Yates puts his stamp on Green Mountain
February 14 th 2024 - 12:27 [GMT + 4]
Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) came to the Sultanate of Oman, he saw Jabal Al Akhdhar (Green Mountain) and he conquered the Tour of Oman 2024 with a dominant performance on the iconic ascent (5.7km at 10.5%)! The British climber, whose teammate Finn Fisher-Black led the overall standings ahead of this final battle, followed Jan Hirt (Soudal Quick-Step) when the young New-Zealander couldn’t keep up inside the last 2 kilometres of ascent. And nobody could resist him when he kicked for a double triumph: the stage and the overall victory. Hirt and Fisher-Black join him on the overall podium.
The peloton roll from Samail “Al Feyhaa Resthouse” for a short stage, with a 72-km course adapted to the exceptional weather conditions in the Sultanate of Oman. The iconic ascent up Jabal Al Akhdhar (Green Mountain) looms on the horizon and it appears attackers are eager to get there as soon as possible.
UAE Team Emirates control the day
Attacks fly from the start but it takes 19 kilometres of hard battle for four riders to get away: Huub Artz (Intermarché-Wanty), Lund Tobias Andresen (Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL), Tord Gudmestad (Uno-X Mobility) and Tegshbayar Batsaikhan (Roojai Insurance). Finn Fisher-Black’s UAE Team Emirates drive the bunch behind the leaders.
Into the last 25km, the gap is up to 2’30’’. Astana Qazaqstan join UAE Team Emirates at the front of the bunch. The attackers maintain a lead of 2’25’’ as they enter the last 10km. Kern Pharma also pull the peloton to reduce the gap.
Yates takes over
The leaders face the final climb with a gap of 2’10’’. Andresen and Gudmestad are quickly dropped. And the peloton move closer, trailing by 1’20’’ with 5km to go.
Artz goes solo 4km away from the summit. Behind him, Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) sets the pace for Fisher-Black, but the young leader can’t keep up when Jan Hirt (Soudal Quick-Step) accelerates inside the last 2km. Yates follows him.
The duo get back to Artz just inside the last kilometre. And Yates goes on to drop Hirt, en route to the stage win and their overall victory. Artz resists the rest of the climbers to take 3rd on the line.
