Today’s fourth stage of the Tour of Oman – the 152.5km mountainous route from Al Satiyah to Jabal Al Akhdar – will prove decisive for Team Sky’s Chris Froome after yesterday’s second successive stage victory for Cannondale Pro Cycling’s Peter Sagan. Sagan consolidated his overall 16second advantage leaving Froome in 13th place, 36 seconds adrift of the Slovakian rider who delivered an impressive victory with a punchy and perfectly timed attack in the closing kilometres of the Nakhal Fort to Wadi Dayqah Dam leg. Praising his fellow Cannondale riders after the third stage win Sagan commented, ‘My teammates did a great job of supporting me and this win is the deserved award of their efforts… Here at the Tour of Oman there are a lot of champions with different characteristics, each one could anticipate and try to attack. The high race rhythm of the final part of the stage didn’t give any freedom and this helped me. I’m really satisfied with this win, especially the way in which I got it.’
However, Team Sky’s Sports Director Nicolas Portal remains upbeat ahead of today’s challenge saying, ‘Froomey is in a great position heading into it… Green Mountain (the summit stage finish) is 6km long and maintains an average gradient of between 10-11%. That’s going to suit Froomey and the plan will be to get him into the best possible position leading into the climb and before pacing him up it to the best of our ability.’
Bradley Wiggins’ tour has certainly not seen him performing at his best; he goes into today’s stage having dropped all the way back into 76th place, almost three and a half minutes behind the CG leader.
