The ninth edition of the Middle East race will see the peloton tackle six stages totalling 914.5 kilometres.
This year's Tour of Oman, a race which Quick-Step Floors has won in 2012, will have something for everyone – sprinters, puncheurs and climbers – all present on the line to fine-tune their form before starting their European season.
Bookended by flat stages, the six-day event will once again revolve around the Green Mountain climb, which will feature on the course for the eight year running. Averaging 10.5% over 5.7 kilometers, the grueling ascent will take the sting out of the riders' legs as they will fight not only for the stage win, but also for the overall classification.
Quick-Step Floors will hit the roads of the Sultanate of Oman with a seven-man squad capable of being a protagonist regardless of the terrain. Led from behind the wheel by sports directors Brian Holm and Wilfried Peeters, our riders will try to keep the momentum going and add to the team's astonishing list of results this season.
Tim Declercq, Fabio Jakobsen and Niki Terpstra will continue their Middle East adventure, lining out for the Tour of Oman just three days after completing the Dubai Tour, and will be joined on the start line by Eros Capecchi, Rémi Cavagna, Dries Devenyns and Davide Martinelli, a team that sports director Brian Holm is confident can leave its mark on the race.
"Oman is always demanding, with a mix of sprints and hilly stages. For the flat, we'll rely on Tim 'El Tractor' Declercq and Niki Terpstra to chase the breaks, you could see in Dubai how strong and important they were for the team. In the bunch sprints we'll look to Davide and Fabio, but without putting any pressure on them. Cavagna is a flexible rider, who we can use on the flat, but also when the road rises; together with Capecchi, he will support Dries, who was flying in Australia last month and will carry our GC ambitions here."
Photo: ©Tim De Waele/ Getty Images
