Oman – The Daily Peloton

TOUR OF OMAN 2025 – Stage 3

Gaudu takes summit win

Stage 3: Fanj to Eastern Mountain(180.8km)

Eastern Mountain, Monday February 10^th 2025

David Gaudu (Groupama–FDJ) © A.S.O./Oman Cycling Association/Pauline Ballet

The fourteenth edition of the Tour of Oman tackled the first of two summit finishes in Monday’s 180.8-kilometre stage 3. Legs tingling in anticipation of their first real test of the season, the climbers went head to head on Eastern Mountain (1,016 masl), under the gaze of Jabal Sham, the highest peak in the Sultanate (3,018 masl). David Gaudu (Groupama–FDJ) proved strongest in the long-awaited duel that pitted him against the reigning champion, Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates – XRG).

After firing off multiple attacks within the last few hundred metres of the final ascent (4.8 km at 8.5%), the Breton outsprinted the British rider by 1 second, with Damien Howson (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) third at five seconds. Gaudu opened his account for the season and wrested the leader’s red jersey from Louis Vervaeke (Soudal Quick-Step), who was dropped with three kilometres to go after going into the red for his teammate Valentin Paret-Peintre, fourth at 13 seconds. Gaudu has 6 seconds in hand over Yates and 12 over Howson going into the last two stages.

TOUR OF OMAN 2025 – Stage 2

Stage 2: Al Rustaq Fort to Yitti Hills (202.9km)

Sunday February 9^th 2025

© A.S.O./Oman Cycling Association/Pauline Ballet

From the first few pedal strokes at Al Rustaq Fort, which provided the scenic backdrop to the start, the peloton had to play whack-a-mole with a horde of breakaway specialists undaunted by the 203 kilometres of stage 2 —the longest of the Tour of Oman. The five men in the early breakaway pushed their advantage to five minutes at the foot of Bousher Al Amerat, where the going got tough. Louis Vervaeke (Soudal Quick-Step) and Mikel Azparren (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) managed to bridge the gap near the halfway point.

The Belgian and the Spaniard soon upped the pace with Magnus Kulset (Uno-X Mobility) in tow. Although the new three-man lead group still enjoyed a five-minute buffer going into the last 30 kilometres, it melted to just over a minute with 10 kilometres to go, when Vervaeke went for broke.

The 31-year-old puncheur, a reliable domestique ever since he turned neo-pro, grabbed his maiden pro win at the end of a performance full of panache and suspense, crossing the finish line with just two seconds to spare over the peloton in a crash-marred finale. Vervaeke triumphed atop the Yitti Hills, beating his teammate Valentin Paret-Peintre and Sean Flynn (Picnic PostNL) and vaulting into the overall lead.

Stage 3 Profile

TOUR OF OMAN 2025 – Stage 1

Stage 1: Bushar to Bimmah Sink Hole (177,7km), Saturday February 8^th 2025

Decked out in their black-and-yellow livery, the Visma – Lease a Bike armada went full steam ahead to put their captain, Olav Kooij, on coarse to victory when the opening stage of the 2025 Tour of Oman reached the boulevard hugging the coast of the Sea of Oman.

Buoyed up by the efforts of his shipmates, the 23-year-old Dutchman seized the victory at Bimmah Sink Hole, stealing the wind from Pavel Bittner (Picnic PostNL) and Erlend Blikra (Uno-X Mobility) in a bunch sprint to claim the opening stage of the fourteenth Tour of Oman and pull on the inaugural red jersey.

With a stage win at the 2024 Giro d’Italia Kooij lived up to his status as the man to beat on Saturday. This is his first triumph of the season, his first since a stage at the Tour de Pologne and a maiden win in Oman —where he is racing for the first time— and his 37^th career victory overall.

08/02/2025 – Tour of Oman 2025 – Stage 1 – Bushar > Bimmah Sink Hole (177,7km) -A.S.O./Oman Cycling Association/Pauline Ballet

Five men broke away as soon as the flag dropped and added some excitement to the 177.7-kilometre opener. The blistering sun and the mostly unfavourable winds prevented their advantage from increasing much beyond five minutes. The last two survivors of the breakaway, Rodrigo Álvarez (Burgos-Burpellet BH) and the leader of the combativity standings, Kane Richards (Roojai Insurance) were caught with 25 kilometres to go, not long after David Gaudu (Groupama–FDJ) took third place and a bonus second at the second intermediate sprint.

08/02/2025 – Tour of Oman 2025 – Stage 1 – Bushar > Bimmah Sink Hole (177,7km) – TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE – A.S.O./Oman Cycling Association/Pauline Ballet

Stage 2 Profile