To put an individual time trial in the middle of a flat stage race, as we have discussed before, risks ruining the race as a spectacle in the later stages. Qatar’s topography does not allow for an Alpe d’Huez or Col du Tourmalet for organisers ASO to spice up the race, much as Dubai lacked a Passo Giau for RCS Sport. So when Niki Terpstra stretched his overall lead on stage three, it seemed Qatar had little more to offer.

So along came mother nature, whipped up a huge tailwind, and sent a severely splintered peloton scampering along at a phenomenal speed. Any mistake, or ill-timed mechanical, was to prove costly as Lars Boom (Belkin) was to find after puncturing in the final kilometres, while Fabian Cancellara (Trek Factory Racing) suffered a similar fate further back.

To the credit of Terpstra, and Omega Pharma-Quickstep, however, even at such ferocious speeds – the race finished with an average touching 57km/h – the Belgian super team remained in apparently complete control of every situation. It will take more than a gale to disrupt their seemingly unstoppable charge for a third straight Tour of Qatar win, but at least it was something a bit different.