00:00Three years ago, I won the stage.
00:15Look at Alissi, he goes like a rocket.
00:18Last year, I helped Adam to win the general classification.
00:25Adam Yates just to protect him, they're offering up a white wall in front of the red jersey.
00:30We see this year, we try to improve.
00:35So there we are, Adam Yates is finished with waiting.
00:40This year is a little bit different than last year, I think purposely I've taken it a little bit easier.
00:44Adam Yates, in charge of his destiny.
00:50It's a nice race to come and it's a nice road, it's nice terrain and it's good to find the legs,
00:56to see how the training has been going and I'm excited to take him there.
01:01It will be a really hard fight, but let's see where we are and I will fight every day
01:06and for sure on the mountain top stages to be up there.
01:11It's going to be a really nice race, a really nice track and to start the season,
01:15I think it's the right race to do for me this season.
01:18It should be a stage that suits me, I mean I'm here for the sprint,
01:22so it's a really long straight in the last, I don't know, 20k.
01:27I don't think there's any corners, so timing will be crucial, but also very difficult,
01:33so hopefully we can drop me off in a good position that I can do my sprint.
01:39And this is what lays ahead of the field.
01:41Well, they went on to the opening climb of the day, there was a little bit of fracturing
01:46and in the end the KOM was taken though by Mohamed Al Wahibi.
01:51Well, it's a nice race to come and it's a nice track and to start the season,
01:54I think it's the right race to do for me this season.
01:57It should be a stage that suits me, I mean I'm here for the sprint,
02:00so hopefully we can drop me off in a good position that I can do my sprint.
02:04And this is what lays ahead of the field.
02:06177.7km, a climb straight out of the back door,
02:09Mohamed Al Wahibi.
02:11A Mali champion, very pleased with himself, he was as well,
02:14in the company of Cain Richards and Rodrigo Alvarez.
02:18They pushed on, they were rejoined by those who had been dropped in the break.
02:21Everyone else was in colour order and having a big old chitchat
02:24while the intermediate sprint went away.
02:27This time, beautifully done.
02:30Alvarez taking that one.
02:32Well, golden jersey points were being amassed through the beautiful terrain
02:36that we were dealing with and in fact the bravery of our breakaway
02:39was on display several times along the way.
02:42They just kept reforming.
02:43Ultimately, the Amanis were taken back and indeed everyone else was.
02:47It was going to be a drag race for the line,
02:49not before the final intermediate sprint.
02:53Well, that went the way of Richards from ROI
02:58and in fact he was heading for the golden jersey.
03:00He was then gratefully absorbed within the pack.
03:03They were getting themselves sorted out for the final dash for home.
03:06How would it go? That was the big question.
03:09No doubt about the favourite at the top of the day, Olof Koy,
03:11but would the men in yellow, looking like wasps, issue a sting?
03:16We didn't know.
03:18A lot of churning going on.
03:21So much road space to play with.
03:23Arrows straight as well.
03:24Big vision taken by just about everybody.
03:27Bittner was in the frame, so indeed was D'Amato,
03:30but honestly, head and shoulders above everybody, Olof Koy.
03:35They belonged to him and indeed all the plaudits as well.
03:38And most of the jerseys, I've got to tell you,
03:40the young riders, the points, the overall as well.
03:43We had to take some responsibility and I think we did it really good.
03:47We made it a sprint in the first place
03:50and we also did really good sprint preparations.
03:53It was thanks to the boys that they set me up really well.
03:57To take it in the first stage of Tour of Oman is definitely a really good start.
04:03Great day's work for Team Wismar Lisebike.
04:07Taking the medals and much of the jerseys as well,
04:09including the coveted red jersey.
04:11He's our leader overall, Olof Koy.
