Qatar- Terpstra upstages Cancellera Wiggins

(MENAFN- Arab News) DOHA: Dutch rider Niki Terpstra claimed Tuesday's Tour of Qatar third stage a 10.9 kilometer race-against-the-clock upstaging time-trial specialists Fabian Cancellara and Bradley Wiggins.

Terpstra covered the time trial at the Lusail motorsport circuit in 14min 3sec to beat Cancellara by eight seconds and world champion in the discipline Wiggins by 9sec.

Terpstra's reward was to inherit the leader's gold jersey in the race he is aiming to win for the second successive season.

He has an 11sec advantage over Poland's Maciej Bodnar.

'There were lots of specialists a good peloton. And I beat them all it's fantastic!' said Terpstra.

'I set off to put in a good time-trial for the overall standings...but winning the stage!' he said after another day's action in difficult conditions.

'The wind was stronger even than yesterday I knew it was going to be hard' the 30-year-old added.

'It was important not to start too quickly especially as the final two kilometers were into the wind.'

Britain's Wiggins said: 'This is the first time I've put on the rainbow jersey (as world champion) since September. It's always special it's a big event.'

Wednesday's fourth stage is a 165.5km ride between Al Thakhira to Mesaieed.



Results of the Tour of Qatar third stage a 10.9 kilometer time-trial at the Lusail circuit on Tuesday:

1. Niki Terpstra (NED/EQS) 14min 03sec 2. Fabian Cancellara (SUI/TFR) at 8sec 3. Bradley Wiggins (GBR/SKY) 9 4. Maciej Bodnar (POL/TFR) 9 5. Ian Stannard (GBR/SKY) 10 6. Matthias Brandle (AUT/IAM) 18 7. Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (BEL/EQS) 20 8. Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR/MTN) 21 9. Greg Van Avermaet (BEL/BMC) 24 10. Reto Hollenstein (SUI/IAM) 25

Overall

1. Niki Terpstra (NED/EQS) 7hr 53min 42sec 2. Maciej Bodnar (POL/TCS) at 11s 3. Ian Stannard (GBR/SKY) 12 4. Greg Van Avermaet (BEL/BMC) 19 5. Luke Rowe (GBR/SKY) 33 6. Alexander Kristoff (NOR/KAT) 36 7. Tom Boonen (BEL/EQS) 42 8. Heinrich Haussler (AUS/IAM) 44 9. Andriy Grivko (UKR/AST) 46 10. Peter Sagan (SVK/TCS) 48

Coach slams Malaysian federation for financial failures

Meantime head coach John Beasley has hit out at the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) for repeated financial failings after his team were left stranded at the airport for two hours upon discovering air tickets hadn't been paid for.

After eventually boarding in Melbourne Beasley and his team arrived in Nakhon Ratchasima Thailand for the Asian Championships only to find the hotel they had planned to stay at next to the velodrome had given away their rooms after receiving no deposit.

'This is just another time that this has happened because this person has been allowed to handle matters it seems to happen every time he is handling it' the Australian was quoted as saying by Tuesday's New Straits Times.

'There are some good people in the federation some who really want to do good for the sport. But not this guy yes I will go ahead and tell you his name Aizad Othman.

'I don't care what happens to me. So you can go ahead an tell the federation these are the sorts of people they need to weed out.'

MNCF deputy president Naim Mohamad told the paper that Aizad was not employed by them and had been hired by president Abu Samah Wahab as a special officer.

He added that Aizad had been barred from going to Thailand for the Asian Championships which finished on Sunday with Malaysia winning two golds three silvers and four bronze.

The MNCF are scheduled to hold an a general meeting before March 26 where they will elect a new executive committee.