Key points:
 Stars from all around the world have made their way to the Sultanate as they get ready to race the first edition of the Muscat Classic on Friday and then the Tour of Oman.
 The winner of the 2022 Tour of Oman Jan Hirt and his runner-up Fausto Masnada expressed their ambitions as they partner up with Soudal Quick-Step for more success.
 British icon Mark Cavendish is “very excited” for his first race with Astana-Qazaqstan and Belgian Cian Uijtdebroeks wants to “have fun” on Green Mountain.

A new Classic and an intense Tour
The time has come for a new race to rise in the Sultanate. On Thursday, representatives from the Oman Cycling Association and Amaury Sport Organisation held a press conference to present the first edition of the Muscat Classic, the only 1.1 classic in Asia, and the 12th Tour of Oman (February 11-15). “With its explosive course, the Muscat Classic will set the tone ahead of the Tour of Oman”, race director Franck Perque described. The finish is set in Al Bustan, where champions such as Fabian Cancellara, Bob Jungels and Alexey Lutsenko have shown their strength in recent years. Then, more climbing and explosive action await the riders with five stages around Muscat and through the desert. “The Tour of Oman has been ever growing and we are hopeful and confident the 12th edition of the race and the first edition of the Muscat Classic will allow us to meet new ambitions”, said Saif Al Rashidi, president of the Oman Cycling Association. Yann Le Moënner, CEO of ASO, expressed his “pride to develop a new stage of the relationship between us”.

Hirt x Masnada: “To perform like last year”
In 2022, Jan Hirt powered to the overall victory of the Tour of Oman with a strong assault against race leader Fausto Masnada on the slopes of Green Mountain. A year later, the two climbers return to the Sultanate but this time they partner up with a Soudal Quick-Step kit on their shoulders. “It’s a pleasure to race with Jan”, Masnada said. “We were already teammates for a few months with CCC and now we are back together. I like him, he’s a strong rider and we’ll try to perform like last year.” The defending champion Hirt hinted Masnada could take over this year: “We believe we can repeat success and we have strong climbers with Fausto, and also Mauri [Vansevenant]. So we’ll try to win the race. I think Fausto is in really good shape so maybe we will support him.”

Having “fun” on Green Mountain
The demanding routes of the Muscat Classic and the Tour of Oman have attracted strong climbers willing to overthrow Hirt and Masnada. “I’m happy about my condition at the moment and Saudi showed I’m at a good level”, Davide Formolo (UAE Team Emirates) said after he finished 2nd of the Saudi Tour. “Now I’m excited to race in Oman. It’s a new experience for me, a new challenge, and I look forward to Green Mountain. Everyone will be in his place, I just hope to be in front.” Already a podium finisher in the Tour of Oman (3rd in 2019), Jesus Herrada (Cofidis) describes the iconic ascent as “the defining climb of the race. Let’s see if I can do a bit better this year. And we also want to do well from the very first day, also with Axel Zingle.” Among the best climbers of the field, Emanuel Buchmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) remembers he was “completely done” when he did Green Mountain in 2016. And the German champ hints his young teammate Cian Uijtdebroeks could show his immense talent in Oman. “I like long efforts and Green Mountain shouldn’t be too bad for me”, the Belgian 19-year-old says. “I want to have fun, try to go for GC, and if not I want to do well on the final day.”

Cavendish’s excitement and Merlier’s special celebration
Sprinters won’t have many options to shine this year in Oman but the race will nonetheless benefit from the participation of stars such as Mark Cavendish, riding his first race with Astana Qazaqstan, as well as Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) or Pascal Ackermann (UAE Team Emirates). “I’m very happy and very excited to know the guys better”, Cavendish said. “It’s a good race to do so.” As for Merlier, he won a cyclo-cross this winter with his new team. “If you can win a cyclo-cross, the condition must be good”, the Belgian national champion said. “Last week, I became a father so I’m even more motivated. Let’s see if I can do a special celebration soon.”

50 broadcasters, 190 countries and 5G
Fans from all around the world will be able to follow the action and enjoy the best images of the Muscat Classic and the Tour of Oman. Footage of the races will be available in 190 territories through 50 TV/Digital broadcasters with daily highlights and full race highlights. “The main novelty this year is we are working on providing a live feed with Oman TV through 5G, thanks to the infrastructures of the Sultanate allowing the development of this innovative option that we want to explore in other events, also in Europe”, said Yann Le Moënner, CEO of ASO. All the action and the best images will also be available on social media with live coverage on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Key points:
 Defending winner of the Tour of Oman, Jan Hirt returns to the Sultanate with a new team, Soudal Quick-Step, where he joins forces with his runner-up from last year, Fausto Masnada.
 A 2-time winner of the race, Alexey Lutsenko is also back at the helm of Astana Qazaqstan Team alongside Mark Cavendish, participating in his first races with the Asian team.
 Fastmen such as Pascal Ackermann, puncheurs like Davide Formolo and climbers as talented as Emanuel Buchmann and Cian Uijtdebroeks also eye success on the explosive course of the Muscat Classic and the demanding roads of the Tour of Oman.

A familiar face with a new kit. The defending winner of the Tour of Oman Jan Hirt returns to the Sultanate, which will now host two races with the maiden edition of the Muscat Classic (February 10) on the eve of the 12th Tour of Oman. But the Czech climber comes to defend new colors: Soudal Quick-Step’s, where he joins forces with one of his main rivals from last year’s Tour of Oman, Fausto Masnada, winner of a thrilling stage 4 in Muscat and runner-up in the final overall standings. The Wolfpack is once again expected to shine in the desert, with other assets such as Mauri Vansevenant to shake the race and Tim Merlier to show his speed.

Some of the strongest opposition should come from Hirt’s former team, Intermarché-Circus-Wanty. In 2022, Rein Taaramäe was an essential asset to propel the Czech climber towards victory. This time, the Estonian veteran partners up with South-Africa’s pocket climber Louis Meintjes, who made history again last year with a stage win in La Vuelta and a place in the top 10 of the Tour de France… just ahead of Alexey Lutsenko, whose mix of punch and power have already granted him many successes in the Sultanate.

A 2-time winner of the overall standings of the Tour of Oman (2018, 19), Lutsenko has notably won stages up Jabal Al Akhdhar (Green Mountain) and in Al Bustan, where the finish of the Muscat Classic is set. Will he launch another furious attack? Or will Astana Qazaqstan Team play one of their other strong cards to claim more success in Oman? The Asian team are used to shining in the Sultanate and they’re coming with the British icon Mark Cavendish (2 stage wins in the Tour of Oman) as well as the Under 23 world champion Yevgeniy Fedorov. Lutsenko also won the U23 rainbow jersey, in 2012, and so did Kristoffer Halvorsen (2016), the road captain for Uno-X as the Norwegian keeps growing towards their first participation in the Tour de France.

Among the strongest teams in the world, UAE Team Emirates also line up an elite sprinter, Pascal Ackermann, along punchy options such as Diego Ulissi and Davide Formolo. Classic experts like AG2R Citroën’s Greg Van Avermaet and Oliver Naesen will also be willing to bring battle on any occasion while climbers such as Ivan Sosa (Movistar) and Emanuel Buchmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) eye the final battles up Green Mountain, where Jesus Herrada (Cofidis) hopes to shine again (3rd in 2018, 6th in 2019).

Buchmann will join forces with the winner of the 2022 Tour de l’Avenir, Cian Uijtdebroeks who, on the eve of his 20th anniversary, appears ready to battle with the best riders in the world. The Belgian wonderkid won’t be the only young talent taking on the desert, as he faces the likes of Andrii Ponomar (Team Arkéa-Samsic), Maxim Van Gils (Lotto Dstny), Roger Adria (Equipo Kern Pharma), Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar)… As for the Oman national champion, Faisal Almammari, he turned 23 years old last month and is more than willing to show the world the local grit.

18 teams: the main participants

Belgium
Bingoal WB: Kenneth Van Rooy
Intermarché-Circus-Wanty: Louis Meintjes
Lotto Dstny: Thomas De Gendt, Maxim Van Gils
Soudal Quick-Step: Jan Hirt, Tim Merlier

France
AG2R Citroën Team: Greg Van Avermaet, Oliver Naesen
Cofidis: Jesus Herrada, Axel Zingle
Team Arkéa-Samsic: Jenthe Biermans, Andrii Ponomar

Germany
Bora-Hansgrohe: Emanuel Buchmann, Cian Uijtdebroeks

Japan
JCL Team Ukyo: Benjamin Prades

Kazakhstan
Astana Qazaqstan Team: Mark Cavendish, Alexey Lutsenko

Malaysia
Terengganu Polygon Cycling: Jambaljamts Sainbayar

Norway
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team: Kristoffer Halvorsen

Oman
Oman National Team: Faisal Almammari

Spain
Burgos-BH: Miguel Angel Fernandez
Equipo Kern Pharma: Roger Adria
Movistar: Ivan Sosa, Matteo Jorgenson

United Arab Emirates
UAE Team Emirates: Pascal Ackermann, Davide Formolo

United States of America
Human Powered Health: Stanislaw Aniolkowski