On the menu of the day for the 127 riders of the Tour of Oman: one of the most beautiful, but nevertheless demanding stages of this 3rd edition. Taking off from Bidbid, the pack would have to face three very tough climbs on the way to a tricky final circuit on the palm tree lined Wadi Al Kabir in the heart of Muscat.
The riders took off at an extremely fast pace but things calmed down at km 10 when two riders managed to take off: Vandenbergh (OPQ) and Lodewijk (BMC) who was on a quest for fighting-spirit points. Their advantage over the peloton grew rapidly and reached a maximum 7’40 at km 42.
As the front men moved closer to the first climb of the day, the gap dropped down. Lodewijk was the first at the top of the new Bousher Alamrat expressway that zigzags through Muscat’s mountain range, ahead of Vandenberghe while the pack broke up into several groups and the likes of riders like Cavendish (SKY) and Farrar (GRM) failed to keep up with the pace. At the top the pack remained 3’50 adrift. In the descent the dropped riders caught up with the peloton and the chase continued.
At the top of the second climb of the day, Al Hamriya, the gap had dropped down to 2’55. The second bonus climb (Al Kissah, km 102) was again claimed by Lodewijk ahead of Vandenberghe while Rodriguez (KAT) made it first of the pack claiming a precious bonus second, some 1’55 adrift.
On the final circuit that tantalizingly passed the finish line located under two bronze statutes depicting Oman’s long affinity with breeding Arabian horses, Stijn Vandenberghe took off on his own at km 120, while Lodewijk was eventually caught by the pack. The Belgian rider could still enjoy a 1’15 with only one lap to go. He was finally caught at km 133.5. On the uphill portion riders like Cavendish, Farrar and Goss were dropped behind. With 5 kilometres to go, five men gave it a go at the front: Sagan (LIQ), Chavanel (OPQ), Fuglsang (RNT), Casar (FDJ) and Ten Dam (RAB). But they were finally caught and a group of 48 men battled it out in a final sprint to the line. Winner on day 1, André Greipel (LTB) powered to the line, triumphing ahead of Sagan and Gallopin (RNT).
The German now increases his command of the overall leader’s Red Jersey. He also keeps command of the points’ classification while Sagan remains the best young rider (White jersey). The fighting spirit jersey heads back to Lodewijk.
Results
1. André Greipel (Ger) 3:37:02
2. Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale
3. Tony Gallopin (Fra) RadioShack-Nissan
4. Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
5. Christopher Sutton (Aus) Sky Procycling
6. Martin Kohler (Sui) BMC Racing Team
7. Pier Paolo De Negri (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia
8. Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
9. Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Garmin – Barracuda
10. Baden Cooke (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team
11. Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
12. Koen De Kort (Ned) Project 1t4i
13. Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Katusha Team
14. Luca Ascani (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia
15. Aliaksandr Kuchynski (Blr) Katusha Team
16. Hayato Yoshida (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor
17. Fabian Cancellara (Sui) RadioShack-Nissan
18. Mathew Hayman (Aus) Sky Procycling
19. Alessandro Ballan (Ita) BMC Racing Team
20. Maarten Wynants (Bel) Rabobank Cycling Team
21. Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
22. Tom Jelte Slagter (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
23. Jakob Fuglsang (Den) RadioShack-Nissan
24. Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Project 1t4i
25. Miyataka Shimizu (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor
26. Peter Velits (Svk) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
27. Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
28. Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
29. Sandy Casar (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
30. Michael Schär (Sui) BMC Racing Team
31. Jai Crawford (Aus) RTS Racing Team
32. Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
33. Thomas Lebas (Fra) Bridgestone Anchor
34. Arnold Jeannesson (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
35. Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Esp) Katusha Team
36. Stuart O’Grady (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team
37. Johan Vansummeren (Bel) Garmin – Barracuda
38. Lars Bak (Den) Lotto Belisol Team
39. Gregory Rast (Sui) RadioShack-Nissan
40. Thomas Bonnin (Fra) Project 1t4i
41. Gang Xu (Chn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
42. Alex Coutts (GBR) RTS Racing Team
43. Marco Pinotti (Ita) BMC Racing Team
44. Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
45. Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin – Barracuda
46. Christopher Butler (USA) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
47. Pengda Jiao (Chn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
48. Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Project 1t4i
49. Andy Schleck (Lux) RadioShack-Nissan 0:11
50. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:15
51. Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ-Big Mat 0:24
52. Ian Stannard (GBR) Sky Procycling 0:45
53. Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol Team 1:05
54. Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 1:33
55. Joost Posthuma (Ned) RadioShack-Nissan
56. Davide Appollonio (Ita) Sky Procycling
57. Bert Grabsch (Ger) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
58. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) RadioShack-Nissan
59. Kazuo Inoue (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor
60. Gabriel Rasch (Nor) FDJ-Big Mat
61. Danilo Wyss (Sui) BMC Racing Team
62. Mikhail Ignatyev (Rus) Katusha Team
63. Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
64. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha Team
65. Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Belisol Team
66. Gregory Henderson (NZL) Lotto Belisol Team
67. Aidis Kruopis (Ltu) GreenEdge Cycling Team
68. Allan Davis (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team
69. David McCann (Irl) RTS Racing Team
70. Albert Timmer (Ned) Project 1t4i
71. Oscar Gatto (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia 1:39
72. Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team 2:20
73. William Bonnet (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
74. Adam Blythe (GBR) BMC Racing Team
75. Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
76. Svein Tuft (Can) GreenEdge Cycling Team
77. Matthias Friedemann (Ger) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
78. Klaas Sys (Bel) Bridgestone Anchor
79. Murilo Antoniobil Fischer (Bra) Garmin – Barracuda
80. David Boucher (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
81. Roy Curvers (Ned) Project 1t4i
82. David Millar (GBR) Garmin – Barracuda
83. Ryota Nishizono (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor
84. Rüdiger Selig (Ger) Katusha Team
85. Robert Hunter (RSA) Garmin – Barracuda
86. Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
87. Thomas Leezer (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
88. Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) GreenEdge Cycling Team
89. Gert Steegmans (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
90. Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
91. Thomas Bertolini (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia 4:12
92. Luke Rowe (GBR) Sky Procycling 4:36
93. Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Sky Procycling
94. Mark Cavendish (GBR) Sky Procycling
95. Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team
96. William Clarke (Aus) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
97. Klaas Lodewijck (Bel) BMC Racing Team
98. Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
99. Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
100. Vladimir Isaichev (Rus) Katusha Team
101. Lee Rodgers (GBR) RTS Racing Team
102. Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale
103. Marcel Kittel (Ger) Project 1t4i
104. Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin – Barracuda
105. Robert Wagner (Ger) RadioShack-Nissan
106. Alexandre Lemair (Fra) Bridgestone Anchor
107. Diego Caccia (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia
108. Alan Marangoni (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
109. Coen Vermeltfoort (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
110. Jérémy Hunt (GBR) Sky Procycling
111. Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team
112. Jens Mouris (Ned) GreenEdge Cycling Team
113. Jonas Van Genechten (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 8:47
114. Dominic Klemme (Ger) Project 1t4i
115. Andrea Guardini (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia 9:57
116. Christian Benenati (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia 0:11:13
117. Gorik Gardeyn (Bel) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
118. Mart Ojavee (Est) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
119. Alex Rasmussen (Den) Garmin – Barracuda
120. Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia
121. Denis Galimzyanov (Rus) Katusha Team
122. Clinton Avery (NZL) Champion System Pro Cycling Team 20:25
DNF Sergey Kudentsov (Rus) RTS Racing Team
DNF Wang Chung Huang (Tpe) RTS Racing Team
DNF Chin-Lung Huang (Tpe) RTS Racing Team
DNF Wei Kei Chang (Tpe) RTS Racing Team
DNF Frederik Willems (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
GC after Stage 4
1. André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Belisol Team 13:36:33
2. Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:06
3. Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:18
4. Tony Gallopin (Fra) RadioShack-Nissan
5. Baden Cooke (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:19
6. Tom Jelte Slagter (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:21
7. Christopher Sutton (Aus) Sky Procycling 0:22
8. Jakob Fuglsang (Den) RadioShack-Nissan 0:25
9. Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Garmin – Barracuda
10. Fabian Cancellara (Sui) RadioShack-Nissan 0:29
11. Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Esp) Katusha Team 0:30
12. Thomas Lebas (Fra) Bridgestone Anchor 0:31
13. Peter Velits (Svk) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:34
14. Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Katusha Team 0:38
15. Arnold Jeannesson (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
16. Miyataka Shimizu (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor
17. Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
18. Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
19. Sandy Casar (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
20. Michael Schär (Sui) BMC Racing Team
21. Lars Bak (Den) Lotto Belisol Team
22. Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:42
23. Maarten Wynants (Bel) Rabobank Cycling Team
24. Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:44
25. Aliaksandr Kuchynski (Blr) Katusha Team 0:45
26. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:49
27. Alessandro Ballan (Ita) BMC Racing Team 0:56
28. Luca Ascani (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia
29. Stuart O’Grady (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team
30. Marco Pinotti (Ita) BMC Racing Team 1:00
31. Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 1:01
32. Koen De Kort (Ned) Project 1t4i 1:11
33. Hayato Yoshida (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor
34. Thomas Bonnin (Fra) Project 1t4i 1:12
35. Andy Schleck (Lux) RadioShack-Nissan 1:15
36. Jai Crawford (Aus) RTS Racing Team 1:18
37. Pier Paolo De Negri (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia 1:22
38. Alex Coutts (GBR) RTS Racing Team
39. Johan Vansummeren (Bel) Garmin – Barracuda 1:27
40. Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 1:28
41. Mathew Hayman (Aus) Sky Procycling
42. Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin – Barracuda 1:30
43. Pengda Jiao (Chn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
44. Martin Kohler (Sui) BMC Racing Team 1:34
45. Gang Xu (Chn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team 1:38
46. Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 1:42
47. Christopher Butler (USA) Champion System Pro Cycling Team 2:06
48. Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Project 1t4i 2:17
49. Ian Stannard (GBR) Sky Procycling 2:19
50. Danilo Wyss (Sui) BMC Racing Team 2:26
51. Joost Posthuma (Ned) RadioShack-Nissan 2:37
52. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha Team 2:41
53. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) RadioShack-Nissan 2:44
54. Allan Davis (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team 3:01
55. Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 3:04
56. Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol Team
57. David McCann (Irl) RTS Racing Team 3:09
58. Gregory Henderson (NZL) Lotto Belisol Team 3:12
59. Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team 3:20
60. Mikhail Ignatyev (Rus) Katusha Team 3:24
61. Matthias Friedemann (Ger) Champion System Pro Cycling Team 3:28
62. Bert Grabsch (Ger) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 3:39
63. Oscar Gatto (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia 3:44
64. Albert Timmer (Ned) Project 1t4i 3:47
65. Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 3:48
66. Roy Curvers (Ned) Project 1t4i
67. Gregory Rast (Sui) RadioShack-Nissan 3:55
68. Robert Hunter (RSA) Garmin – Barracuda
69. Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Belisol Team 3:56
70. Gert Steegmans (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 3:59
71. Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 4:01
72. William Bonnet (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 4:02
73. Ryota Nishizono (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor 4:07
74. David Millar (GBR) Garmin – Barracuda 4:10
75. Davide Appollonio (Ita) Sky Procycling
76. Kazuo Inoue (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor 4:16
77. Thomas Leezer (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 4:20
78. Murilo Antoniobil Fischer (Bra) Garmin – Barracuda 4:22
79. David Boucher (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 4:37
80. Adam Blythe (GBR) BMC Racing Team
81. Gabriel Rasch (Nor) FDJ-Big Mat 4:50
82. Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin – Barracuda 5:25
83. Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Project 1t4i 5:44
84. Klaas Lodewijck (Bel) BMC Racing Team 5:52
85. Klaas Sys (Bel) Bridgestone Anchor 5:53
86. Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team 6:01
87. Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale 6:12
88. Luke Rowe (GBR) Sky Procycling 6:37
89. Marcel Kittel (Ger) Project 1t4i 6:40
90. Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ-Big Mat 6:48
91. Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 6:53
92. Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
93. Thomas Bertolini (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia 6:58
94. Aidis Kruopis (Ltu) GreenEdge Cycling Team 7:11
95. Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 7:16
96. Rüdiger Selig (Ger) Katusha Team 7:26
97. Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Sky Procycling 7:51
98. Svein Tuft (Can) GreenEdge Cycling Team 7:58
99. Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 8:10
100. Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team 8:28
101. Mark Cavendish (GBR) Sky Procycling 8:31
102. Lee Rodgers (GBR) RTS Racing Team 9:09
103. Jérémy Hunt (GBR) Sky Procycling
104. Diego Caccia (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia 9:38
105. Robert Wagner (Ger) RadioShack-Nissan 9:42
106. Alan Marangoni (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 10:14
107. Vladimir Isaichev (Rus) Katusha Team 10:39
108. Jens Mouris (Ned) GreenEdge Cycling Team 11:40
109. Alexandre Lemair (Fra) Bridgestone Anchor 12:36
110. William Clarke (Aus) Champion System Pro Cycling Team 14:38
111. Andrea Guardini (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia 15:00
112. Denis Galimzyanov (Rus) Katusha Team 16:10
113. Gorik Gardeyn (Bel) Champion System Pro Cycling Team 16:16
114. Christian Benenati (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia 16:27
115. Alex Rasmussen (Den) Garmin – Barracuda 17:22
116. Mart Ojavee (Est) Champion System Pro Cycling Team 17:24
117. Dominic Klemme (Ger) Project 1t4i 17:45
118. Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia 18:25
119. Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) GreenEdge Cycling Team 19:13
120. Jonas Van Genechten (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 19:30
121. Coen Vermeltfoort (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 21:02
122. Clinton Avery (NZL) Champion System Pro Cycling Team 25:57