Saturday 08 / February / 2025
Muscat: Olav Kooij delivered a stunning victory for Visma-Lease a Bike in the opening stage of the 2025 Tour of Oman on Saturday, clinching first place in a thrilling sprint finish at Bimmah Sinkhole.
The Dutch sprinter’s triumph marked his first win of the season, his 37th career victory, and an assertive start to the race as he donned the inaugural red jersey.
The 177.7-km stage unfolded under the scorching desert sun, beginning in Bausher and heading towards the coastal finish at Bimmah Sinkhole. After a tactical battle, Kooij outpaced Pavel Bittner (Picnic PostNL) and Erlend Blikra (Uno-X Mobility) in the final metres, securing the victory ahead of a fast-charging peloton.
An early breakaway featured four riders - Mohammed Al Wahibi and Said Al Rahbi from the Oman national team, Rodrigo Álvarez (Burgos Burpellet), and Kane Richards (Roojai Insurance) - who gained a lead of over three minutes. However, the peloton, led by Visma-Lease a Bike, ramped up the pace and reeled in the breakaway as the race neared the final 50km.
Visma-Lease a Bike’s team tactics proved crucial, as Kooij expertly followed Fernando Gaviria’s (Movistar) wheel into the final sprint.
"We really wanted to go for the stage, and we took control," Kooij said after the race. "The team gave me a great lead into the last 500 metres, and I launched my sprint at just the right moment."
Despite the setback of missing key rider Jørgen Nordhagen due to illness, Visma-Lease a Bike celebrated a successful stage, a win made even more significant after strong performances in the Muscat Classic, where the team showed signs of sprint readiness.
As the peloton raced along the plains of the Sea of Oman towards the finish, the final sprint became a battle for positioning. Teams like Picnic PostNL, Movistar, and Uno-X positioned their sprinters well, but Kooij’s late surge proved unstoppable.
"I could follow Gaviria’s wheel and use it to my advantage," Kooij noted, adding, "We’re in the lead jersey now, and we’ll enjoy this one."
With this win, Visma-Lease a Bike now leads the race, with Kooij wearing the red jersey ahead of Sunday's stage. The 2024 Giro d'Italia stage winner lived up to his reputation as the man to beat on Saturday. This was his first victory of the season, his maiden win in Oman, and his 37th career victory.
A 120-strong peloton started the 14th Tour of Oman, with Jørgen Nordhagen (Visma–Lease a Bike) and Harm Vanhoucke (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) on the DNS list. The flag went down at 11:42 am under the harsh sun shining on Bausher, on the outskirts of Muscat.
