Race organiser ASO has announced the list of teams invited to the Tour of Oman, between February 14th and 19th. Unsurprisingly, the list comprises the same sixteen names that are to attend the neighbouring Tour of Qatar – also run by ASO – a few days before. Included are the same eleven first division ProTeams, along with three Professional Continental and two Continental teams, representing the best of the Asian Tour.
Although the race, which was first organised in 2010, appears similar to the more established Qatari event, the more varied terrain of the Sultanate means that the stage profiles are far more varied. The Tour of Oman is mainly confined to the northern coastal area and the capital, Muscat, and so is prey to similar crosswinds from the Sea of Oman. It does head inland on some stages though, where it encounters some steep climbing; while the teams invited are the same as Qatar then, many – particularly the larger ProTeams – will undergo a drastic change of personnel between the two races.
Last year’s race winner Rabobank’s Robert Gesink, sat out the windy, sprinter’s Tour of Qatar, then took Oman with victories on the mountaintop finish to Jabar al Akhdhar (Green Mountain) and the hilly Bander Al Jissah time trial.
The 2012 race route drops the time trial, but will once again feature a stage finish on Green Mountain on the penultimate day; the climb may only be 5.8km long, but its gradient averages 10.3%, with sections of up to 13.5% in the final 2km.
There will still be plenty on offer for the sprinters, in the early coastal stages and the final day’s dash into Matrah Corniche; the most interesting day could be stage 4 however, between Bidbid and Al Wadi al Kabir, whose sawtooth profile features three laps of a hilly circuit around the final climb to the finish.
The six-day race begins on February 14th with a flat 159km, mostly flat stage, between Muscat’s Al Alam Palace and Wadi Al Huwqayn.
Tour of Oman 2012 (2.HC)
UCI ProTeams
BMC Racing Team (USA)
FDJ-BigMat (Fra)
Garmin-Barracuda (USA)
Greenedge Cycling Team (Aus)
Katusha Team (Rus)
Liquigas-Cannondale (Ita)
Lotto-Belisol Team (Bel)
Omega Pharma-Quick Step Cycling Team (Bel)
Rabobank (Ned)
Radioshack-Nissan (USA)
Sky Pro Cycling (GBr)
Professional Continental Teams
Champion System (Chn)
Farnese Vini-Neri Cycling Team (Ita)
Project 1t4i (Ned)
Continental Teams
Bridgestone Anchor Pro Cycling Team (Jpn)
RTS Racing team (Tpe)
Stages
Stage 1, Tuesday 14th February: Al Alam Palace – Wadi Al Huwqayn (159 km)
Stage 2, Wednesday 15th February: Sur – Wadi Dayqah Dam (140,5 km)
Stage 3, Thursday 16th February: Al Awabi (Al Alya) – Bank Muscat HQ (144,5 km)
Stage 4, Friday 17th February: Bidbid (Nafa’a) – Al Wadi al Kabir (142,5 km)
Stage 5, Saturday 18th February: Royal Opera House – Jabal Al Akhdhar/Green Mountain (158 km)
Stage 6, Sunday 19th February: Al Khawd – Matrah Corniche (130,5 km)