2015 Tour of Oman

[Cav']

The Tour of Oman is the world's fastest growing cycling event. Coming into existence in February in 2010, it is still a baby in the over one hundred-year-old history of the sport and yet, it is highly regarded by observers and participants alike as it draws the best starter list of the whole cycling calendar.

All recent Tour de France winners have competed : Alberto Contador, Andy Schleck, Cadel Evans, Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome and Vincenzo Nibali. Froome is the only double winner of the race so far as he followed Fabian Cancellara, Robert Gesink and Peter Velits on the honour roll in 2013 and 2014. His campaign to become the winner of the prestigious 100th Tour de France precisely began at the crossroads between India and Africa – the continent he hails from.

Oman is a symbol of the true globalization of cycling. Located in the Arabian Peninsula, the Sultanate of Oman offers a perfect terrain for cycling with wide roads, a coastline and the challenge of the mountains. The addition of the 6km-long ascent to Jabal Al Akhdar – also known as Green Mountain – on the course since the second edition has been the key to attract Grand Tours contenders who need to test their legs and their adversaries following their buildup for the new season.

Already promoted as the climbers' new paradise, Oman is also a springboard for sprinters. Tom Boonen, Mark Cavendish, Matt Goss, André Greipel, Marcel Kittel, Peter Sagan, Nacer Bouhanni and Alexander Kristoff have all won on these roads prior to finding glory in classics and Grand Tours. In such a short period of time, it's amazing how many big names have put this beautiful country on the map of cycling. In addition, the desire of the best teams and the top riders to make their way back to the Middle East is a real testimony to the quality of the event.


http://www.letour.fr/tour-of-oman/2015/img/map_route.jpg

Stage 1  »  Bayt Al Naman Castle  ›  Al Wutayyah   (161km)

http://www.letour.fr/PHOTOS/TOO/2015/100/PROFIL.jpg

Stage 2  »  Al Hazm Castle  ›  Al Bustan   (195km)

http://www.letour.fr/PHOTOS/TOO/2015/200/PROFIL.jpg

http://www.letour.fr/PHOTOS/TOO/2015/200/PROFILKMS.jpg

Stage 3  »  Al Mussanah Sports City  ›  Al Mussanah Sports City   (158.5km)

http://www.letour.fr/PHOTOS/TOO/2015/300/PROFIL.jpg

Stage 4  »  Sultan Qaboos Grande Mosque  ›  Jabal Al Akhdhar   (189km)

http://www.letour.fr/PHOTOS/TOO/2015/400/PROFIL.jpg

http://www.letour.fr/PHOTOS/TOO/2015/400/PROFILKMS.jpg

Stage 5  »  Al Sawadi Beach  ›  Ministry of Housing   (151.5km)

http://www.letour.fr/PHOTOS/TOO/2015/500/PROFIL.jpg

Stage 6  »  Oman Air  ›  Muttrah Promenade   (133.5km)

http://www.letour.fr/PHOTOS/TOO/2015/600/PROFIL.jpg



Previous Winners

2010   Fabian Cancellara  

2011   Robert Gesink  

2012   Peter Velits  

2013   Chris Froome  

2014   Chris Froome  

[Cav']

Leaders Jerseys:

 

http://i.imgur.com/OTunp7L.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/fLKFv4J.png
http://i.imgur.com/geAJi0N.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/2H8bxx2.png

[Cav']

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUqinB1HunQ

 

Top 5 Riders to watch during Oman

[TeebagAxis]

Leaders Jerseys:

 

http://i.imgur.com/OTunp7L.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/fLKFv4J.png

http://i.imgur.com/geAJi0N.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/2H8bxx2.png

I wish my abs stuck out like that!

[Cav']

Top-10 Previous Editions

1.FROOME Christopher22:02:26

2.VAN GARDEREN Tejay0:26

3.URAN Rigoberto0:31

4.RODRíGUEZ Joaquim0:48

5.GESINK Robert0:57

6.POZZOVIVO Domenico1:01

7.HENAO Sergio Luis1:19

8.KREUZIGER Roman1:25

9.TSCHOPP Johann1:32

10.MORENO Daniel1:34

 

Most Wins

1.FROOME Christopher

2.VELITS Peter

3.GESINK Robert

4.CANCELLARA Fabian

5.BOASSON HAGEN Edvald

6.NIBALI Vincenzo

7.CONTADOR Alberto

8.VAN GARDEREN Tejay

9.EVANS Cadel

10.GALLOPIN Tony

 

 

Most Stage Wins

1.GREIPEL André

2.SAGAN Peter

3.FROOME Christopher

4.GESINK Robert

5.KITTEL Marcel

6.BOASSON HAGEN Edvald

7.BOS Theo

8.BENNATI Daniele

9.HOWARD Leigh

10.BOUHANNI Nacer

[Cav']

START LIST

 

Astana Pro Team

1. BOZIC Borut

2. CATALDO Dario

3. FUGLSANG Jakob

4. GRIVKO Andriy

5. GUARDINI Andrea

6. LUTSENKO Alexey

7. WESTRA Lieuwe

8. NIBALI Vincenzo

 

BMC Racing Team

1. VELITS Peter

2. VAN AVERMAET Greg

3. TEUNS Dylan

4. CARUSO Damiano

5. DE MARCHI Alessandro

6. HERMANS Ben

7. SCHAR Michael

8. VAN GARDEREN Tejay

 

Tinkoff - Saxo

1. POLJANSKI Pawel

2. ROVNY Ivan

3. KREUZIGER Roman

4. MAJKA Rafal

5. BENNATI Daniele

6. BRESCHEL Matti

7. BELTRAN Edward

8. SAGAN Peter

 

Team Katusha

1. PAOLINI Luca

2. SMUKULIS Gatis

3. KRISTOFF Alexander

4. MORENO Daniel

5. HALLER Marco

6. ISAYCHEV Vladimir

7. RODRíGUEZ Joaquim

8. GUARNIERI Jacopo

 

Movistar Team

1. SüTTERLIN Jasha

2. VENTOSO Fran

3. SANZ Enrique

5. ERVITI Imanol

6. ROJAS José Joaquín

7. VALVERDE Alejandro

8. AMADOR Andrey

 

FDJ

1. JEANNESSON Arnold

2. MORABITO Steve

3. PINOT Thibaut

4. BONNET William

5. CHAVANEL Sébastien

6. DELAGE Mickaël

7. DéMARE Arnaud

 

Trek Factory Racing

1. VAN POPPEL Boy

2. VAN POPPEL Danny

3. RAST Gregory

4. STEEGMANS Gert

5. IRIZAR Markel

6. POPOVYCH Yaroslav

7. CANCELLARA Fabian

8. ARREDONDO Julián David

 

Team Sky

1. KöNIG Leopold

2. KNEES Christian

3. LOPEZ David

4. PATE Danny

5. POELS Wout

6. SUTTON Chris

7. DEIGNAN Philip

8. EARLE Nathan

 

Team Giant - Alpecin

1. STAMSNIJDER Tom

2. VEELERS Tom

3. PREIDLER Georg

4. SINKELDAM Ramon

5. ARNDT Nikias

6. DE BACKER Bert

7. JONES Carter

8. BARGUIL Warren

 

Etixx - Quick Step

1. BOONEN Tom

2. KEISSE Iljo

3. MAES Nikolas

4. SERRY Pieter

5. TERPSTRA Niki

6. TRENTIN Matteo

7. VAN KEIRSBULCK Guillaume

8. VANDENBERGH Stijn

 

Cofidis, Solutions Crédits

1. BOUHANNI Nacer

2. AHLSTRAND Jonas

3. CHAINEL Steve

4. ROLLIN Dominique

5. SENECHAL Florian

6. SOUPE Geoffrey

7. LEMOINE Cyril

8. PETIT Adrien

 

Lampre - Merida

1. POZZATO Filippo

2. VALLS Rafael

3. MODOLO Sacha

4. OLIVEIRA Nelson

5. PLAZA Rubén

6. COSTA Rui

7. BONO Matteo

8. FERRARI Roberto

 

MTN - Qhubeka

1. VAN ZYL Johann

2. VENTER Jaco

3. MEINTJES Louis

4. PAUWELS Serge

5. JANSE VAN RENSBURG Jacques

6. BOASSON HAGEN Edvald

7. JANSE VAN RENSBURG Reina...

8. GOSS Matthew

 

Orica GreenEDGE

1. KEUKELEIRE Jens

2. LANCASTER Brett

3. MEYER Cameron

4. MOURIS Jens

5. WEENING Pieter

6. BLYTHE Adam

7. DOCKER Mitchell

8. HOWSON Damien

 

IAM Cycling

1. HOLLENSTEIN Reto

2. PELUCCHI Matteo

3. VAN GENECHTEN Jonas

4. FRANK Mathias

5. AREGGER Marcel

6. BRäNDLE Matthias

7. DEVENYNS Dries

8. ELMIGER Martin

 

Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise

1. VAN MEIRHAEGHE Jef

2. VANSPEYBROUCK Pieter

3. DECLERCQ Tim

4. SALOMEIN Jarl

5. VAN HECKE Preben

6. VAN HOECKE Gijs

7. WALLAYS Jelle

8. CAMPENAERTS Victor

 

Bora-Argon 18

1. KONRAD Patrick

2. MATZKA Ralf

3. NERZ Dominik

4. SALERNO Cristiano

5. SCHORN Daniel

6. BENNETT Sam

7. DEMPSTER Zakkari

8. HUZARSKI Bartosz

 

Bardiani - CSF Pro Team

1. BATTAGLIN Enrico

2. TONELLI Alessandro

3. ZARDINI Edoardo

4. ANDREETTA Simone

5. BARBIN Enrico

6. BONGIORNO Francesco Manuel

7. CHIRICO Luca

8. COLBRELLI Sonny

[Hackster]

Not a race to spill your steed upon the ground.

[Cav']

Not a race to spill your steed upon the ground.

Steed or Seed?

[Grondpad]

I enjoyed watching this last year. Anyone know if it will be on SS again this year? I looked at the TV Guide online but could not find anything

[RastaMan]

also enjoyed it last year

but no Froome and no Contador probs won't enjoy it that much this year

[Rider3000]

Go Rafal Majka !!!     

[TeebagAxis]

I enjoyed watching this last year. Anyone know if it will be on SS again this year? I looked at the TV Guide online but could not find anything

Really wish they would air all the cycle events, or the very least put it on catch up.

 

Some viewing is better than none.

[Cav']

also enjoyed it last year

but no Froome and no Contador probs won't enjoy it that much this year

Still has some big names though, Pro cycling doesn't just rotate aound the Froome/Berto rivalry.

 

Nibali, Tejay, Kreuziger, Majka, J-Rod, Valverde and Costa all there.

[Nibali]

Go Nibs!!!!

[T-Bob]

Kind of an odd race this year. Not like a coming together for the big guns (of sprint or GC) so you'd think it'll be a Nibali vs Valverde VS J-Rod with a bit of Rafa, Sagan, Costa and some wild cards.

 

Seems more like every team has sent a large part of their classics squad for some final boot camp and kms into the legs. Everyone from GVA to Boonan, Terpstra, Spartcus, Kristoff, Paolini, Sagan, Edval BH, Konig etc are over for some fun in the sun. 

 

Surprised not to see Haussler for IAM, Thomas and Stannard for Sky and Degenklob for Giant.

 

Kristoff is racking up the hours in the saddle straight from Qatar to Oman and into the classics. 

[SurferChild]

I'm quite interested to see how our MTN boys do...