Dan Martin is in Oman for this week's 2.HC-ranked event featuring many of the sport's top riders and along with Sam Bennett is hunting for wins.
Dan Martin will make his debut at the Tour of Oman tomorrow, Tuesday, when he’ll line up against many of the world’s top sprinters and Grand Tour riders.
The 2.HC-ranked race runs until Sunday and features six road stages with plenty of opportunities for the Irishman to test himself against the best.
He’s already notched one victory in 2016, that coming on the hilly second stage of the Volta A Communicat Valenciana 11 days ago and he’ll be looking to add to his tally this week.
His chances of success start on tomorrow's opener; a stage that has a sharp short ‘kicker’ some five kilometres from the finish line.
Advertisement
At 2.5 kilometres with an average slope of 8%, that final ramp at Al Jissah is one he has every right to feel confident about nailing.
Wednesday’s second stage offers another chance for the punchy climbers, though it's perhaps more challenging than the day before.
Still, at around three kilometres and with average grade of 6.5%, Martin can again feel it’s within his capabilities.
Sam Bennett's 7th overall in the Tour of Qatar last week suggests he is in the form of his life. He wanted a stage win, but that will come in time - hopefully in Oman in the new few days.
The third stage is one where he’s likely to let the faster men do their thing and the only other Irishman in the race, Sam Bennett, definitely has a chance of winning here if he’s recovered from his efforts in Qatar last week.
The stage from Al Sawadi Beach to Naseem Park is a hefty 176 kilometres but there’s only one significant point around the halfway point where the riders will crest a 415-metre uncategorised 'rise'.
However, Bennett will need all the help he can get from his team if they are to fend off a flying Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) who took three stage wins in Qatar.
The general classification will most likely be decided on Friday when the peloton tackle the queen stage to Green Mountain.
Last year, Rafael Valls (Lampre-Merida) was victorious here and he later claimed the overall, while Chris Froome (Team Sky) did likewise in 2014.
Related News
Two others who’ve won that stage in the past are Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) and Vincenzo Nibali (Astana Pro Team) so again, Martin can go there believing he can deliver.
The climb reaches an elevation of 1,435 metres and hits 13% with around five kilometres to go.
Just some of those the Dan Martin, second from right, will do battle with for the general classification are Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), Romain Bardet (Ag2R La Mondiale), Richie Porte (BMC Racing Team) and Tom Dumoulin (Giant Alpecin).
“The course is perfect for the climbers, with the Green Mountain in the menu and small climbs not far off the finish in some of other days," said Martin's Etixx-QuickStep sports director Rik van Slycke.
"And we have a couple of riders who can attack in order to try and get the victories.
“I'm talking here of Daniel Martin and Bob Jungels, who're both coming from Valenciana, where they displayed good and improving form.”
The penultimate stage is the shortest of the race at just 120 kilometres but with three ascents of a nasty climb on a 15-kilometre circuit it’s another chance for the punchy riders to try for a stage win.
Peter Sagan and Chris Froome have both won here in the past and it’s all a question of timing.
The riders with designs on victory will look to get over the final ramp with a handful of seconds as the descent to the finish is so fast it’ll offer little hope of a strong escapee being brought back.
The final stage is a nailed-on bunch sprint, despite one or two tricky ramps in the latter half of the 130-kilometre race.
It’s the one Bennett is most likely to take his first win if the season and he can definitely go better than the eighth and tenth places he got last year.
The aforementioned Kristoff and Andrea Guardini (Astana) are two of the fastest men he’ll compete against in Oman.
However, Gerald Ciolek (Stolting Service Group), Moreno Hofland (Team LottoNL-Jumbo) and Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data) all deserve respect.
Topics
