00:00Welcome back to the Tour of Oman.
00:13This time it will be one of the greatest Tour of Oman this year, 2025.
00:22Everyone is looking forward to this race.
00:24This is the 14th edition of the Tour and the 3rd edition of the Muscat Classic.
00:33Actually, cycling is a great platform to showcase the treasure of the Sultanate.
00:40We have one new stage from Boshar to Sinkhole.
00:44It will be one of the greatest stages in the Tour of Oman.
00:49Every year we are starting in new places and we are going through different villages to showcase the beauty of Oman.
01:09I think here the first couple of Ks are a bit easier, so it's a nice introduction to the season.
01:15I think it will just get more and more hectic towards the final, so we need to be more and more sharp.
01:21It will be really hard racing at the end.
01:25It's going to be really important to have numbers in the final and then try to play aggressively,
01:31try to play with strength in the final and go for the win.
01:36We've got a strong team, obviously, so we've got cards to play.
01:40For me personally, it's the first race of the year, so I think we'll get in the bunch, see the legs, see the feeling and we'll take it from there.
01:48170 kilometers ahead of the field.
01:51The first 85 reasonably flat before the spikes began with ramps of around 11%.
01:56Who would want to take that on?
01:59Well, we didn't have to wait long before we got ourselves some volunteers.
02:02Wallin from UNO-X, we had Mahd Zarif and Van Engelen up the front as well from Tirangano.
02:10Well, that whittled down rather quickly.
02:12It didn't take long for Zarif to be dropped and Wallin was in trouble.
02:16The bigger man of the two, leaving Van Engelen up the front.
02:19Who would be tempted then to jump into the fray?
02:22And there were plenty of takers, I've got to tell you.
02:24Xabi Asparin was one of those, Max Kanter, Ryan Boulaout as well.
02:30Well, they thinned down themselves.
02:32It was a question of attrition on the day.
02:34Those mountains just kept on coming.
02:37Four in total, two to be taken twice.
02:39And we had that final roundabout at the end of the day.
02:42The gap to our man, Lorenzo Germain, who's the latest brave soul to go off up the road.
02:48But that was temptation.
02:49Oh, it certainly was, because Jay Weim was on his case.
02:52So was the RheinRink and so was Chris Harper.
02:55A quartet formed up front and behind them, the peloton on some of the descents,
02:59were just starting to fracture.
03:01It was high-paced, high-octane, high-entertainment.
03:07Finally, going backwards was Germain.
03:09And then the last man standing was Chris Harper.
03:12The Melbourne mauler was off and underway.
03:15So many incarnations we had of the breakaway, but it was all to come to naught.
03:19Because right at the very last, they were caught.
03:21And we're in for a hell of a sprint finale.
03:25One roundabout, one turn, and then one chance to take this classic.
03:31So early in the season for so many.
03:33Straight out of the box for some.
03:35How would it pan out?
03:36It was a grandstand finale that everyone had been looking for.
03:40Only the third edition of this race.
03:42But who was going to take it?
03:46All together, but who's going to take it on?
03:48It's a big question.
03:49Arkea are in the frame.
03:50So are Astana here.
03:51Groupama as well with Sunil Quick-Step.
03:54Coming to the fore though, it's Ploymus.
03:56He's had such a good run.
03:57He's on the barriers.
03:58He's had a fantastic lead-out.
04:00He's going to get there.
04:01Oh, the line belongs to him.
04:03It's his arms that will lead.
04:05Nobody's going to tag him.
04:07That was amazing.
04:13I just focused on my own climb.
04:15And then in the final, I just followed Marco.
04:19Into the last 150 meters.
04:21And he put me off in a perfect position.
04:23And then I just had to go all out to the finish line.
04:26I think it's a super nice way to get my first pro victory.
04:31What an amazing result for an amazing young rider.
04:34Carrying his form into this season.
04:36And what a launch pad he has given himself.
04:40Ploymus taking it ahead of Biemans and Mulvihand.
04:43What an amazing day.
04:44A fabulous classic it turned out to be.
04:47And a great entree to the Tour of Oman itself.
04:51What a place.
04:52What a race.
