Muscat/Tour of Oman

Our week of racing in the Sultanate of Oman is approaching to a conclusion, only the brutal finish on the famed Green Mountain remaining of this edition, which debuted with the stage victory of new wolf on the block Tim Merlier.

But before this much-awaited showdown on one of cycling’s toughest ascents, the peloton had to take on a new finish, the Yitti Hills, located some 50 kilometers from the country’s capital, Muscat. The big moves of the day came before that 1.7km climb, on the longer Al Jissah ascent, once the second breakaway of the day – formed after the first attacker of the day Josef Cerny had been reeled in – was nullified.

Having tackled the hill at a rapid pace, the bunch quickly disintegrated following a series of attacks that left only four men, including Mauri Vansevenant, in the lead. The quartet had around 20 seconds on the chasers, but a lack of collaboration on the descent helped the chasers to bridge across, meaning a rather sizeable group arrived at the bottom of the last hurdle.

Jordi Warlop was there for Soudal Quick-Step on the grinding finale, kicking out 150 meters from the line and coming inches from another podium, after his runner-up spot at the Muscat Classic. The Belgian concluded fourth, while Mauri came home in the same time and retained his top 3 place on the GC.

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