RIDERS TO WATCH
MARK CAVENDISH
ASTANA-QAZAQSTAN
The Tour of Oman was Cavendish’s first race last year, and he took his first win on stage two. With only stage one looking like a nailed-on bunch finish this year, the Manxman will want to get off on the right foot in what will be his first appearance for his new Astana-qazaqstan team. That said, after a fraught transfer from Quick Step via B&B Hotels, the 37-year-old will surely be happy to simply be racing his bike again. CW Rating ★★★
DAVIDE FORMOLO
UAE TEAM EMIRATES Fresh from a brace of high stage placings at the Saudi Tour, the Italian will be aiming to go one better with a stage win in Oman. There are four punchy finishes to choose from at the Tour of Oman, at least two of which are very similar to the Queen stage at the Saudi Tour, where Formolo was second. He should be spoiled for choice.
CW Rating ★★★★
MATT WALLS
BORA HANSGROHE
After a crash-hit 2022, including a particularly bad stack at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham which saw him go over the barriers at the velodrome, the young Brit will be hoping for a more successful season in 2023. His fast finish should see him best suited to the flat run-in to the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre – the finish venue for stage one. CW Rating ★★★
JAN HIRT
SOUDAL-QUICK STEP
Hirt won the Tour of Oman last year riding for Intermarché-circus-wanty, biding his time during the first two sprint stages before pouncing during three consecutive hard finishes to take and consolidate the GC lead. He will have noted with interest that the race this year saves the climb of Jabal Al Akhdhar (5.7km at 10.5%) till last, for this was the location of the Czech’s one stage win. His rivals will be watching him closely. CW Rating ★★★★
RUBEN GUERREIRO
MOVISTAR
If you were watching carefully in 2020, you would have seen Guerreiro pull on the climber’s blue jersey in the Giro d’italia, and more recently (just this month, in fact) winning the Saudi Tour on GC, having also taken the race’s Queen stage to the snappily named Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid (closely followed by Formolo). Guerreiro is staying in the Middle East and will no doubt have his sights trained on Oman’s punchy finishes – two of which closely resemble that of Harrat Uwayrid. CW Rating ★★★★★
CIAN UIJTDEBROEKS
BORA-HANSGROHE
Matt Walls’s young team-mate will be hoping to build on a stellar first season as an U23 which saw him conquer the Tour de l’avenir, winning two stages, the youth and mountains classifications and the overall. The rangy 19-year-old has already had a taste of Worldtour racing, finished 78th at Amstel Gold last year, and looks like a talent. It will be interesting to see him progress.
CW Rating ★★★