Cian Uijtdebroeks finding his rhythm after sixth place at Tour of Oman stage 3: “I feel that the engine still needs to warm up a bit”

David Gaudu claimed victory on Stage 3 of the Tour of Oman, beating Adam Yates in a strong uphill finish. Meanwhile, Cian Uijtdebroeks of Team Visma | Lease a Bike crossed the line in sixth place, continuing his early-season form.

After the race, Uijtdebroeks reflected on his performance, acknowledging the challenge of the finish. "I felt really good at the beginning of the climb, but the end was a bit too punchy for me. I tried to limit the damage as much as possible."

The 20-year-old Belgian described the intensity of the effort, particularly with the strong tailwind making for a fast and explosive finale. "It was quite tough. With the wind in my back it was a fast and explosive effort. It was also half a year ago that I had to push myself to the limit like that. I feel that the engine still needs to warm up a bit. But this race is good for that. I can't really draw many conclusions from this ride. My legs are not bad and I'm in good shape. And the guys also set me up well."

Looking ahead, Uijtdebroeks pointed out that the real test is yet to come. “That is the agreement of this round. Here it is about seconds, the differences are limited. On Green Mountain other riders will also come up and minutes will be thrown around.”