photo credits @ToO
Mauro Schmid of Team Jayco AlUla delivered a promising performance to win stage 3 of the Tour of Oman today.
Stage 3 began from Al Fayhaa Rest House in Wilayat Samail and concluded at Misfat Al Abriyeen in the Eastern Mountain, featuring a demanding route that tested riders with long distances, varied terrain, and a decisive uphill finish. Schmid’s well-timed effort on the final climb allowed him to secure the stage victory and move into the overall lead of the race.
With his win, Schmid claimed the red jersey as the overall race leader. The green jersey for the points classification went to French rider Baptiste Veistroffer of Lotto–Intermarché while Polish rider Patryk Goszczurny of Team Visma | Lease a Bike earned the golden jersey as the most aggressive rider. The white jersey for Best Young Rider (Under 23 years) was claimed by Norwegian rider Martin Tjøtta of Uno-X Mobility.
Speaking after the race, stage winner Mauro Schmid described the stage as one of the toughest of the Tour. “It was a really hard race as it was harder than we expected,” Schmid said.
“The pace was high throughout but my team supported me perfectly especially at the bottom of the climb. They protected me well, controlled the race and gave me everything I needed.”
He added, “In the final, I was not in the best position but the team helped me a lot and I am happy with this result. There is still a long way to go. Tomorrow (Tuesday) should be easier but stage five will be very tough and the priority now is to stay safe and be ready to defend in the final days.” He said
White jersey holder Martin Tjøtta expressed his delight at competing in Oman. “This is my first time in Oman and I am really grateful for the opportunity,” he said. “It is a strong team and for me as a young rider, it is special to be team captain. The climb suited me well as it was long, not too short and in the final I was among the strongest. Tomorrow should be quite safe but the final stage at Green Mountain will be extremely tough. I believe I can deliver a good performance.”
Earlier, a breakaway eventually formed after several attacks, alter morphing into a strong group featuring GC leader and stage 2 winner Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto-Intermarché), Rui Oliveira (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost), Jensen Plowright (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and Jonas Hem Hvideberg (Uno-X Mobility).
Back in the pelota, Tudor Pro Cycling Team set an early tempo that was later joined by Soudal Quick-Step, keeping the escapees on a tight leash.
With 7km to go, a crash at a roundabout near the front split the peloton, with Tudor Pro Cycling Team and Uno-X Mobility among the teams worst affected, while the breakaway reached the base of the final climb with a thirty second advantage, only to be reeled in just over 2km remaining.
From there, Movistar’s Nairo Quintana ignited the finale, quickly opening top a slight gag during the last kilometer with a small gap before being caught, while Jayco AlUla drove the pace for Schmid in a reduced group that included GC favorite Adam Yates.
However, there was no reining in Schmid who would take the spoils ahead of Christian Scaroni and Tjøtta, while Yates finished 32 seconds back in 12th.
The Tour of Oman continues tomorrow, covering 146.8 Km from Al Sawadi Park in Wilayat Barka to the Sohar Corniche. The stage is expected to be one of the fastest and most tactical of the race, featuring a coastal route that will demand precise wind reading, strong team coordination, and high physical and mental readiness until the final meters.
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