Classics stars relish crosswinds chaos at Tour of Oman
The Tour of Oman is widely used by Classics riders to prepare for the spring campaign, with the 'opening weekend' of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne just over a week away. Greg Van Avermaet, Niki Terpstra, Alexey Lutsenko, Alexander Kristoff, and Oliver Naesen are among the one-day specialists in Oman, and they got their money's worth on stage 3 as crosswinds ignited the race for the best part of 60 kilometres.
"That was probably one of the best trainings I could do," said third-placed Van Avermaet, who explained he'd been on the limit for more than 30 minutes before the final climb in Qurayyat had even begun.
The riders tackled the 2.8km climb twice, the second time being the summit finish, but the race had exploded even before the first ascent. Crosswinds seemed to catch everyone off guard, and soon there were echelons, with the race coming over the top of the first climb in pieces. There was a regrouping but then the wind split the race again, leaving 35 out front to take on the final climb, where Lutsenko sprang clear to take stage honours and the overall lead.
"I totally did not expect it," Naesen, who finished seventh, told Cyclingnews. "At that moment I was just telling everyone that for sure the break goes to the finish because the gap was like 6:30 and we weren't coming any closer, but all of a sudden it exploded and didn't stop."
The early-season Middle Eastern races have a habit of throwing up relaxed flat stages, with Kristoff commenting that the Tours of Dubai and Abu Dhabi last year were so easy they actually hampered his form. The Tour of Oman throws up punchier terrain in general, but crosswinds and echelons – a staple of the old Tour of Qatar – always serve up a true taste of the chaos and intensity of the Classics.
As Terpstra, 17th, said at the finish: "It's nice to race – to really race – instead of waiting for the last climb."
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