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Observer
12-02-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Flying Dutchman Kooij takes double
Sprinters took full advantage of the flat course of Tour of Oman's Stage 4 as Olav Kooij (Visma–Lease a Bike) prevailed in the bunch sprint to claim his second stage win on Tuesday. Winner of Stage 1, the Dutch rider came on top as 74 cyclists out of 115 who completed the 181.5 km race from Oman Across Ages Museum to Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre, clocked the same time of 04:31:35. Ahead of the 138.5 km concluding stage from Imty to Al Jabal Al Akhdhar (Green Mountain), David Gaudu of Groupama-FDJ held on to his red jersey with a six seconds difference of second-placed Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates XRG). Damien Craig Howson of Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team was overall third with a 12 seconds difference over the topper. In the drag race to the finish line at Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre, Kooij outsmarted Giacomo Nizzolo (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) and Orluis Aular (Movistar Team), who finished second and third respectively. 'I think everyone did a lot of work (Monday). (Tuesday) was actually quite an easy day, we controlled again in a good way and got myself in a good position. Thanks to the boys!' Kooij said after winning the stage. 'We knew the last kilometre would be important to get in a good position. I could then follow the right wheels to start my sprint at exactly the right moment,' he added. Norway's Erlend Blikra (Uno-X Mobility) launched the sprint on the uphill drag to the finish line, but could not keep the pace in the final 200 metres and finished fourth. Max Kanter (XDS Astana) took fifth place. 116 RIDERS ON SADDLE The futuristic backdrop of Oman Across Ages Museum witnessed 116 riders on the saddle for Stage 4. Three riders jumped clear as Kongphob Thimachai (Roojai Insurance), Abdulrehman al Yaaqubi (Omani national team) and Muhammad Mohd Shabri (Terengganu) all featured in the breakaway for the first time in the event. Their advantage peaked at 9′15″ at km 35 of the 181.5-km stage, the widest gap so far in the 14th Tour of Oman. The average speed was 39 km/h at the halfway point. Al Yaaqubi sat up with 90 km to go, leaving just two riders out front. Seven kilometres later, as the road twisted through a maze of ochre mountains, Mohd Shabri suffered a puncture, only narrowly avoiding a crash thanks to his impressive bike-handling skills. Thimachai waited for his fellow escapee to continue the adventure as a duo, while the peloton slashed its deficit to two minutes thanks to Visma–Lease a Bike's efforts to position the big favourite, Olav Kooij, for a repeat win after stage 1. The gap edged back out to 2′40″ at the second intermediate sprint in Ad Dasur (64 km to go), where Mohd Shabri took the top spot, just as he had done earlier in Al Alya (118 km to go). Embret Svestad-Bardseng (Arkea–B&B Hotels), 11th overall, won the sprint for third from the 45 km to go, Mohd Shabri was back with the main group, leaving Thimachai out on his own two minutes up the road. Behind him, sprinter's teams including Picnic-PostNL and Visma-Lease A Bike led the peloton ahead of the expected bunch finish. Thimachai battled on alone into the final 20 km, hanging on to an ever-decreasing gap before finally being brought back at 13 km to go. From there, it was all up to the sprint squads. Soudal-QuickStep and UAE Team Emirates-XRG hit the front, while Groupama-FDJ and Uno-X Mobility also had spells in front in the final five kilometres. Diego Ulissi of XDS Astana Team did not complete the race. Tour of Oman Stage 4 Results rank Rider Country Team Time 1 Olav Kooij Netherlands Team Visma – Lease a Bike 04:31:35 2 Giacomo Nizzolo Italy Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team 04:31:35 3 Orluis Aular Venezuela Movistar Team 04:31:35 4 Erlend Blikra Norway Uno-X Mobility 04:31:35 5 Max Kanter Germany XDS Astana Team 04:31:35 6 Pavel Bittner Czech Republic Team Picnic PostNL 04:31:35 7 Emilien Jeanniere France TotalEnergies 04:31:35 8 Ivan Garcia Cortina Spain Movistar Team 04:31:35 9 Amaury Capiot Belgium Arkea-B&B Hotels 04:31:35 10 Florian Vermeersch Belgium UAE Team Emirates – XRG 04:31:35
Times of Oman
08-02-2025
- Sport
- Times of Oman
Kooij triumphs in Stage 1 of 2025 Tour of Oman, claims leader's jersey
Muscat: Olav Kooij delivered a stunning victory for Visma-Lease a Bike in the opening stage of the 2025 Tour of Oman on Saturday, clinching first place in a thrilling sprint finish at Bimmah Sinkhole. The Dutch sprinter's triumph marked his first win of the season, his 37th career victory, and an assertive start to the race as he donned the inaugural red jersey. The 177.7-km stage unfolded under the scorching desert sun, beginning in Bausher and heading towards the coastal finish at Bimmah Sinkhole. After a tactical battle, Kooij outpaced Pavel Bittner (Picnic PostNL) and Erlend Blikra (Uno-X Mobility) in the final metres, securing the victory ahead of a fast-charging peloton. An early breakaway featured four riders - Mohammed Al Wahibi and Said Al Rahbi from the Oman national team, Rodrigo Álvarez (Burgos Burpellet), and Kane Richards (Roojai Insurance) - who gained a lead of over three minutes. However, the peloton, led by Visma-Lease a Bike, ramped up the pace and reeled in the breakaway as the race neared the final 50km. Visma-Lease a Bike's team tactics proved crucial, as Kooij expertly followed Fernando Gaviria's (Movistar) wheel into the final sprint. "We really wanted to go for the stage, and we took control," Kooij said after the race. "The team gave me a great lead into the last 500 metres, and I launched my sprint at just the right moment." Despite the setback of missing key rider Jørgen Nordhagen due to illness, Visma-Lease a Bike celebrated a successful stage, a win made even more significant after strong performances in the Muscat Classic, where the team showed signs of sprint readiness. As the peloton raced along the plains of the Sea of Oman towards the finish, the final sprint became a battle for positioning. Teams like Picnic PostNL, Movistar, and Uno-X positioned their sprinters well, but Kooij's late surge proved unstoppable. "I could follow Gaviria's wheel and use it to my advantage," Kooij noted, adding, "We're in the lead jersey now, and we'll enjoy this one." With this win, Visma-Lease a Bike now leads the race, with Kooij wearing the red jersey ahead of Sunday's stage. The 2024 Giro d'Italia stage winner lived up to his reputation as the man to beat on Saturday. This was his first victory of the season, his maiden win in Oman, and his 37th career victory. A 120-strong peloton started the 14th Tour of Oman, with Jørgen Nordhagen (Visma–Lease a Bike) and Harm Vanhoucke (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) on the DNS list. The flag went down at 11:42 am under the harsh sun shining on Bausher, on the outskirts of Muscat.
