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Observer
10-02-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Gaudu outsprints Yates to take red
Muscat, FEB 10 Groupama – FDJ's David Gaudu and defending champion Adam Yates of UAE Team Emirates climbed up the ladder in Tour of Oman 2025 to take the top two spots in the overall classification after finishing in the same positions in the mountain stage on Monday. The French rider outsprinted the British cyclist by one second to win the 180.8-kilometre Stage 3 in four hours, 16 minutes and 10 seconds. Yates was second (04:16:11), as Australia's Damien Howson (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) claimed third in 04:16:15. Soudal Quick-Step's Valentin Paret-Peintre (04:16:23) came fourth with his best young rider jersey ahead of Tudor's Marco Brenner (04:16:23). Valentin's teammate Louis Vervaeke, who started the day in the red jersey, fought valiantly but ceded the lead when he was dropped in the final 3km. In the first of Tour of Oman's two summit finishes, the climbers went head to head on Eastern Mountain (1,016 metres), under the gaze of Jabal Sham (3,018 metres), the highest peak in Oman. Gaudu proved strongest in the long-awaited duel against Yates after firing off multiple attacks within the last few hundred metres of the final ascent (4.8 km at 8.5%). Gaudu has 6 seconds in hand over Yates and 12 over Howson going into the last two stages. ''We are already focused on Green Mountain. We will try to keep the red jersey and maybe win a second stage,'' he said. The French cyclist thanked his team. 'I am grateful for the team's work. I have never won a general classification, and we will try to maintain this lead until the end.' In Fanja, 117 riders who had reached Yitti Hills on Sunday were at the start line. Six men made an early move: Nicolas Vinokourov (XDS Astana), Rayan Boulahoite (TotalEnergies), Nur Amirull Mazuki (Terengganu), Andreas Miltiadis (Roojai Insurance) and the Omani national team members Said al Rahbi and Mohamed al Wahibi. It was Soudal Quick-Step that set the pace in the bunch to keep the gap below three minutes after it peaked at 3′20″. UAE Team Emirates XRG soon arrived to defend the interests of Adam Yates. CARNAGE Meanwhile, utter carnage unfolded in the breakaway, with Al Rahbi, Miltiadis and Mazuki cracking at 118, 111 and 102 km to go, respectively, leaving Vinokourov Jr and Boulahoite alone at the front for the final 100 km. Unperturbed, the two men kept going and went through the first intermediate sprint at Birkat Al Mouz (58 km to go) with a 2-minute advantage. Vinokourov took top points, while Kevin Vermaerke (Picnic PostNL) led the peloton across the line and picked up a bonus second. The pack was in no hurry to shut down the breakaway, allowing the difference to grow back to three minutes. It was still 2′05″ by the time that Vinokourov gapped Boulahoite 10 km from the line. Vinokourov got caught 2.7 km from the line, around the time that Vervaeke got separated from the main group after working at the front of the peloton. Groupama–FDJ took over from there. Clement Braz Afonso put in a mammoth shift to set up his leader Gaudu for an attack. Despite repeated attempts, the French rider was unable to open up a gap, with Yates close on his wheel. Nevertheless, Gaudu kept his nose ahead in a fiercely contested sprint for the stage win, which also raised him to the top of the leaderboard. Tour of Oman Stage 3 Results Rank, Rider, Country, Team, Time 1. David Gaudu, France, Groupama-FDJ, 04:16:10 2. Adam Yates, Great Britain, UAE Team Emirates – XRG, 04:16:11 3. Damien Craig Howson, Australia, Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, 04:16:15 4. Valentin Paret Peintre, France, Soudal Quick-Step, 04:16:23 5. Marco Brenner, Germany, Tudor Pro Cycling Team, 04:16:23 6. Cian Uijtdebroeks, Belgium, Team Visma|Lease A Bike, 04:16:26 7. Chris Harper, Australia, Team Jayco AlUla, 04:16:26 8. Diego Ulissi, Italy, XDS Astana Team, 04:16:33 9. Ruben Guerreiro, Portugal, Movistar Team, 04:16:33 10. Wout Poels, Netherlands, XDS Astana Team, 04:16:33
Times of Oman
09-02-2025
- Sport
- Times of Oman
Vervaeke's stellar performance secures maiden victory and overall lead
MUSCAT: A gripping battle on the roads of Oman saw Louis Vervaeke (Soudal–Quick-Step) emerge victorious in a thrilling Stage 2 of the Tour of Oman 2025 on Sunday. The 31-year-old Belgian rider claimed his first professional victory after a courageous solo effort atop the Yitti Hills, narrowly holding off a charging peloton in a crash-marred finale. With the win, Vervaeke also surged into the overall lead of the race. The stage, the longest of this year's Tour of Oman at 202.9 kilometres, began with a picturesque yet challenging setting at Al Rustaq Fort. The peloton faced a hot and unforgiving morning sun, but the riders were soon engaged in a relentless battle for position. Early on, breakaway attempts began to take shape, as riders vied for the chance to form the day's lead group. By the ninth kilometer, the first significant breakaway emerged, with Kane Richards (Roojai Insurance) and Rodrigo Álvarez (Burgos Burpellet BH) breaking clear of the pack. The duo had tried their luck in Stage 1 as well but were caught just 25km from the finish. However, their efforts were once again stymied as the peloton reeled them back in. At the 24th km, Mohamed Al Wahibi and Mundher Al Hasani, both from the Omani national team, joined the escape, and soon Magnus Kulset (Uno-X Mobility) added his presence. The lead group was now growing, and the peloton let them stretch their advantage to over six minutes by kilometer 34. At this point, the peloton splintered into three parts, with a 17-man counter-attack forming at the 63rd kilometre. Among the riders involved were Valentin Madouas (Groupama–FDJ) and Ethan Hayter (Soudal–Quick-Step). However, this move was short-lived as the break was quickly neutralised. With the lead group still holding a five-minute advantage over the main pack with 140 kilometers to go, Vervaeke took matters into his own hands. At the halfway stage, Vervaeke made his move, bridging the gap to the front group, now comprising five riders, including Mikel Azparren (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team), who had been chasing for some time. The two riders caught the leaders and formed a new six-man breakaway. As the race progressed, the group continued to work well together, despite some attempts from other riders, such as Madouas and Orluis Aular (Movistar), to make a solo bid for the front. Yet, the peloton, still trailing by over seven minutes, struggled to organize an effective chase. The race intensified as the peloton bore down on the leaders, and the Bausher Al Amerat climb (3.3 kilometres at an average gradient of 9.8%) shattered the breakaway group. Vervaeke, Azparren, and Kulset were the only riders to hold strong and ascend together, maintaining a lead of around five minutes with 30 kilometres to go. However, with the peloton picking up speed under the efforts of Jayco–AlUla, the gap began to shrink quickly. With 11 kilometres to go, the gap had already narrowed to just over one minute, prompting Vervaeke to make a decisive move on Al Jissah, the second-to-last climb of the stage. This bold attack split the remaining escapees, and Vervaeke was soon alone in his pursuit of victory, holding a slim lead over a rapidly closing peloton. As he approached the final climb of the day, the pressure mounted, but Vervaeke managed to hang on, reaching the bottom of the last challenge—a 3km climb with a steep 1.6km section at 6.8% - with just over a minute to spare. As the peloton surged behind him, the race for the win came down to a frantic final stretch. With seconds ticking away, crashes in the final kilometer further disrupted the chase, leaving Vervaeke with just enough to hold off his rivals. Valentin Paret-Peintre, Vervaeke's teammate at Soudal–Quick-Step, made a valiant sprint to second place, crossing the line just two seconds behind. Sean Flynn (Picnic PostNL) rounded out the podium in third. With Stage 2 now behind him, Vervaeke heads into the next phases of the race in a commanding position, ready to defend his lead with the support of his Soudal–Quick-Step teammates..
Observer
08-02-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Olav Kooij takes Stage 1 sprint victory
Muscat: Dutch sprinter Olav Kooij opened the account for his team Visma-Lease a Bike in 2025 with the Stage 1 victory of Tour of Oman from Bausher to Bimmah Sink Hole on Saturday. The Dutch cyclist with time bonus of 10' edged past Pavel Bittner (6') of Picnic PostNL in second place and Erlend Blikra (4') of Uno-X Mobility in third to take the leader's red jersey after the 177.7 km opening stage of the 14th edition of Tour of Oman. The exciting bunch sprint finish at Bimmah Sink Hole saw 109 riders finish in the same time as the winner at four hours 27 minutes and nine seconds. Italian rider Andrea D'Amato of JCL Team Ukyo claimed fourth spot while Muscat Classic winner Rick Pluimers of Tudor finished fifth. Oman's Mohammed al Wahibi was among the 119 cyclists who finished the first stage as three riders did not start. Speaking after the win, Kooij said the race was tough as expected. 'There was more headwind than expected. In the strong sprint finish, I managed to end on top,' he said. Reflecting on his views on the 202.9 km second stage from Al Rustaq Fort to Yitti Hills – the longest in Tour of Oman – on Sunday, the Dutch youngster said it will be more for the punchers than the sprinters. 'I think tomorrow will be a hard day, the stage will be more for the punchers than the sprinters. But I'll try to keep the red jersey.' In the general classification after Stage 1, Kooij led followed by Pavel Bittner (+04') and Rodrigo Alvaro Rodriguez (+05') of Burgos Burpellet BH). A 120-strong peloton started the Tour of Oman 2025, with a five-man group opening up a gap in the first kilometre. Olav Kooij takes Stage 1 sprint victory OMANIS HIT THE FRONT Oman national team riders Mohammed al Wahibi and Said al Rahbi hit the front with Rodrigo Alvarez (Burgos Burpellet BH), Kane Richards (Roojai Insurance) and Mohamad Mohd Zariff (Terengganu). Their margin quickly grew to three minutes by the time that the peloton got to grips with Jabal Road (3.5 km at 9.2 per cent), the only categorised climb of the day, with 167 km to go. Zariff and Al Rahbi were dropped a kilometre from the top, leaving Al Wahibi, Richards and Alvarez to crown the ascent in this same order. The Spaniard got his own back 13 km down the road by taking the first intermediate sprint at Al Amerat. Zariff and Al Rahbi managed to get back to the front 151 km from the line, with the peloton five minutes back at that point. The peloton sprang into action, cutting the gap to 3′35″ with 140 km to go. Zariff gave up with 126 kilometres to go, first sinking back into the peloton and then abandoning the race altogether. Kooij's men brought the deficit below the two-minute mark 100 km from the line, only to ease up for a bit and keep the escapees dangling in front for a bit longer. The gap rose to 3′35″ and then fell back to 1′10″ as the peloton got its first glimpse of the finish line with 41 km left. Kane Richards, stepped up the pace with 37 km to go, leaving everyone but Alvarez in the dust. The Australian and the Spaniard fought gallantly, but they were reeled in with 25 km to go, shortly after Richards took the intermediate sprint. The Groupama–FDJ train propelled David Gaudu to third place, which came with a one-second time bonus. From there on, it was a bunch sprint all the way to the finish, with Olav Kooij prevailing in the final rush to the finish line. Tour of Oman Stage 1 results Rank, Rider, Country, Team, Time 1. Olav Kooij, Netherlands, Team Visma|Lease a Bike, 04:27:19 2. Pavel Bittner, Czech Republic, Team Picnic PostNL, + 00 3. Erlend Blikra, Norway, Uno-X Mobility, + 00 4. Andrea D'Amato, Italy, JCL Team Ukyo, + 00 5. Rick Pluimers, Netherlands, Tudor Pro Cycling Team, + 00 6. Fernando Gaviria, Colombia, Movistar Team, + 00 7. Anthony Turgis, France, Team Total Energies, + 00 8. Emilien Jeanniere, France, Team Total Energies, + 00 9. Luca Giaimi, Italy, UAE Team Emirates, + 00 10. Nizzolo Giacomo, Italy, Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, + 00
Observer
07-02-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Muscat classic race all set to begin today
MUSCAT: The 'Muscat Classic' race will kick off on Friday marking its third consecutive edition. The one-day race will serve as a prelude to the official start of the 'Tour of Oman 2025' cycling competition, which will begin on Saturday under organisation of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth in collaboration with the Oman Cycling Association (OCA) besides several public and private entities. The Tour is set to showcase Oman's diverse landscapes and rich cultural heritage. Ahead of the 'Muscat Classic' event start, the kids will compete for the first time at 'Tour of Oman 2025' which is dedicated for the riders aged between 7 to 12 years. The young riders will have their route inside Al Mouj Muscat. On the other hand, the route of the 'Muscat Classic' will start from Al Mouj Muscat as the riders will navigate through some of the country's most scenic landmarks. The route takes them along the Seeb Corniche, through Al Amerat's Mountain Road and back towards Darsait passing through Wadi Kabir. The race continues towards Yiti and Qantab before heading left from Al Bustan Roundabout towards Sidab, concluding in front of the State Council. Covering a total distance of 171 kilometres, the race is classified as a top-tier one-day event in Asia with the winner earning 125 points in the global rankings. The last year's winner was New Zealand rider Finn Fisher Black from UAE Team Emirates. Muscat classic race all set to begin today According to OCA officials, the upcoming editions of the 'Muscat Classic' will be upgraded to a 'Pro Series' event. This would increase the points awarded to the winner from 125 to 200, attracting even more elite cyclists to compete for the prestigious title. The officials of the French company Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) who are running the 'Tour of Oman 2025' in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth and OCA unveiled the details of the 'Muscat Classic' and 'Tour of Oman 2025' in a press meet on Thursday. Frank Perqueux, Race Director of the 'Tour of Oman 2025,' said that the meticulous preparations undertaken in recent months. 'The race committee explored various routes across Oman to finalise the five-stage course ensuring compliance with international standards set by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). The diverse geography of Oman allows for multiple route options providing a dynamic and competitive racing environment,' he added. Muscat classic race all set to begin today 'The efforts are made to ensure road safety and readiness of infrastructure. After selecting the routes, we conducted final inspections to confirm their safety and coordinated with relevant authorities for necessary maintenance work to prevent any hazards for the cyclists. In general, most routes are in excellent condition with high-quality asphalt,' he clarified. The Tour of Oman has consistently drawn top international cyclists due to its status as a UCI-accredited event. 'This race provides the ideal competitive environment, with favourable weather conditions and well-planned routes that cater to the athletes' technical and physical capabilities,' Perqueux added. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth (MoCSY) has played a significant role in facilitating the event in collaboration with ASO, ensuring continuous improvements in logistics, technical aspects and administration. Each edition of the Tour has witnessed record-breaking performances, further cementing Oman's reputation as a prime cycling destination. Muscat classic race all set to begin today 124 CYCLISTS A total of 124 cyclists from 18 world-class teams representing Europe, Asia, America and Australia will compete in this year's race. The teams are divided into five categories including World Teams like: Arkea-B&B Hotels (France), Movistar Team (Spain), Soudal Quick-Step (Belgium), Jayco AlUla (Australia), Groupama-FDJ (France), Visma Lease a Bike (Netherlands), UAE Team Emirates, Astana Qazaqstan Team (Kazakhstan) and DSM-Firmenich PostNL (Netherlands). The Pro Teams category will include: Burgos-BH (Spain), Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team (Switzerland), Total Energies (France), Uno-X Mobility (Norway), and Tudor Pro Cycling Team (Switzerland) while Continental Teams will feature: JCL Team Ukyo (Japan), Roojai Insurance (Thailand) and Terengganu Cycling Team (Malaysia) besides Oman National Team. The 'Tour of Oman' in this edition will comprise from five thrilling stages and it has gained widespread popularity becoming a prominent fixture in the global cycling calendar. The Tour has consistently attracted some of the sport's biggest names, enhancing its prestige and competitive appeal. Muscat classic race all set to begin today The opening stage on Saturday will start from Muscat College in Bausher and pass through Muscat Hospital Roundabout, Bausher intersections and Al Ameen Mosque. The race continues towards Khuwair, Al Qurum, Sultan Qaboos City, Ruwi, and onto the Bausher-Al Amerat Road before heading towards Qurayat. Cyclists will then descend towards the Fins coastline, concluding the stage at Hawiyat Najm Park. The Stage two on Sunday will be for distance of 203 km as it kicks off from Rustaq Fort and traverses through Al Awabi, Nakhal, and Wadi Al Maawil before reaching Fanja. The route continues through Al Ansab, leading to Yiti and ending with a challenging climb at Yiti Hills. The third stage will begin on Monday for overall distance of 181 km as the cyclists will start from Fanja in the Wilayat of Bidbid, passing through Samayil and Izki before heading towards Al Jabal Al Akhdhar. The stage will test the riders' endurance with its mountainous terrain, concluding at the Eastern Mountain. Muscat classic race all set to begin today The fourth stage on Tuesday will run for 181 km as this stage will begin at the Oman Across Ages Museum in the Wilayat of Manah and moves through several key landmarks before reaching the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre in Muscat. The route includes sections through Izki and Bidbid, and various hilly terrains, making for an exhilarating challenge. The concluding stage on Wednesday will go for 139 km distance as the riders will begin in Imty in the Wilayat of Izki and heads towards Wadi Dama-Samayil, passing through key locations such as Yurokh and Al Hamida before reaching Birkat Al Mouz. The race culminates in a dramatic finish at the base of Al Jabal Al Akhdhar, providing a thrilling conclusion to the Tour.
Times of Oman
06-02-2025
- Automotive
- Times of Oman
Traffic restrictions announced for Tour of Oman 2025
Muscat: The Royal Oman Police (ROP) Directorate of Relations and Security Information has announced partial traffic closures on Friday, February 7, 2025, to facilitate the Muscat Classic stage of the Tour of Oman 2025. According to the ROP, the race will begin at 10:30 AM from Al Mouj Muscat, covering a detailed route that includes: Seeb Corniche Road Al Mabela Bridge Al Nuzha Roundabout Muscat Expressway Rusayl-Nizwa Road Al Ansab, Ghala Village, Al Amerat, and Al Mahaj Junction Wadi Adai, Al Hamriyah, and Qantab Al Bustan Roundabout, Al Wadi Al Kabir, Sheraton Hotel, and Ruwi Roundabout The race will conclude in front of the Council of Oman. The ROP has prohibited parking on both sides of roads along the race route and has advised motorists to plan their travel accordingly to avoid inconvenience.
