Schlagwort-Archive: Tour of Oman

Tour of Oman – 4 und 5. Etappe (beide verkürzt):

Ergebnisse, Etappenrennen, , ,

4. Etappe:

1 CAPIOT Amaury BEL ARKEA-B&B HOTELS 02:17:35
2 SCHELLING Ide NED Astana Qazaqstan Team 00:00
3 DE PRETTO Davide ITA Team Jayco-AlUla 00:00
4 HERRADA Jesus ESP Cofidis 00:00
5 ROTA Lorenzo ITA Intermarché-Wanty 00:00
6 ADRIÀ Roger ESP BORA-hansgrohe 00:00
7 PESENTI Thomas ITA JCL Team UKYO 00:00
8 RODRIGUEZ Cristian ESP ARKEA-B&B HOTELS 00:00
9 COBO CAYON Ivan ESP Equipo Kern Pharma 00:00
10 ZWIEHOFF Ben GER BORA-hansgrohe 00:00
11 BERCKMOES Jenno BEL Lotto Dstny 00:00
12 ULISSI Diego ITA UAE Team Emirates 00:00
13 VANSEVENANT Mauri BEL Soudal Quick-Step 00:00
14 FISHER-BLACK Finn NZL UAE Team Emirates 00:00
15 MASNADA Fausto ITA Soudal Quick-Step 00:00
16 KULSET Johannes NOR Uno-X Mobility 00:00
17 EARLE Nathan AUS JCL Team UKYO 00:00
18 BARGUIL Warren FRA Team dsm-firmenich PostNL 00:00
19 HERZOG Emil GER BORA-hansgrohe 00:00
20 CHARMIG Anthon DEN Astana Qazaqstan Team 00:00

5. Etappe 72km Green Mountain Bergankunft:

1 ADAM YATES 1 UAE TEAM EMIRATES 01h 49′ 37“ – B : 10“ –
2 JAN HIRT 12 SOUDAL QUICK-STEP 01h 49′ 48“ + 00h 00′ 11“ B : 6“ –
3 HUUB ARTZ 22 INTERMARCHÉ – WANTY 01h 50′ 06“ + 00h 00′ 29“ B : 5“ –
4 CRISTIAN RODRIGUEZ MARTIN 44 ARKEA-B&B HOTELS 01h 50′ 11“ + 00h 00′ 34“ – –
5 DIEGO ULISSI 7 UAE TEAM EMIRATES 01h 50′ 17“ + 00h 00′ 40“ – –
6 FINN LACHLAN FOX FISHER 4 UAE TEAM EMIRATES 01h 50′ 21“ + 00h 00′ 44“ – –
7 WARREN BARGUIL 71 TEAM DSM-FIRMENICH POSTNL 01h 50′ 38“ + 00h 01′ 01“ – –
8 MAURI VANSEVENANT 11 SOUDAL QUICK-STEP 01h 50′ 43“ + 00h 01′ 06“ – –
9 JOHANNES KULSET 105 UNO-X MOBILITY 01h 50′ 47“ + 00h 01′ 10“ – –
10 IVAN COBO CAYON 121 EQUIPO KERN PHARMA 01h 50′ 50“ + 00h 01′ 13“

Endstand:

01 Yates Adam UAE Team Emirates 14:22:30
02 Hirt Jan Soudal Quick-Step + 19
03 Fisher-Black Finn UAE Team Emirates + 39
04 Ulissi Diego UAE Team Emirates + 44
05 Rodriguez Cristian ARKEA-B&B HOTELS + 54
06 Barguil Warren Team dsm-firmenich PostNL + 01:15
07 Vansevenant Mauri Soudal Quick-Step + 01:16
08 Kulset Johannes Uno-X Mobility + 01:27
09 Cobo Cayon Ivan Equipo Kern Pharma + 01:30
10 Faure-Prost Alexy Intermarché-Wanty + 01:33
11 Zwiehoff Ben BORA-hansgrohe + 01:44

Tour of Oman – 3. Etappe:

Ergebnisse, Etappenrennen, , , , ,

Naseem Garden nach Al Bustan 76km (Ersatz wegen Wetter)

Al Bustan, Monday, February, 12th 2024 – Paul Magnier and Luke Lamperti stormed the Tour of Oman as Soudal Quick-Step’s young power duo dominated the uphill finish of stage 3, in Al Bustan. The young French sprinter (19 years old) made the most of his explosive abilities to claim his second professional win already… And his young American teammate (21) came 2nd and claimed the red leader jersey from the barely older Finn Fisher-Black (UAE Team Emirates, 22). Magnier and Lamperti were teammates last year in the UCI Continental Team Trinity Racing… Their association immediately makes wonders among the professionals! The stage, initially set to head to Eastern Mountain, was adapted due to the exceptional weather conditions in the Sultanate of Oman.

STAGE 3 CLASSIFICATION
1. Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) 1h47’54’’
2. Luke Lamperti (Soudal Quick-Step) +00’’
3. Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) +00’’

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Luke Lamperti (Soudal Quick-Step) 10h15’16’’
2. Finn Fisher-Black (UAE Team Emirates) +00’’
3. Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates) +08’’


Plomi Foto

Verkürzung der Etappe 4 morgen wegen Wetter:
Due to the exceptional weather conditions and to ensure the safety of the riders, the Royal Oman Police, Oman Cycling Association and all relevant Omani authorities have worked in collaboration with the commissaires panel of the Union Cycliste Internationale, the representatives of the teams and riders (A.I.G.C.P, C.P.A) and the organisation of the event (A.S.O.) have decided to shortened stage 4, Al Rustaq Fort – Yitti Hills, and to propose another shorter and safer stage: Fanja – Yitti Hills (104 kilometres).
The stage will start from Fanja at 9.30 AM GST and finish in Yitti Hills at 12:10 PM GST.

Tour of Oman – 2. Etappe:

Ergebnisse, Etappenrennen, Strassenrennen, , ,

Al Sifah – Qurayyat – 170 Km

Bergankunft im strömenden Regen im Oman!
Die morgige 3. Etappe wird wegen des angekündigten schlechten Wetters mit heftigen Gewittern auf 76km verkürzt.

1 FISHER-BLACK Finn NZL UAE Team Emirates 04:04:04
2 LAMPERTI Luke USA Soudal Quick-Step 00:02
3 ULISSI Diego ITA UAE Team Emirates 00:02
4 CHARMIG Anthon DEN Astana Qazaqstan Team 00:02
5 ADRIÀ Roger ESP BORA-hansgrohe 00:02
6 YATES Adam BEL UAE Team Emirates 00:02
7 VANSEVENANT Mauri BEL Soudal Quick-Step 00:02
8 BERCKMOES Jenno BEL Lotto Dstny 00:02
9 VERRE Alessandro ITA ARKEA-B&B HOTELS 00:06
10 DE PRETTO Davide ITA Team Jayco-AlUla 00:06
11 PESENTI Thomas ITA JCL Team UKYO 00:06
12 BARGUIL Warren FRA Team dsm-firmenich PostNL 00:06
13 ZWIEHOFF Ben GER BORA-hansgrohe 00:06
14 HERRADA Jesus ESP Cofidis 00:06
15 HIRT Jan CZE Soudal Quick-Step 00:06
16 BUSATTO Francesco ITA Intermarché-Wanty 00:09
17 KULSET Johannes NOR Uno-X Mobility 00:09
18 COBO CAYON Ivan ESP Equipo Kern Pharma 00:09
19 ROTA Lorenzo ITA Intermarché-Wanty 00:12
20 PALZER Anton GER BORA-hansgrohe 00:12
21 KUDUS Merhawi ERI Terengganu Cycling Team 00:12

Gesamt:

1 FISHER-BLACK Finn NZL UAE Team Emirates 08:27:22
2 LAMPERTI Luke USA Soudal Quick-Step 00:06
3 ULISSI Diego ITA UAE Team Emirates 00:08
4 ADRIÀ Roger ESP BORA-hansgrohe 00:12
5 CHARMIG Anthon DEN Astana Qazaqstan Team 00:12
6 YATES Adam BEL UAE Team Emirates 00:12
7 BERCKMOES Jenno BEL Lotto Dstny 00:12
8 VANSEVENANT Mauri BEL Soudal Quick-Step 00:12
9 ZWIEHOFF Ben GER BORA-hansgrohe 00:16
10 PESENTI Thomas ITA JCL Team UKYO 00:16
11 VERRE Alessandro ITA ARKEA-B&B HOTELS 00:16
12 DE PRETTO Davide ITA Team Jayco-AlUla 00:16
13 BARGUIL Warren FRA Team dsm-firmenich PostNL 00:16
14 HERRADA Jesus ESP Cofidis 00:16
15 HIRT Jan CZE Soudal Quick-Step 00:16
16 KULSET Johannes NOR Uno-X Mobility 00:19
17 COBO CAYON Ivan ESP Equipo Kern Pharma 00:19
18 BUSATTO Francesco ITA Intermarché-Wanty 00:19
19 KUDUS Merhawi ERI Terengganu Cycling Team 00:22
20 ARTZ Huub NED Intermarché-Wanty 00:22
21 HERZOG Emil GER BORA-hansgrohe 00:22
22 PALZER Anton GER BORA-hansgrohe 00:22
23 BUCHMANN Emanuel GER BORA-hansgrohe 00:22

Qurayyat, Sunday, February, 11th 2024 – A couple of days after he opened his tally for 2024, in the Muscat Classic, Finn Fisher-Black (UAE Team Emirates) punched his way to another victory on stage 2 of the Tour of Oman 2024. The young New-Zealander proved again to be the strongest when the road rose on the final ascent of the day, in Qurayyat. Showered by the heavy rain (an unusual sight in the Sultanate to spice up the race), Fisher-Black got the better of Luke Lamperti (Soudal Quick-Step), already runner-up on Friday, and Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates), already 3rd last year in Qurayyat.

Due to the exceptional weather conditions and to ensure the safety of the riders, the Royal Oman Police, Oman Cycling Association and all relevant Omani authorities have worked in collaboration with the commissaires panel of the Union Cycliste Internationale, the representatives of the teams and riders (A.I.G.C.P, C.P.A) and the organisation of the event (A.S.O.) have decided to modify stage 3, Bid Bid – Eastern Mountain, and to propose another shorter and safer stage: Naseem Garden – Al Bustan (76 kilometres).
The stage will start from Naseem Garden at 10 AM GST and finish in Al Bustan at 12:00 PM GST.

Tour of Oman – 1. Etappe:

Ergebnisse, Etappenrennen, , ,

Oman Across Ages Museum – Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre – OCEC – 182Km

1 EWAN Caleb AUS Team Jayco-AlUla 04:23:28
2 COQUARD Bryan FRA Cofidis 00:00
3 KRISTOFF Alexander NOR Uno-X Mobility 00:00
4 SYRITSA Gleb RUS Astana Qazaqstan Team 00:00
5 MAGNIER Paul FRA Soudal Quick-Step 00:00
6 CAPIOT Amaury BEL ARKEA-B&B HOTELS 00:00
7 DE POOTER Dries BEL Intermarché-Wanty 00:00
8 MALUCELLI Matteo ITA JCL Team UKYO 00:00
9 BRUSTENGA Marc ESP Equipo Kern Pharma 00:00
10 JAKOBSEN Fabio NED Team dsm-firmenich PostNL 00:00
11 ARTZ Huub NED Intermarché-Wanty 00:00
12 LAMPERTI Luke USA Soudal Quick-Step 00:00
13 TAMINIAUX Lionel BEL Lotto Dstny 00:00
14 FUENTES Angel ESP Burgos-BH 00:00
15 ADRIÀ Roger ESP BORA-hansgrohe 00:00
16 PELEGRÍ Óscar ESP Burgos-BH 00:00
17 HODEG Alvaro COL UAE Team Emirates 00:00
18 LAKASEK Irwandie MAS Terengganu Cycling Team 00:00
19 ZWIEHOFF Ben GER BORA-hansgrohe 00:00
20 KULSET Johannes NOR Uno-X Mobility 00:00

Caleb Ewan was the fastest in the mass gallop at the end of stage 1 of the Tour of Oman 2024, in front of the Oman Convention and Exhibition Center, where he took his first victory since his return to Jayco AlUla. On a slightly rising final straight, the Australian ‘Pocket Rocket’ got the better of Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) and Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X Mobility) in what could very well be the only opportunity for the sprinters this week in the Sultanate. On Sunday, the road rises to Qurayyat… And Ewan will face it with the red leader jersey.

TOUR OF OMAN 2024

Etappenrennen, Vorschau, ,

Key points:

 The 13th Tour of Oman, scheduled for 10 to 14 February, will serve up a five-course menu catering to all tastes, from sprinters and punchers to climbers. Its two iconic climbs —Eastern Mountain (stage 3) and Green Mountain (stage 5)— will be tough nuts to crack at this point in the season.
 Battle-hardened favourites such as Adam Yates, Emanuel Buchmann and Jesús Herrada will have to keep a close eye on stars in the making such as the whiz kid Isaac del Toro and the new French kids on the block, Antoine Huby, Paul Magnier and Alexy Faure-Prost.
 As the preamble to the Tour of Oman, the big guns will fire the opening salvo in the second edition of the Muscat Classic, on a 174.3 km course finishing on a 1.1 km with an average gradient of 10% climb that is the perfect launch pad for a puncher to launch a searing attack.

The sprinters know full well that their climber colleagues will have to wait for their day in the sun in the Tour of Oman. Alexander Kristoff, the most prolific stage hunter in the history of the race, is determined to take his tally to 10 victories, but he will have to contend with rivals such as Caleb Ewan, Fabio Jakobsen, Bryan Coquard and the precocious Paul Magnier, who let his raw speed do the talking in Spain for the first race of the season. The Norwegian will have but one shot at this goal, considering that the summit finish of stage 2 to Qurayyat, a 2.6 km ascent at an average gradient of 7%, is probably more than he can handle.
In stage 3, the finish on Eastern Mountain will take the riders over the 1,000-metre mark for the first time in the week and, perhaps, the season. The climbers will cross swords on this 4.6 km ascent at 8.5%. After this litmus test comes the up-and-down profile of stage 4, featuring the Yitti Hills, where Diego Ulissi will be coming back for seconds after his win in 2023.
However, the moment of truth will come on the slopes of Jabal al-Akhdar, or Green Mountain, where Mauri Vansevenant came a single second short of taking the win from Matteo Jorgenson last year. The Belgian is out to get his own back, but he will be facing other rivals this time round. Adam Yates constitutes the main threat in his first participation in the race, but there are a host of riders eager to use the slopes as springboards to success: Emanuel Buchmann, Isaac del Toro, Louis Meintjes, Jesús Herrada, Cristian Rodríguez and Warren Barguil have also thrown their hats into the ring.

Muscat Classic:
Al Mouj Muscat Al Bustan

2024 stages Tour of Oman:
Stage 1: Oman Across Ages Museum > Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre (OCEC)
Stage 2: As Sifah > Qurayyat
Stage 3: Bid Bid > Eastern Mountain
Stage 4: Al Rustaq Fort > Yitti Hills
Stage 5: Imty > Jabal Al Akhdhar (Green Mountain)

17 TEAMS, MAIN CONTENDERS:

Germany
Bora–Hansgrohe: Buchmann and Herzog (GER)

Australia
Team Jayco AlUla: Ewan, Hamilton (AUS) and De Marchi (ITA)

Belgium
Soudal–Quick-Step: Vansevenant (BEL), Huby and Magnier (FRA)
Lotto Dstny: T.De Gendt (BEL)
Intermarché–Wanty: Meintjes (RSA) and Faure Prost (FRA)

United Arab Emirates
UAE Team Emirates: A.Yates (GBR), Del Toro (MEX) and Ulissi (ITA)

Spain
Equipo Kern Pharma: U.Aznar (ESP)
BurgosBH: Fuentes (ESP) and Sainbayaryn (MGL)

France
Cofidis: Coquard (FRA) and J.Herrada (ESP)
Arkéa–B&B Hotels: Gesbert (FRA) and Rodríguez (ESP)

Japan
JCL Team Ukyo: Earle (AUS) and Pesenti (ITA)

Kazakhstan
Astana Qazaqstan Team: Charmig (DEN) and Schelling (NED)

Malaysia
Terengganu Cycling Team: Kudus (ERI)

Norway
Uno-X Mobility: Kristoff (NOR) and Wallin (DEN)

Oman
Oman National Team: TBC

Netherlands
Team DSM–Firmenich PostNL: Barguil (FRA) and Jakobsen (NED)

Thaïland
Rookai Insurance: Carstensen (GER)

Tour of Oman – 5. Etappe

Ergebnisse, Etappenrennen, Teamnews, , , , , , ,

Samail – Jabal Al Akhdhar – 152 Km


Plomi Foto

1 [BEL] Vansevenant Mauri Soudal Quick-Step 03:53:51
2 [USA] Jorgenson Matteo Movistar Team + 00
3 [FRA] Bouchard Geoffrey AG2R Citroën Team + 12
4 [EST] Taaramäe Rein Intermarché-Circus-Wanty + 22
5 [BEL] Van Gils Maxim Lotto Dstny + 37
6 [ITA] Ulissi Diego UAE Team Emirates + 37
7 [ESP] Rodriguez Cristian Team Arkéa-Samsic + 58
8 [ESP] Herrada Jesus Cofidis + 58
9 [ESP] Verona Carlos Movistar Team + 01:00
10 [BEL] Uijtdebroeks Cian BORA-hansgrohe + 01:12
11 [GER] Buchmann Emanuel BORA-hansgrohe + 01:21
12 [DEN] Eg Niklas Uno-X Pro Cycling Team + 01:21
13 [GER] Zwiehoff Ben BORA-hansgrohe + 01:30
14 [MON] Langellotti Victor Burgos-BH + 01:35
15 [CZE] Hirt Jan Soudal Quick-Step

Endstand:

1 JORGENSON Matteo USA MOVISTAR TEAM 19:56:21
2 VANSEVENANT Mauri BEL SOUDAL QUICK-STEP 00:01
3 BOUCHARD Geoffrey FRA AG2R CITROËN TEAM 00:28
4 TAARAMÄE Rein EST INTERMARCHÉ-CIRCUS-WANTY 00:46
5 ULISSI Diego ITA UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:48
6 VAN GILS Maxim BEL LOTTO DSTNY 00:58
7 HERRADA Jesus ESP COFIDIS 01:20
8 RODRIGUEZ Cristian ESP TEAM ARKÉA-SAMSIC 01:22
9 UIJTDEBROEKS Cian BEL BORA-HANSGROHE 01:36
10 VERONA Carlos ESP MOVISTAR TEAM 01:37
11 LANGELLOTTI Victor MON BURGOS-BH 01:59
12 EG Niklas DEN UNO-X PRO CYCLING TEAM 02:01
13 BUCHMANN Emanuel GER BORA-HANSGROHE 02:07
14 HIRT Jan CZE SOUDAL QUICK-STEP 02:21
15 ZWIEHOFF Ben GER BORA-HANSGROHE 02:40

Cian Uijtdebroeks verteidigt Top Ten Platz am letzten Tag der Tour of Oman

Mit einer Bergankunft auf dem Green Mountain wurde heute die Tour of Oman entschieden. Zwar setzte sich erneut eine Spitzengruppe früh vom Feld ab, allerdings ohne jemals echte Chancen auf einen Sieg zu haben. Es kam zum erwarteten GC-Showdown und am Ende setzen sich die besten Bergfahrer dieser Woche erneut durch. M. Vansevenant holte sich den Tagessieg, während M. Jorgenson mit Rang zwei den Gesamtsieg absichern konnte. Cian Uijtdebroeks verteidigte mit Rang 10 auf der letzten Etappe, dicht gefolgt von Emanuel Buchmann auf Rang 11, seinen 9. Rang in der Gesamtwertung. BORA – hansgrohe konnte auch die Teamwertung der Tour of Oman 2023 für sich entscheiden.

Von der Ziellinie

“Am Ende muss man sagen, dass es keine komplizierte Etappe war. Das Rennen war immer Kontrolle und am Ende waren die besten Fahrer vorne. Der Green Mountain ist ein fairer Berg, da entscheiden einfach die Beine. Cian hatte heute leider nicht den besten Tag und konnte nicht ganz seine gewohnte Leistung abrufen. Da müssen wir erst analysieren, woran das gelegen hat. Rang neun in der Gesamtwertung ist nicht schlecht, aber wir hatten uns schon etwas mehr ausgerechnet. Erfreulich ist aber in jedem Fall, dass wir die Mannschaftswertung gewinnen konnten. Emu und Ben sind ebenfalls ein solides Rennen gefahren und das hat uns diesen Sieg abgesichert.” – Rolf Aldag, Sportlicher Leiter

Vansevenant – Jorgenson, wonderkids tame Green Mountain

The final stage of the Tour of Oman 2023, set for the first time up the ascent of Jabal Al Akhdhar (Green Mountain), saw two 23-year-old talents rise to victory in an explosive finale. Mauri Vansevenant (Soudal Quick-Step) was the strongest on the brutal slopes of a 5.7km ascent with an average gradient of 10.5% to take an emotional victory in front of his family, who came to Oman to support him. Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) managed to hang on and save the leader’s red jersey for 1’’. A couple of days after his first professional victory, he becomes the first American overall winner of the Tour of Oman.

The final challenges of the Tour of Oman 2023 inspire seven attackers who get on the move as soon as they leave Samail: Lawrence Naesen (AG2R Citroën), Ceriel Desal (Bingoal WB), Angel Fuentes (Burgos-BH), the Oman National Champion Faisal Al Mamari (Oman National Team), Benjamin Perry (Human Powered Health), Irwandie Lakasek (Terengganu Polygon) and Manabu Ishibashi (JCL Team Ukyo).

Astana Qazaqstan pull the bunch
They open a gap of 4’10’’ after 14km but Astana Qazaqstan react at the front of the bunch to defend the options of Alexey Lutsenko, who dominated Jabal Al Akhdhar and the Tour of Oman on two occasions (2018, 2019). The Asian team control the gap around 2 minutes.
Al Mamari goes first through the intermediate sprint of Wadi Squt (62.7km to go). Some 20km further, Lakasek and then Al Mamari are dropped by their breakaway companions.
The gap increases again, up to 2’40’’, before the peloton up the ante inside the last 30km. But the attackers also increase their pace. They still hold an advantage of 1’20’’ at the bottom of the climb up Jabal Al Akhdhar (Green Mountain): 5.7km at 10.5% to decide the Tour of Oman 2023.

The final showdown
Intermarché-Circus-Wanty set the pace on the first part of the ascent. Naesen and Desal are the last riders to be caught, just inside the last 4km of ascent.
With 3km to go, only Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar), Mauri Vansevenant (Soudal Quick-Step) and Geoffrey Bouchard (AG2R Citroën) can keep up with Rein Taarämae (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty). But the Estonian climber is the next rider to drop.
It eventually comes down to a brutal uphill sprint. Vansevenant is the most explosive to take victory in front of his parents and his sister. But Jorgenson hangs on to win the overall standings by 1’’.

Tour of Oman – 4. Etappe

Ergebnisse, Etappenrennen, , , , , , , , ,

Alle zehn Fahrer, die gestern, kurz vor dem Ziel der 3. Etappe, durch die verschobenen Banden aufgehalten wurden, erhalten eine Zeitgutschrift in Höhe von 20 Sekunden. Dazu zählen auch die beiden Deutschen Emanuel Buchmann und Ben Zwiehoff vom Team Bora – hansgrohe.

Rund 200 Meter vor dem Ziel der Mini-Bergankunft am Jabal Haat war hinter den Top 15 am Montag plötzlich eine ganze Kette an Absperrgittern durch einen tieffliegenden Hubschrauber quer auf die Straße geblasen worden. Der Weg war dadurch komplett blockiert und 10 Fahrer mussten stoppen. Bis die Bande ein wenig zur Seite geschoben werden konnte vergingen ca. 13 Sekunden.

Der Hubschrauberpilot darf heute an der Tour of Oman nicht mehr teilnehmen.

Izki – Yitti Hills 205km:


Plomi Fotos

1 [ITA] Ulissi Diego UAE Team Emirates 04:36:48
2 [FRA] Zingle Axel Cofidis + 00
3 [NED] Schelling Ide BORA-hansgrohe + 00
4 [BEL] Warlop Jordi Soudal Quick-Step + 00
5 [DEN] Bendixen Louis Uno-X Pro Cycling Team + 00
6 [BEL] Biermans Jenthe Team Arkéa-Samsic + 00
7 [ITA] Vendrame Andrea AG2R Citroën Team + 00
8 [BEL] Van Gils Maxim Lotto Dstny + 00
9 [ESP] Herrada Jesus Cofidis + 00
10 [KAZ] Lutsenko Alexey Astana Qazaqstan Team + 00
11 [BEL] Van Boven Luca Bingoal WB + 00
12 [BEL] Naesen Lawrence AG2R Citroën Team + 00
13 [USA] Jorgenson Matteo Movistar Team + 00
14 [GER] Buchmann Emanuel BORA-hansgrohe + 00
15 [BEL] Teugels Lennert Bingoal WB + 00
16 [BEL] Vansevenant Mauri Soudal Quick-Step + 00
17 [COL] Tejada Harold Astana Qazaqstan Team + 00
18 [GER] Zwiehoff Ben BORA-hansgrohe + 00
19 [ITA] Formolo Davide UAE Team Emirates + 00
20 [DEN] Eg Niklas Uno-X Pro Cycling Team

Gesamt:

1 [USA] Jorgenson Matteo Movistar Team 16:02:36
2 [ITA] Ulissi Diego UAE Team Emirates + 05
3 [BEL] Vansevenant Mauri Soudal Quick-Step + 05
4 [FRA] Bouchard Geoffrey AG2R Citroën Team + 14
5 [BEL] Van Gils Maxim Lotto Dstny + 15
6 [ESP] Herrada Jesus Cofidis + 16
7 [EST] Taaramäe Rein Intermarché-Circus-Wanty + 18
8 [MON] Langellotti Victor Burgos-BH + 18
9 [BEL] Uijtdebroeks Cian BORA-hansgrohe + 18
10 [ESP] Rodriguez Cristian Team Arkéa-S

Ide Schelling am Podest der vierten Etappe der Tour of Oman

Die mit 205 km längste Etappe der diesjährigen Tour of Oman wartet am vorletzten Tag mit zwei Anstiegen auf den letzten zehn Kilometern auf. Eine Ausreißergruppe konnte sich erst nach 90 km formieren, aber das Feld hielt sie immer gut unter Kontrolle und die Spitze wurde rechtzeitig wieder eingeholt. Im letzten Anstieg kam es zu Attacken aus einem reduzierten Feld und es gelang D. Ulissi sich etwas abzusetzen. Im Sprint zeigte sich Ide Schelling stark und rollte beim Sieg von Ulissi als Dritter über die Ziellinie.

Reaktionen im Ziel
„Es war ein schneller und hektischer Start heute, keiner wollte eine Ausreißergruppe wegkommen lassen, was uns eigentlich in die Karten spielte. Im welligen Finale waren wir mit den beiden Anstiegen gut vertraut und die Jungs waren dort die ganze Zeit gut positioniert. Ben hat Ide dann auch sehr gut um die Zielkurve gebracht und mit 250 m bis zum Ziel hat der Niederländer seinen Sprint eröffnet und letztendlich den dritten Platz eingefahren. Was das Gesamtklassement betrifft, haben wir auch unseren 9. Platz mit Cian verteidigt und wir führen weiterhin die Teamwertung mit einem Vorsprung von 41 Sekunden an. Also insofern war es ein guter Tag und die Jungs fühlten sich ziemlich gut.“ – Rolf Aldag, Sportlicher Leiter

Ulissi punches over Yitti Hills

After he came close to victory in Qurayyat and Al Hamra, Diego Ulissi rose his arms in triumph on Tuesday, in Yitti. Stage 4, the longest of the Tour of Oman 2023 (204.9km), had an explosive finale in store for the peloton with a couple of ascents in the last 10 km. Pascal Ackermann, Ulissi’s teammate in the ranks of UAE Team Emirates, went on the move on these up and down sections before he was caught with 2km to go… It was then time for the Italian puncheur to display his power and take victory ahead of Axel Zingle (Cofidis) and Ide Schelling (Bora-Hansgrohe), while Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) retained the leader’s red jersey. After a week of racing in the Sultanate, a final challenge awaits the rider: the mighty climb up Jabal Al Akhdhar (Green Mountain), where the overall winner of the Tour of Oman will be crowned.

As usual in this Tour of Oman 2023, attackers get on the move immediately after the start, from Izki. But the 204.9km ahead of them inspire many riders, leading to a relentless battle for the break of the day.
Josef Cerny (Soudal Quick-Step) tries to make the most of his raw power to make a difference. Jeroen Meijers (Terengganu Polygon) is also determined to race at the front to defend his golden jersey as the leader of the most aggressive rider classification.

Two hours of battle for the break
But everyone get back together ahead of the first intermediate sprint (km 52.4). Fredrik Dversnes seizes the opportunity to take 3 points and the lead of the virtual standings against Meijers (13 pts vs 11).
It takes two hours of racing at 47.3km/h for a group of attackers to eventually make the break with Dversnes, back at the front after he was reeled in by the bunch, as well as the U23 World Champion Yevgeniy Fedorov (Astana Qazaqstan), Urko Berrade (Kern Pharma) and the winner of the African Games Youcef Reguigui (Terengganu Polygon).

Movistar, Arkéa-Samsic and Cofidis work together
After such a battle, they enter the last 100km with a lead of 3’40’’. Matteo Jorgenson’s Movistar drive the bunch to defend the red jersey and they quickly receive support from Arkéa-Samsic and Cofidis. They control the gap around 2 minutes. Reguigui dominates the second intermediate sprint (49.2km to go) ahead of Dversnes, who extends his lead in the most aggressive rider classification. Reguigui drops back to the bunch as his breakaway companions enter the last 20km with a lead of 1’10’’.

Ackermann attacks, Ulissi delivers
Dversnes, Fedorov and Berrade are caught at the bottom of the penultimate climb of the day, in Al Jissah (2.5km at 6.9%). Maxim Van Gils (Lotto Dstny) and Alexey Lutsenko (Astana Qazaqstan) set a brutal pace on the ascent and a small group emerges at the front. Pascal Ackermann (UAE Team Emirates) attacks on the downhill and manages to open a gap of 25’’. He’s caught inside the last 2km to go. Ivan Cobo (Kern Pharma) launches a counter-attack on the final ascent (1.6km at 6.6%). He’s caught right at the summit, inside the last kilometre. The battle for the stage win comes down to a sprint in a reduced bunch. And Diego Ulissi demonstrates once again his expertise in this area. Meanwhile, Matteo Jorgenson safely defends his red jersey on the eve of the final battle up Green Mountain.

Tour of Oman – 3. Etappe

Ergebnisse, Etappenrennen, , , , ,

Al Khobar – Jabal Hatt – 152 Km


Plomi Foto

1 JORGENSON Matteo USA MOVISTAR TEAM 03:33:51
2 VANSEVENANT Mauri BEL SOUDAL QUICK-STEP 00:02
3 BOUCHARD Geoffrey FRA AG2R CITROËN TEAM 00:03
4 RODRIGUEZ Cristian ESP TEAM ARKÉA-SAMSIC 00:03
5 UIJTDEBROEKS Cian BEL BORA-HANSGROHE 00:03
6 LANGELLOTTI Victor MON BURGOS-BH 00:03
7 TAARAMÄE Rein EST INTERMARCHÉ-CIRCUS-WANTY 00:03
8 TEJADA Harold COL ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM 00:07
9 ULISSI Diego ITA UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:09
10 VAN GILS Maxim BEL LOTTO DSTNY 00:11
11 HERRADA Jesus ESP COFIDIS 00:16
12 VERONA Carlos ESP MOVISTAR TEAM 00:16
13 LUTSENKO Alexey KAZ ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM 00:19
14 EG Niklas DEN UNO-X PRO CYCLING TEAM 00:19
15 HIRT Jan CZE SOUDAL QUICK-STEP 00:19
16 ZWIEHOFF Ben GER BORA-HANSGROHE 00:45
17 RIES Michel LUX TEAM ARKÉA-SAMSIC 00:49
18 MEINTJES Louis RSA INTERMARCHÉ-CIRCUS-WANTY 00:52
19 MONIQUET Sylvain BEL LOTTO DSTNY 00:53
20 BUCHMANN Emanuel GER BORA-HANSGROHE 00:53

Gesamt:

1 JORGENSON Matteo USA MOVISTAR TEAM 11:25:48
2 VANSEVENANT Mauri BEL SOUDAL QUICK-STEP 00:06
3 BOUCHARD Geoffrey FRA AG2R CITROËN TEAM 00:14
4 ULISSI Diego ITA UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:15
5 VAN GILS Maxim BEL LOTTO DSTNY 00:15
6 HERRADA Jesus ESP COFIDIS 00:16
7 TAARAMÄE Rein EST INTERMARCHÉ-CIRCUS-WANTY 00:18
8 LANGELLOTTI Victor MON BURGOS-BH 00:18
9 UIJTDEBROEKS Cian BEL BORA-HANSGROHE 00:18
10 RODRIGUEZ Cristian ESP TEAM ARKÉA-SAMSIC 00:18
11 TEJADA Harold COL ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM 00:22
12 VERONA Carlos ESP MOVISTAR TEAM 00:31
13 LUTSENKO Alexey KAZ ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM 00:32
14 EG Niklas DEN UNO-X PRO CYCLING TEAM 00:34
15 HIRT Jan CZE SOUDAL QUICK-STEP 00:34
16 MEINTJES Louis RSA INTERMARCHÉ-CIRCUS-WANTY 01:07
17 TEUGELS Lennert BEL BINGOAL WB 01:08
18 ROCHAS Rémy FRA COFIDIS 01:08
19 BUCHMANN Emanuel GER BORA-HANSGROHE 01:08
20 MONIQUET Sylvain BEL LOTTO DSTNY 01:08

Cian Uijtdebroeks zeigt starke Leistung bei Bergankunft auf 3. Etappe der Tour of Oman

Auf der dritten Teilstrecke waren heute Kletterfähigkeiten gefragt, denn die Etappe endete mit einem 4,5 km langen und durchschnittlich 7,5 Prozent Anstieg zum Jabal Haat. Eine kleine Ausreißergruppe konnte gleich nach dem Start entkommen, doch wenige Kilometer vor dem Ziel wurde diese vom Feld gestellt. Den Schlussanstieg nahmen dann Emu Buchmann, Cian Uijtdebroeks und Ben Zwiehoff in einer 35 Mann starken Gruppe in Angriff. Im steilsten Teil mussten die beiden deutschen BORA – hansgrohe Fahrer, auch wegen eines Zwischenfalls mit Absperrungen die der Helikopter auf die Fahrbahn blies, reißen lassen, während Cian die Angriffe aus einer kleinen Gruppe bis auf die letzten Meter folgen konnte. Beim Sieg von M. Jorgenson belegte der junge Belgier den 5. Platz, nur drei Sekunden hinter dem Sieger und ist damit derzeit Neunter in der Gesamtwertung.

Reaktionen im Ziel

„Heute war ein guter Tag für mich, auch was die Gesamtwertung betrifft. Es war ein schwieriges Finish, denn der Anstieg war ziemlich punchy. Die Jungs, besonders Emu, haben mir den ganzen Tag gut geholfen, damit ich meine Energie sparen konnte. Die Anfahrt zum letzten Anstieg war nicht leicht, aber wir haben den Fuß der Steigung in einer guter Position erreicht. Am Anstieg selbst haben die Jungs mir geholfen, meine gute Position beizubehalten. Als die Attacken begannen, konnte ich ziemlich leicht folgen, aber der Sprint am Ende war ein bisschen zu explosiv. Am Ende belegte ich den 5. Platz aber am wichtigsten war, dass ich im Anstieg ein gutes Gefühl hatte und somit können wir uns auf den Green Mountain Anstieg, der mir sicher viel besser liegt, bestimmt freuen.“ – Cian Uijtdebroeks


Foto Plomi

„Das Rennen war ziemlich schnell, aber gut kontrolliert. Alles lief auf den letzten Berg hinaus. Der Anstieg begann sehr steil, wo das Feld schnell zerbröckelte. Wir hatten Emu und Cian als Kapitäne auserkoren und unser Team hat unseren Plan gut umgesetzt. Aber es scheint, dass Barrieren durch den Hubschrauber auf die Straße gefegt wurden, wodurch Emu und Ben etwas behindert waren. Cian war vorne in einer Gruppe von sechs Fahrern, eröffnete seinen Sprint aber etwas zu früh und belegte am Ende den 5. Platz. Aber es ist besser etwas zu früh zu sein als zu lange zu warten.“ – Rolf Aldag, Sportlicher Leiter


Jorgenson rises to a maiden victory

Young American talent Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) flew to his professional victory on stage 3 of the Tour of Oman 2023. The 23-year-old climber made the most of the steepest sections leading to an unprecedented finish in Al Hamra (climb of Jabal Hatt, 4.6km at 8.5%) to get the best of another young rising talent, Belgium’s Mauri Vansevenant (Soudal Quick-Step), and France’s Geoffrey Bouchard (AG2R Citroën). Not only does Jorgenson take the stage win, he also claims the leader’s red jersey. On day 4, the penultimate stage ahead of the final showdown up Jabal Al Akhdhar (Green Mountain), the peloton face another explosive finish on the Yitti Hills.

The start from Al Khobar quickly sees five attackers jump ahead of the bunch: Johan Meens (Bingoal WB), Alejandro Franco (Burgos-BH), Said Al Rahbi (Oman National Team), Stephen Bassett (Human Powered Health) and Mohd Harrif Saleh (Terengganu Polygon).
They open a gap of 3’30’’ while Jesus Herrada’s Cofidis take the reins of the bunch to defend the leader’s red jersey.

Cofidis and UAE pull
Al Rahbi and Saleh struggle on an uphill section 45km into the stage. Saleh makes his way back to the front of the race but Al Rahbi drops back to the bunch.
Saleh goes first at the intermediate sprint (km 93.1) to defend his teammate Jeroen Meijers’ golden jersey as the leader of the most aggressive rider classification. He then drops back to the bunch.
Meens, Franco and Bassett enter the last 50km with a lead of 3’30’’. A dozen kilometres further into the race, UAE Team Emirates also send a man at the front of the bunch to participate in the chase.

Jorgenson pounces
The gap drops down to 1’40’’ into the last 20km and under a minute with 12km to go. The attackers are eventually caught just ahead of the final ascent: 4.6km at 8.5% with sections around 15% in the last 2km.
Already in the top 5 up Qurayyat, Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) senses his opportunity to make a difference. Alexey Lutsenko (Astana Qazaqstan) also wants to make it a hard race. But nobody, not even the Kazakh all rounder (a 2-time winner of the Tour of Oman), can’t resist when Jorgenson sprints to victory in the final 200m.

Tour of Oman – 2. Etappe

Ergebnisse, Etappenrennen, , , ,

Muscat (Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex) – Qurayyat – 174 Km


Plomi Foto

1 HERRADA Jesus ESP COFIDIS 04:21:07
2 VAN GILS Maxim BEL LOTTO DSTNY 00:00
3 ULISSI Diego ITA UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:00
4 JORGENSON Matteo USA MOVISTAR TEAM 00:00
5 VANSEVENANT Mauri BEL SOUDAL QUICK-STEP 00:00
6 LUTSENKO Alexey KAZ ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM 00:03
7 ROCHAS Rémy FRA COFIDIS 00:05
8 RODRIGUEZ Cristian ESP TEAM ARKÉA-SAMSIC 00:05
9 DEWULF Stan BEL AG2R CITROËN TEAM 00:05
10 FORMOLO Davide ITA UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:05
11 BUCHMANN Emanuel GER BORA-HANSGROHE 00:05
12 LANGELLOTTI Victor MON BURGOS-BH 00:05
13 TAARAMÄE Rein EST INTERMARCHÉ-CIRCUS-WANTY 00:05
14 EG Niklas DEN UNO-X PRO CYCLING TEAM 00:05
15 VERONA Carlos ESP MOVISTAR TEAM 00:05

Gesamt:

1 HERRADA Jesus ESP COFIDIS 07:51:57
2 VAN GILS Maxim BEL LOTTO DSTNY 00:04
3 ULISSI Diego ITA UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:06
4 VANSEVENANT Mauri BEL SOUDAL QUICK-STEP 00:10
5 JORGENSON Matteo USA MOVISTAR TEAM 00:10
6 LUTSENKO Alexey KAZ ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM 00:13
7 FORMOLO Davide ITA UAE TEAM EMIRATES 00:15
8 TEUGELS Lennert BEL BINGOAL WB 00:15
9 EG Niklas DEN UNO-X PRO CYCLING TEAM 00:15
10 TEJADA Harold COL ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM 00:15
11 ROCHAS Rémy FRA COFIDIS 00:15
12 BUCHMANN Emanuel GER BORA-HANSGROHE 00:15
13 MEINTJES Louis RSA INTERMARCHÉ-CIRCUS-WANTY 00:15
14 DE TIER Floris BEL BINGOAL WB 00:15
15 TAARAMÄE Rein EST INTERMARCHÉ-CIRCUS-WANTY 00:15

BORA – hansgrohe verpasst knapp die Top-10 auf zweiter Etappe der Tour of Oman

Der zweite Renntag der Tour of Oman wurde über lange Zeit von einer frühen Spitzengruppe geprägt, deren Bemühungen jedoch nach 150 km an der Spitze unbelohnt blieben. Der 3 km lange Schlussanstieg mit rund 6,5 Prozent Steigung sorgte dann für eine Selektion im Feld. Immer wieder gab es Attacken und auch Emanuel Buchmann, Giovanni Aleotti, Ben Zwiehoff und Cian Uijtdebroeks zeigten sich aktiv im letzten Anstieg, konnten jedoch im Bergaufsprint letztlich nicht in den Kampf um den Sieg eingreifen. Diesen holte sich J. Herrada während Emanuel Buchmann auf Platz 11, fünf Sekunden hinter dem Tagessieger, bester Fahrer des Rennstalls aus Raubling war.

A ferocious attack in the final metres up the ascent of Qurayyat got Jesus Herrada (Cofidis) the prizes he was aiming for: the win in stage 2 of the Tour of Oman 2023 and the overall lead. The Spanish puncheur made the most of his skills and his knowledge of this specific terrain to pounce at the perfect moment and get the best of Maxim Van Gils (Lotto Dstny) and Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates). Already a podium finisher in the Tour of Oman (3rd in 2019, a year that saw him finish 2nd in Qurayyat), Herrada says he wants to keep the red jersey all the way to Jabal Al Akhdhar (Green Mountain), the final summit of this 12th edition, on Wednesday.

As soon as the peloton leave the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, they head to the infamous climb of Al Jabal Street (3.5km at 9.2%), where riders unleash a flurry of attacks. Ivan Cobo (Equipo Kern Pharma) is the fiercest on the uphill but the peloton don’t give him much room to operate. Alone at the front, he’s caught at the bottom of the downhill.

UAE and Astana control the day

Attacks keep flying on the flat. Fredrik Dversnes (Uno-X) jumps ahead of the bunch at km 15. He’s quickly joined at the front by Luca Van Boven (Bingoal WB) but Dvernes dominates the intermediate sprint of Al Amrat (km 20.1).
The two leaders are joined by four more attackers after 25km: Ivan Cobo, back on the move, Angel Fuentes (Burgos-BH), Kosuke Takeyama (JCL Team Ukyo) and the leader of the most aggressive rider classification, Jeroen Meijers (Terengganu Polygon), wearing the golden jersey after his breakaway on day 1.
The gap is up to 4’ but UAE Team Emirates and Astana Qazaqstan react at the front of the bunch. Mark Cavendish participates in the chase for the kazakh team and the gap sits between 2 and 3 minutes for most of the stage.

Cobo shows again his climbing skills as the attackers face the climb of Qurayyat (2.6km at 7%) for the first time, 52km before the uphill finish. Meijers can’t keep up, he drops back to the bunch.

Herrada’s day
The peloton up the ante after the summit. As the gap drops down to 1 minute, Cobo, Dvernes and Takeyama also drop back to the bunch. Van Boven and Fuentes remain at the front inside the last 30km.
Soudal Quick-Step move to the front of the bunch and put the hammer down with 15km to go. The two attackers remaining at the front are brought in 7km away from the finish, just ahead of the final ascent.
UAE Team Emirates, Bora-Hansgrohe and Arkéa-Samsic set a strong pace for their leaders. But nobody can contain Jesus Herrada’s acceleration in the final 200m. Maxim Van Gils and Diego Ulissi are the closest to the Spaniard.

Tour of Oman – 1. Etappe

Ergebnisse, Etappenrennen, , , , ,

Al Rustaq Fort – Muscat 148km

1 [BEL] Merlier Tim Soudal Quick-Step 03:31:00
2 [NED] Dekker David Team Arkéa-Samsic + 00
3 [FRA] Zingle Axel Cofidis + 00
4 [BEL] Marit Arne Intermarché-Circus-Wanty + 00
5 [NOR] Halvorsen Kristoffer Uno-X Pro Cycling Team + 00
6 [GER] Ackermann Pascal UAE Team Emirates + 00
7 [GBR] Walls Matthew BORA-hansgrohe + 00
8 [DEN] Salby Alexander Bingoal WB + 00
9 [GER] Kanter Max Movistar Team + 00
10 [GER] Selig Rüdiger Lotto Dstny

Merlier, winning dad

Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) is enjoying a great start of the year 2023: he became a father 11 days ago and was already able to dedicate a victory to his young son as he outsprinted his rivals in stage 1 of the Tour of Oman 2023. The Belgian National champion takes his first victory on the road since joining Soudal Quick-Step in the off-season (he also won a cyclo-cross in January). In front of the Oman Convention and Exhibition Center, he got the best of David Dekker (Arkéa-Samsic) and Axel Zingle (Cofidis). This should be the only opportunity for sprinters this week, on the eve of a first summit finish in Qurayyat.

As soon as the peloton head away from Al Rustaq Fort, three attackers get on the move: Rodrigo Alvarez (Burgos-BH), Said Al Rahbi (Oman National Team) and Jeroen Meijers (Terengganu Polygon). They bring their gap up to a maximum of 2’45’’ at km 13 but Tim Merlier’s Soudal Quick-Step quickly react to control the day towards a potential sprint.

Astana pulls for Cavendish, Meijers insists
The attackers cover 42.7km in the first hour and Alvarez dominates the first intermediate sprint of the day (km 60.1). Astana Qazaqstan also work at the front of the peloton as they try to deliver a first opportunity to sprint for Mark Cavendish, who came to Oman for his first races since he joined the Asian WorldTeam.
The gap sits between 1’30’’ and 2’ on the way to Fanja, where Meijers goes first atop the only climb of the day (km 92) to take 3 points in the most aggressive rider classification. The Dutch attacker keeps going with a gap of 2’ to the bunch. His two breakaway companions are distanced.

Merlier delivers

Meijers takes 3 more points in the intermediate sprint (km 101), followed by Al Rahbi and Alvarez. The two chasers are quickly caught by the bunch, trailing by 1’50’’. Bora-Hansgrohe also participate in the chase and Meijers is reeled in with 16km to go.
AG2R Citroën try to control the finale but Soudal Quick-Step move up to the front positions and Tim Merlier delivers the victory for his new team, ahead of David Dekker (Arkéa-Samsic) and Axel Zingle (Cofidis).

MUSCAT CLASSIC / TOUR OF OMAN 2023 INFO WITH ONE DAY TO GO

Eintagsrennen, Etappenrennen, Vorschau, , ,

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.