Tour of Oman 2020 to have Sohar leg
With Muscat Festival cancelled as the sultanate mourns the passing away of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said recently, there were concerns about the staging of 2020 Tour of Oman from February 11-16.
However, the organisers - Muscat Municipality and the Amaury Sports Organisation (ASO) - have announced that the 11th edition of the prestigious world cycling tour will go as per the schedule announced earlier.
The organisers also announced the details of the six stages covering a total distance of the 910.5km tour with the fifth stage for the tough Jebel Akhdar climb.
This will be the tenth successive time that the queen stage will feature riders climbing up the Jebel Akhdar, a stage that generally decides the overall winner.
In the event’s 11-year history, on six occasions, the winner of the Jebel Akhdar stage was also declared the overall champion - Alexey Lutsenko last year, Ben Hermans in 2017, Vincenzo Nibali in 2016, Rafael Valls in 2015, Chris Froome in 2014 and Robert Gesink in 2011.
World-class riders will compete through the coast, through Muscat and to the mountain.
The tour, which kicks off from Rustaq to the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre on February 11, will also see the peloton ride to Sohar along the coastal road for the first time during the second stage over a distance of 167.5km with the sprinters expected to dominate this stage.
The race’s longest stage follows on stage three, with a 190.5km trek to Quriyat and stage four - a short 120km dash starting at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex - both with enough short climbs to entice the Classics specialists to test their form.
Stage five to Jebel Akhdar is where last year Lutsenko cemented his overall victory.
The climb, which is 5.7km long and has an average gradient of 10.5 per cent, will be encountered during the 150km fifth stage.
The grand finale comes with a 144.5km sixth stage to Muttrah Corniche for another sprintfriendly stage.
Among those expected to compete in this year’s edition include Nacer Bouhann with his new Arkea-Samsic squad, Mark Cavendish who is also seeking a revival with Bahrain McLaren and Elia Viviani who will be with his new Cofidis squad.