Team Sky's Chris Froome taking the stage win on Green Mountain and with it the overall lead at the Tour of Oman.
Ireland's Nicolas Roche and Sam Bennett endured a very difficult day on the queen stage of the Tour of Oman today, Saturday, as defending champion Chris Froome (Team Sky) powered to victory on the summit of Green Mountain.
The Tour de France champion also took the race lead for his efforts, with just tomorrow's circuit race stage to come before the professionals leave the Arabian peninsula for the more familiar surroundings of the European circuit.
Roche and his Tinkoff-Saxo team mates were riding today for Roman Kreuziger, who went into today's penultimate stage in 7th place, some 18 seconds back on overnight leader and yesterday's stage winner Peter Sagan (Cannondale).
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With an early breakaway building up a maximum lead of 3:30 and never looking like they were going to survive, the latter part of the stage saw the bigger teams charge into the base of the final climb. Roche's squad appeared to be doing too much and were overtaken on the front by Froome's Sky.
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Around 2km from the summit and with the field already well fractured down the road, Sergio Henao had a hard dig to test the waters for Froome.
He was chased by Tejay van Garderen (BMC) and Robert Gesink (Belkin), before Froome countered and rode solo to victory atop the feared ascent.
Roche came home in 96th place, some 5:48 down, with NetApp-Endura’s Bennett losing 14:43 and coming home in 140th place.
Feb 18th to 23rd, Tour of Oman (UCI 2.HC)
Feb 22nd: Stage 5 – BidBid to Green Mountain (147.5km)
| 1 | Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky | 3:49:53 | |
| 2 | Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team | 0:00:22 | |
| 3 | Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | 0:00:33 | |
| 4 | Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha | 0:00:38 | |
| 5 | Robert Gesink (Ned) Belkin-Pro Cycling Team | 0:00:47 | |
| 6 | Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:00:51 | |
| 7 | Arnold Jeannesson (Fra) Fdj.fr | 0:00:56 | |
| 8 | Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:00:59 | |
| 9 | Sergio Henao Montoya (Col) Team Sky | 0:01:09 | |
| 10 | Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Tinkoff-Saxo | 0:01:15 | |
| 69 | Nicolas Roche (Irl) Tinkoff-Saxo | 0:05:48 | |
| 140 | Sam Bennett (Irl) Team Netapp - Endura | 0:14:43 |
General Classification
| 1 | Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky | 18:36:45 | |
| 2 | Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team | 0:00:26 | |
| 3 | Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | 0:00:31 | |
| 4 | Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha | 0:00:48 | |
| 5 | Robert Gesink (Ned) Belkin-Pro Cycling Team | 0:00:57 | |
| 6 | Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:01:01 | |
| 7 | Sergio Henao Montoya (Col) Team Sky | 0:01:19 | |
| 8 | Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Tinkoff-Saxo | 0:01:25 | |
| 9 | Johann Tschopp (Swi) IAM Cycling | 0:01:32 | |
| 10 | Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Team Katusha | 0:01:34 | |
| 48 | Nicolas Roche (Irl) Tinkoff-Saxo | 0:06:42 | |
| 137 | Sam Bennett (Irl) Team Netapp - Endura | 0:40:32 |
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