…” said Cancellara. “Yesterday was a pity and a day to forget. Qatar is sometimes like this, one day you’re there, one day you’re not.  For me [the time trial] was important to see where I stand, and I can say that I am happy about where I am. As for the result I can put that away, but with my effort, where my condition is, that is something that will motivate me for the next days.”

“I think I can be happy with my power numbers from today,” he added. “It’s okay like this. It was the first real intense, short effort of the season and it’s definitely not easy with this wind, the sand, the heat...I am coming from -10 to almost 35 degrees (Celsius).  And to go on the level I want to go all these things make a difference in order to perform well. Somehow, I am getting older, too, and one day will come when I will stop.  When you’re younger you think less, and have less to do. I am older so maybe that’s the reason why; when you’re older everything is a little more difficult. So that’s it for today, move on to tomorrow and look forward to another session of intensity, probably.”

The Tour of Qatar is far from finished with three stages remaining.  Terpstra takes an 11 second advantage into the final days, and in the strong winds of Qatar one flat tire, one small crash, one moment of bad legs, can change everything.

Although Trek Factory Racing is out of the running for the GC (Jasper Stuyven slipped from 9th to 13th at one minute) a stage win is still within grasp, and that will be the team’s focus for the final days.

Dirk Demol summarized the day:

“Markel [Irizar] did a great ride, and Jasper [Stuyven] made a good progression from last year. He went well. On the other hand I said to the other boys that we are already looking ahead towards tomorrow and the next days where we can focus on a good stage result; there was no need to lay it all on the line today when there’s nothing to defend in the GC and you are not in the running for a top 5 or 10 in the stage.  It’s better to focus the energy where it matters.”