Qatar Daily News

For the second year in a row the yellow jersey hung from his sculpted shoulders, but Belgium’s Tom Boonen looked as flat as the beige terrain he had spent the last six days negotiating on the Tour of Qatar.

Boonen claimed the General Classification by eight seconds from second-placed German Heinrich Haussler and third-placed Briton Roger Hammond, but his celebration was muted.

“I dedicate this victory to my friend Frederiek,” the 2009 champion said, moments after crossing the finishing line safely in the peleton.

The desert dust had barely settled following the tragic death of 21-year-old Frederiek Nolf from Belgium just over 24 hours earlier.

The Topsport rider had been found dead in his hotel room on Thursday at approximately 9am.

“Perhaps it would have been better to go home, but the world goes on,” Boonen continued as he acknowledged the Corniche cheers.
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Tom Boonen of Quick Step won his third Tour of Qatar title on Friday, a day after Belgian cyclist Frederiek Nolf was found dead in his Doha hotel room.

Boonen finished in 12 hours 55 minutes 25 seconds, while England’s Mark Cavendish won the sixth and final stage.

“My main focus was the yellow jersey and I dedicate this to Frederiek,” Boonen said of his countryman. “It has been a sad time for all of us.”

Boonen also won the event in 2006 and 2008. Cavendish, the Team Columbia rider, won the 75.6-mile sprint stage in 2:36:18.

Belgian team Topsport Vlaanderen Mercator said the 21-year-old Nolf was found by his hotel roommate. The cause of death wasn’t immediately known.

Frederiek Nolf died in his sleep last night at the Doha Ritz-Carlton in Qatar, ahead of the fifth stage of the Tour of Qatar. The Belgian of Team Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator, who would have celebrated his 22nd birthday in five days, is believed to have suffered a heart attack.

“Cycling is in mourning when you lose such a young talent, a guy like him,” said cycling legend Eddy Merckx, who is the technical sponsor for the team.

Nolf turned professional in 2008 with Topsport Vlaanderen. The Tour of Qatar was his first race of the 2009 season. He finished 90th in yesterday’s 141-kilometre stage four to Madinat Al Shamal, which Mark Cavendish won.

Directeur Sportif Jean-Pierre Heynderickx found Nolf dead this morning.

“I rode with the guys here earlier this week in Qatar. Yesterday, he was laughing and happy; he never woke up and died in his sleep,” Merckx said.
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Mark Cavendish (Columbia Highroad) of Great Britain and Tom Boonen (Quick Step) of Belgium, will renew their rivalry for world’s top sprinting honors beginning Sunday in the Tour of Qatar.

Cavendish was one of the main stories of the 2008 cycling season. He had18 victories and arguably arrived as the world’s best sprinter.

Boonen, who has twice won the Tour Qatar, is the 2005 world road titlist. He has 14 Tour of Qatar stage wins while racing in five editions of the race, dating to its inception in 2002.

The six-day, 685-kilometer race, Feb. 1-6, will feature 17 teams of eight riders, including American ProTour teams Garmin-Slipstream and Columbia Highroad and U.S. Pro Continental team BMC.
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