photo credits @ ToO
Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) secured the overall title in the Tour of Oman today, after the British rider gave a dominant performance atop the Jabal Al Akhdhar climb, finishing ahead of Jan Hirt (Soudal Quick-Step) when the young New Zealander was dropped inside the final 2 kilometers, with Yates seizing both the stage victory and the top spot on the final podium.
Race Highlights
The peloton rolled from Samail “Al Feyhaa Resthouse” for a short stage, with a 72-km course adapted to the extreme weather conditions in the Sultanate of Oman. While the iconic ascent up Jabal Al Akhdhar loomed on the horizon, the attackers were eager to get things under way.
UAE Team Emirates Controls the day
Attacks flew from the start but it took 19 kilometers of hard battling before Huub Artz (Intermarché-Wanty), Lund Tobias Andresen (Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL), Tord Gudmestad (Uno-X Mobility) and Tegshbayar Batsaikhan (Roojai Insurance) managed to escape, while overnight leader Finn Fisher-Black (UAE Team Emirates) led the chase.
Into the last 25km, the gap was up to 2’30’’, with Astana Qazaqstan joining UAE Team Emirates at the front. However, heading into the last 10km, the leaders were still clinging to an advantage of 2’25’’.
Yates Takes Over
As the leaders faced the final climb, their gap fell to 2’10’’, with Andresen and Gudmestad getting dropped. With 5km to go, the peloton had further reduced their lead to 1’20’’.
With 4km remaining, Artz decided to go solo, while Yates, Fisher-Black and Hirt pursued in earnest.
From there, Hirt upped the pace inside the last 2 kilometers, a move that only Yates was able to counter.
The duo bridged their way to Artz just inside the last kilometer, with Yates later executing his winning move that proved insurmountable for both Hirt and Artz.
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