Tour of Oman: Jan Hirt seals overall victory as Gaviria wins final sprint

Image 1 of 10

Jan Hirt finished safely in the peloton on the final stage of the Tour of Oman to secure overall victory and so take the red leader’s jersey. 

The Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux rider won by 1:00 after his strong display on the stage to Green Mountain on Monday. Fausto Masnada (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) was second overall, with Rui Costa (UAE Team Emirates) third overall at 1:16

The sprinters dominated the final stage along the Matrah Corniche, with Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates) emerging to win on the slightly downhill and high-speed finish. The Colombian beat Kiwi Kaden Groves (BikeExchange-Jayco) and Amaury Capiot (Arkea-Samsic). 

Mark Cavendish (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) finished a frustrated sixth after Gaviria’s leadout man Max Richeze used his sprinting experience to close the door along the barriers, forcing Cavendish to ease up. Gaviria’s victory secured him the green points jersey but Richeze was later disqualified from the race.  

"I’m really happy to take the last stage here in Oman. It’s been a good week for me and the team," Gaviria said, having already taken two victories in his first stage race of 2022. 

"I’m happy because my team worked well and stayed focused on winning the stage and we were able to deliver. From the beginning we tried to take control of the race and luckily I had good legs in the finish and could take the sprint.

“It was a nice week: one of the beauties of this sport is to travel and discover new countries and cultures. So to ride in amazing places like Oman is great and we’ll hope to be back next year.”

Hirt was carefully shepherded through the 132.5km stage from Al Mouj Muscat to the Matrah Corniche on the rolling roads inland from central Muscat.

Johan Meens (Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB), Antonio Angulo (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Víctor Langellotti (Burgos-BH), Mohammed Al-Wahabi (Oman), Gerd de Keijzer (Team Novo Nordisk), Harold Martín López  and Alexandre Vinokourov jr (Astana Qazaqstan Development) formed the early breakaway but they were never given more than 1:30 by the peloton.

Several teams tried to hurt the sprinters on the short but steep Al Hamriyah and Al Jissah climbs in the final 40km but the peloton reformed for the three seven-kilometre laps along the spectacular Corniche. 

Kevin Vauquelin and Elie Gesbert of Arkea-Samsic  tried to attack on the short climb on each circuit but the sprinters and their teams quickly  pulled them back, with QuickStep-AlphaVinyl active in controlling the race.  Masnada chased down one attack and so Hirt carefully followed him on the final climb. Søren Kragh Andersen (Team DSM) also joined in and went clear alone but QuickStep-AlphaVinyl chased him down with a kilometre to go. That left the Belgian team stretched for the lead out and the sprinter’s swept around the final curve en masse.  

Richeze lead out Gaviria and when the Colombian accelerated down the centre of the road, the veteran lead out rider closed the door on Cavendish who had opted for a line along the barriers.  Richeze slowed and frustrated Cavendish, giving Gaviria a clear run to victory and Groves and Capiot places in the top three.