“After Yates attacked, I found myself behind” – Christian Scaroni digs deep in dramatic Tour of Oman finale to seal GC win

For a brief moment on the steepest ramps of Green Mountain, the Tour of Oman looked like it might not go the way of Christian Scaroni.

When Adam Yates launched his expected acceleration on the decisive climb, Scaroni was caught on the wrong side of the move, distanced just enough to place his overall ambitions under genuine threat. “I found myself behind and couldn’t respond immediately,” Scaroni admitted afterwards, describing the most delicate point of the race.

What followed, however, defined the Italian’s week. Teammate Cristian Rodriguez shepherded Scaroni back into contention, closing the gap after Yates’ move and restoring Astana’s control just as the summit finish came into view. From there, Scaroni regrouped, measured his effort, and waited.

In the final kilometre, with the gradients still biting and rivals committed, Scaroni played his moment perfectly. He allowed Yates to open the sprint, followed patiently, and then launched his own acceleration with 150 metres remaining. The response was decisive. Scaroni surged clear to take the stage win and, with it, the overall title at the Tour of Oman.

“The plan was very simple: reach the final climb without any problems and then see how the legs would feel,” Scaroni explained. “In the final kilometre, I tried to pace myself as well as possible, waited for Adam Yates to start his sprint, followed him, and then launched my own sprint.”

The victory completed a dominant final-day display for XDS Astana Team, who locked out the top two places overall with Rodríguez finishing second on the stage and in the general classification. Scaroni also secured the points classification, while the squad claimed the team classification to cap a comprehensive week in Oman.

“I want to thank the whole team for the phenomenal support throughout the week and especially today,” Scaroni said. “Diego Ulissi stayed with me all day, protecting me from the wind and helping with positioning, and Cristián gave me huge support at the only difficult moment on the climb.”

For Scaroni, the significance ran deeper than just the result. After a period spent rebuilding form and confidence, delivering under pressure on one of the season’s most selective summit finishes carried particular weight.

“To be honest, I’m very happy with what we achieved,” he said. “I’m pleased to have felt strong again, to regain my form and confidence. Being at the front on the decisive stage of such a high-level race is important for me.”

What looked, briefly, like a vulnerability became the defining passage of Scaroni’s Tour of Oman. Tested by Yates’ attack, steadied by his team, and resolved in the final sprint, the Italian turned a moment of danger into a statement victory, one sealed not by dominance alone, but by composure when it mattered most.