Meijers wins opening stage of Tour of Salalah

Muscat, Sept 6
Dutch rider Jeroen Meijers of Victoria Sports Pro Cycling won the opening stage of Tour of Salalah 2026 in Salalah on Sunday.
Meijers finished the 127-km Stage 1 from Mughsail Beach to Mirbat Castle in two hours 43 minutes and 46 seconds. Australia’s Carter Bettles of Roojai Insurance Winspace (02:43:46) came second, and Swiss rider Simon Pellaud of Li Ning Star claimed the third spot (02:43:46). Victoria Sports led the team classifications ahead of Roojai Insurance and Li Ning Star after the first stage.
“I am delighted to have won the first stage. This victory gives me a huge morale boost at the start of the Tour and increases my enthusiasm to continue competing and give my best in the upcoming stages,” Meijers said after winning the race.
Meijers received the gold jersey, sponsored by Dhofar Municipality, for leading the overall standings. He also received the green jersey, sponsored by Mohsin Haider Darwish Company, for leading in points classification. Mongolia’s Tegshbayar Patsaikhan of Roojai Insurance won the grey jersey sponsored by Badr Al Samaa Hospital, for the aggressive rider. The white jersey, sponsored by Oasis Oman, for the young rider (under-23 category), was won by Indonesia’s Dimas Nur Rizki from the Jakarta Pro Cycling team.
The winners of the first stage were crowned by Khair Eddine Barbari, President of the Algerian Cycling Federation, and Saif bin Sebaa al Rashidi, Chairman of Oman Cycling Association (OCA).
STAGE ROUTE
The route started in Mughsail, passing through the Raysut Port roundabout, then the Fish roundabout, heading towards the Raysut Cement Factory, then to the Salalah Ring Road and Salalah Airport, passing through the Hajif roundabout, then Wadi Jarziz Dam, heading towards Thumrait Street, then to the Rabat roundabout, heading towards the Al Ghawarf Road, passing through the Dahariz roundabout, then the Ma’amoura Roundabout, finally reaching the Mirbat roundabout and finishing at Mirbat Fort.
The second stage runs for 108 km on Monday. Starting from Al Dahariz Beach, the route passes through the Dahariz Roundabout towards the Al Ma'moura Roundabout, then to the Mirbat Roundabout, then to the Hashir Pass, and finally to the Tawi Atir Pass, passing through the Ghadbah Turnpike before reaching the finish line in Wadi Darbat.
FOCUS THE KEY
Netherlands’ rider Meijers said his focus throughout the race kept him in the front.
“Undoubtedly, the varied route of the stage required focus and strong effort until the finish line. Winning the first stage is an important victory, but I realise that each stage presents different challenges, and continuing positive results requires good preparation and intelligent handling of the race. I am looking forward to competing in the second stage, which starts from Al Dahariz Beach and ends at Wadi Darbat, covering a distance of 108 kilometres. I am paying particular attention to the route through the Hashir and Tawi Atir passes, where effort distribution and timing will be crucial. I am currently focusing on recovery and completing my preparations, and I feel ready to take on the challenge.”
Bettles of Roojai Insurance said finishing second was a great incentive for the Tour.
“Winning second place gives me a positive incentive to continue competing. I look forward to giving my best in the second stage on Monday. I will work on managing my effort, reading the race, and choosing the right time to attack correctly. I will do my best to achieve a strong result, and my ambition is to win first place.”
Tour of Salalah Stage 1 results
(Read as rank, rider, country, team and timing)
1. Jeroen Meijers (Netherlands) Victoria Sports Pro Cycling 2:43:46
2. Carter Bettles (Australia) Roojai Insurance Winspace 2:43:46
3. Simon Pellaud (Switzerland) Li Ning Star 2:43:46
4. Tegshbayar Batsaikhan (Mongolia) Roojai Insurance Winspace 2:43:46
5. Fadhil Nur Dimas Rizqi (Indonesia) Jakarta Pro Cycling Team 2:43:46
6. Callum Ormiston (South Africa) The Joyrun & Hurricane Cycling Team 2:43:46
7. Nícolas Sessler (Brazil) Victoria Sports Pro Cycling 2:43:46
8. Jordi Slootjes (Netherland) EuroCyclingTrips – CCN 2:43:77
9. Terry Yudha (Indonesia) Jakarta Pro Cycling Team 2:43:77
10. Darmawan Yosandy Oetomo (Indonesia) Jakarta Pro Cycling Team 2:43:77