Cyclingflash
Early breakaway rider Baptiste Veistroffer wins impressively in Tour of Oman

Early breakaway rider Baptiste Veistroffer wins impressively in Tour of Oman

Baptiste Veistroffer memorably won the second stage of the Tour of Oman. The French rider from Lotto-Intermaché was part of the early breakaway, escaped from his breakaway companions Tim Marsman and Patryk Goszczurny in the finale, and proved strong enough to hold off a reduced peloton.

Stage two of the Tour of Oman was made for punchy riders. The finale featured two climbs. The ascent to Qantab (2.6 km at 6.5%) served as a first selective point about ten kilometers from the finish, but just before the line, the climb of Yitti Hills followed, covering 1.6 kilometers at 6.6%. Breakaway rider Louis Vervaeke achieved an emotional victory here last year.

Early break colors Belgian and Dutch
As in the opening stage to Bimmah Sink Hole, the first hours of racing saw a breakaway, and with Baptiste Veistroffer, we saw a familiar name at the front of the race. The Lotto-Intermarché Frenchman was very active on Saturday and found it hard to hold back one day later as well. Tim Marsman (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Gil Gelders (Soudal Quick-Step), Patryk Goszczurny (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Said Alrahbi were his breakaway companions.

These five attackers managed to build a maximum lead of about four minutes on the peloton, which was being led by the sprinters’ teams. UAE Emirates XRG – the squad that includes two-time overall winner Adam Yates – contributed to the chase. Midway through the stage, the breakaway was reduced for the first time. Gelders – who had earlier dropped back to the team car – and Alrahbi were dropped quite early.

Marsman and co hold out for long
The three remaining breakaway riders, Marsman, Goszczurny, and Veistroffer, stepped up the pace but seemed like sitting ducks for the proverbial cat. Emphasis on seemed, because the attackers held on remarkably well and for a long time. At the foot of the day’s toughest climb – the ascent to Bousher Al Amerat (3.3 km at 9.2%) – the gap was still nearly four minutes.

The riders still had about forty kilometers to cover at that point, but the hardest climbing was yet to come. The peloton was nibbling away at their deficit but was far from making smooth progress. With ten kilometers remaining, the difference still favored Marsman, Veistroffer, and Goszczurny by one minute.

Impressive calling card
Veistroffer was not comfortable with this and decided to reveal his cards a little earlier. The French strongman dropped his two breakaway companions mercilessly and started a solo. A winning solo, as the peloton came too late to reel in the unleashed Veistroffer. The lone escapee did not slow down in the final kilometers and thus impressively secured his first professional victory.

Watch Veistroffer’s finish here: