Back-to-back Boonen

The defending champion easily retained the gold jersey he had claimed the day before winning his second stage in two chances this season.

Boonen dominated the sprint finale into the Khalifa Stadium easily overpowering Petacchi for the second-straight day.

T-Mobile leader Bernhard Eisel claimed third in front of Aurélien Clerc (Bouygues Telecom) and Stefano Zanini (Predictor-Lotto).

Astana's Rene Haselbacher launched a late sprint after Petacchi's Milram train began to give way, but Boonen easily went around the Austrian.

For a second consecutive day Petacchi chased the 2005 world champion to the line, only to submit to defeat in a final gasp.

The 26-year-old Boonen won five of six stages on offer to claim last year's race in his 2006 season-opener.

In another flat stage that took the peloton 140-km from Dohat Salwa to Khalifa Stadium on Tuesday a sprint always seemed destined to be on offer.

Ireland's Paul Healion of the Murphy and Gunn-Newlyn-M.Donnely Sean Kelly Academy squad went on a brave solo break-away late in the day, one that was doomed to failure from its start.

German Eric Baumann (T-Mobile) and Frenchman Romain Feillu launched a counter-attack with about 40-km left to ride and caught Healion with just under 10-km to go.

The peloton reached the leaders just five kilometres down the road, and Boonen's Quick Step team and Petacchi's Milram squad launched into their tactical sprint manoeuvring.

Wednesday's 139.5-km fourth stage travels from the Camel Race Track to the Doha Golf Club and is almost certain to inspire another sprint in the desert.