Doha – Isle of Man racer Mark Cavendish, of the Omega Pharma team, sealed overall victory on the Tour of Qatar on Friday after winning the sixth and final stage on the Doha Corniche.
The 2011 world champion won the 116.5-kilometre ride from Sealine Beach to Doha in a sprint finish ahead of Yauheni Hutarovich of Belarus and Barry Markus of the Netherlands.
It was Cavendish's eighth win in total on the Tour of Qatar, and his fourth in as many days.
He finishes top of the overall standings ahead of two American riders from the BMC team in the shape of Brent Bookwalter and Taylor Phinney, who emerged with the jersey for the best young rider.
No rider had ever won four consecutive stages on the Tour of Qatar.
Belgium's Tom Bonnen, a four-time winner of the Tour, won four stages in 2007, but not all in succession.
Boonen, who is now a team-mate of Cavendish at Omega Pharma, was unable to defend his title this year due to an elbow injury. – Sapa-AFP