From the 8th to 12th of February the peloton takes on another stage-race in the Middle East, the classic Tour of Oman. A race that provides days for the climbers and sprinters above all, it's always a race that attracts big riders early in the year due to the good weather away from Europe. We preview the race ahead.
The race starts off immediately with a hard climb actually, but stage 1 is one guided towards the sprinters. The wind can blow hard and be a big threat in this day, but a sprint should be inevitable in the pan-flat finale with a finale next to tourist attraction of the Bimmah Sink Hole.
Stage 2 will be the day best suited to the puncheurs, and also the longest of the race with over 200 kilometers. The finale features a few climbs but they are short and explosive. The final ascent to Yitti Hills will have a fast approach and the climb itself is 1.7 kilometers at 5.9%, steepest at the bottom. We could see a reduced group sprint.
Stage 3 is almost completely flat but with a summit finish at Eastern Mountain. It's a climb hard enough for the pure climbers to make the difference, but potentially short enough that some puncheurs can still hold on. The ascent is 4.7 kilometers at 7.6%, it will be a very explosive finale.
Stage 4 will be another day for the sprinters without a doubt, there are not climbs to bother the fast men on this day and we will have a furious finale in the Oman Convention center.
The queen stage of the race is, as usual, the final day where the riders will head towards the ironically named 'Green Mountain'. It is a short day on the bike with nothing to note until the final ascent, a wide-road ultra-steep climb in the middle of the desert where differences are usually very high and the overall classification should be decided.
Prediction Tour of Oman 2025 overall classification:
*** Adam Yates
** Ruben Guerreiro, David Gaudu, Valentin Paret-Peintre, Chris Harper
* Jay Vine, Rafal Majka, Mauri Vansevenant, Diego Ulissi, Wout Poels, Valentin Madouas, Cian Uijtdebroeks, Jorgen Nordhagen, Warren Barguil, Steff Cras, Damien Howson, David de la Cruz
Pick: Adam Yates
Original: Rúben Silva
🤩 3️⃣ days to go before the #TourofOman 2025 kicks off! pic.twitter.com/rUHgvQjlqy
— Tour of Oman (@tourofoman) February 5, 2025