UAE leadout helps Gaviria to opening win in Oman

Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates) took full benefit from a stellar leadout from his UAE Team Emirates squad, raising his arms as a victor at the end of the opening stage of the Tour of Oman.

Fernando Gaviria wins the opening stage of the Tour of Oman Source: ASO

Watch daily extended highlights from the 2022 Tour of Oman on SBS On Demand.

Sprinters surged on the uphill final stretch after a day animated by a few attacks, but ultimately it was the final drag race to the line that decided the win for Gaviria. The Colombian finished ahead of a rapidly closing Mark Cavendish (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) with Australian Kaden Groves (BikeExchange-Jayco) in third. 

With the win, Gaviria takes the leader’s jersey as early as his first day on the race, like he did on the Tour de France in 2018.

"There was a lot of pressure for me in my mind because I want to win," said Gaviria. "Last week in Saudi (Tour) I can't, so I was really happy to do it here."

"My team did really nice work, Max (Richeze) made a really big difference in the leadout. The team is like a family and this victory shows that bond."

Mohammed Al-Wahibi made the early breakaway for the Oman National Team, and Peio Goikoetxea (Euskaltel-Euskadi) showed his strength in the hilly section of the stage to join him out front along with  Jan Dunnewind (Team Novo Nordisk). 

The gap reached a maximum of 3’15’’ with 110 kilometres left to ride, but the sprint teams showed their intent to control the day with Mark Cavendish’s Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, Fernando Gaviria’s UAE Team Emirates and Kaden Groves’ BikeExchange-Jayco at the helm of the bunch. 

Goikoetxea dropped his companions on the ascent while Team DSM put the hammer down in the bunch. The high pace splits the bunch in three parts, and brought the lone leader’s advantage down to 15’’ at the summit, with 47.5km to go.

The peloton were eventually able to catch Goikoetxea as they entered the last 10km, the main bunch all back together after the splits. Team DSM's Soren Kragh Andersen tried to make the most of the chance as he launched a late attack but the peloton quickly neutralised the move. 

UAE Team Emirates proved the strongest of the sprint trains in the finale on the uphill drag to the line, giving Gaviria the textbook example of where a train should drop off its sprinter. Groves was on the wheel of Gaviria, but couldn't come past, with Cavendish having to go the longer way round, beating the Australian to the line for second.

Groves pulled on the young rider's jersey with the performance.

“Things started to get hectic with about 10km to go,” said Groves. “Considering we’ve got a new bunch of guys here working together, it’s Campbell and Kell’s first time with the team, they both did really well. We got lost a little bit but coming through 1km to go, we were all together and we did a really good job in the end.

“I was on Gaviria’s wheel, the winner, but I just didn’t have the legs to come round him. But I’m happy with the sensations and I think it’s going to be a really good week.

“I’m not unhappy with third, it’s more the performance I’m after and I didn’t have the best legs in the finish, so if we can have a smoother run to the line, I’m confident that with good legs I can get a win here.”

Watch daily extended highlights from the 2022 Tour of Oman on SBS On Demand.