Michele Scarponi has won the tough fourth stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico. The Italian of team Diquigiovanni takes on the overall ranking from his Daniele Bennati. Tom finished at more than half an hour in the grupetto.

The 30-year old Scarponi, winner of last year's Tirreno-Adriatico, took the victory in the 243 kilometer stage from San Gemini to Chieti with a lead of 14 seconds on a chasing group. The French rider Benoit Vaugrenard claimed second, the Italian Leonardo Bertagnolli third.

Scarponi also takes on the overall ranking, and the blue jersey that comes with it, from his fellow Italian Daniele Bennati. Vaugrenard takes second overall, trailing 18 seconds. Bertagnolli is third at 20 seconds.

Tom took a day off and sat in the grupetto that finished over half an hour later. In the overall ranking he drops from rank three to 109.

Tom's team mate Francesco Reda abandoned Tirreno-Adriatico. The 27-year old Italian crashed an broke his right collar bone. Reda returns to Belgium on Sunday, heading for the Herentals hospital on Monday.

Tom has won his first race in the Tirreno-Adriatico. The Belgian champion is now leading the overall ranking in the same time as Linus Gerdemann.

In a bunch sprint Tom beat Paul Martens, Daniele Bennati and Robbie McEwen. He benefited from the lead out work by Liquigas-Doimo and passed Bennati at the right moment. 

In the overall ranking Tom now leads in the same time as the German Linus Gerdemann, who won the first stage earlier this week.

"I'm really excited about this", Tom said after his victory. "I have won races about everywhere in the world but not in Italy and this despite my love for the country. I'm really happy I now have an Italian victory on my cv."

"This victory is a confidence booster for the forthcoming classics, not least Milaan-Sanremo. My motivation was already peaking before I came to Italy, but it really is soaring right now."

Tom Boonen clearly is on good form. After winning a stage in the Tour of Qatar, he now adds a victory in the fifth stage in the Tour of Oman.

The 148 kilometer stage took the peloton from Wattayat to the entrance of the Sultan Qaboos Stadium. After 20 kilometer Nikita Eskov (Katusha), Alessandro Ballan (BMC Racing Team) and Matthe Pronk (Vacansoliel) tried their luck. Their lead never extened five minutes and they were reeled in by the bunch after a break of 113 kilometer. Next sprinter teams like Quick Step, Liquigas, Saxo Bank and Team Sky started preparing for their respective lead out trains. There Tom outsprinted Haedo and Van Staeyen. Bennati came in sixth and keeps the overall jersey. Tom moves into second place, trailing only 2 seconds on the Italian. On Friday the Tour of Oman is concluded with a time trial of 18,6 km between Al Jissah and Muscat Corniche. "Today's sprint was not an easy one. I could only pass by Haedo in the last 30-40 meters. Ido share this victory with all the boys on the team. This morning I had asked them to work together well, which is what they did, especially in the final stages of today's race. I'm very happy with the form and how I feel the last couple of days. We have been working well", according to winner Tom. "Tomorrow I'll conclude this race with a time trial. I have been training especially on that during winter, but tomorrow is a special time trial as we are using a normal bike on quite a strenuous course. Still, I don't feel any pressure, I don't aim at a good final overall", Tom looked forward. result stage 5: 1. Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step 3h23'52" 2. Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank s.t 3. Michael Van Stayen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator s.t 4. Baden Cooke (Aus) Team Saxo Bank s.t 5. Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Transitions s.t overall ranking: 1. Daniele Bennati (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo 15h36'21" 2. Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step s.t 3. Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Transitions s.t 4. Gatis Smukulis (Lat) AG2R La Mondiale s.t 5. Leigh Howard (Aus) Team HTC - Columbia s.t

On Friday the team roster of Team Quick Step was introduced to the audience of the Kortrijk Expo, where the yearly Velofollies takes place.

This year Quick Step counts 27 professional riders: 13 Belgians, 6 Italians, 2 French, 2 BelaRussians, a Spaniard, a Dutchman, a Dane and a German.

The team has added track specialist Iljo Keisse, and young talents like Nikolas Maes and the German Andreas Stauff.

Top riders Tom Boonen, Stijn Devolder and the Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel aim to offer the team one of more victories in the classics.

"I'm very motivated and am working really hard", Tom said. "First I'll be aiming at the classics, then come the Tour, the Vuelta and the Worlds. It could very well be that the worlds in Melbourne become an aim in their own right should I not be able to win a classic race myself, but we'll see."

Tom's schedule (tentative):
Tour of Qatar, Tour of Oman, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Kuurne - Bruxelles, - Kuurne, Tirreno - Adriatico, Milan - Sanremo, Dwars door Vlaanderen, E3 Prijs Harelbeke, Ghent - Wevelgem (to be decided), 3 Days of De Panne - Koksijde, Tour of Flanders, Paris- Roubaix

TEAM QUICK STEP 2010

Riders (27):
Stayed:
Carlos Barredo (Spa), Tom Boonen (BEL), Dario Cataldo (Ita), Sylvain Chavanel (Fre), Kevin de Weert (BEL), Dries Devenyns (BEL), Stijn Devolder (BEL), Addy Engels (Dut), Mauro Facci (Ita), Kurt Hovelijnck (BEL), Kevin Hulsmans (BEL), Andrei Kunitski (BRu), Davide Malacarne (Ita), Jérôme Pineau (Fre), Francesco Reda (Ita), Branislau Samoilau (BRu), Kevin Seeldraeyers (BEL), Matteo Tossato (Ita), Jurgen Van de Walle (BEL), Kevin Van Impe (BEL), Thomas Vedel Kvist (Dan), Marco Velo (Ita), Wouter Weylandt (BEL), Maarten Wynants (BEL)
Nieuw: Iljo Keisse (BEL/Saey-Deschacht), Nikolas Maes (BEL/Topsport Vlaanderen), Andreas Stauff (Dui/Team Kuota Senges)
Vertrokken: Dominique Cornu (BEL/Skil-Shimano), Allan Davis (Aus/Astana), Steven De Jongh (Ned/gestopt), Sebastien Rosseler (BEL/RadioShack), Hubert Schwab (Swi/Team Vorarlberg-Corratec)

Management:
Team manager: Patrick Lefevere (BEL)
Directeurs sportifs: Wilfried Peeters (BEL), Rik Van Slycke (BEL), Davide Bramati (Ita), Rik Verbrugghe (BEL)
Technical manager: Luca Guercilena (Ita)