Sepulveda wins Stage 3, Pellaud tops Tour of Salalah

MUSCAT, SEPT 8
Argentine rider Eduardo Sepulveda of Li Ning Star staked strong claim to the overall title of Tour of Salalah 2026 by winning the 150 km third and penultimate stage from Wilayat of Sadah to Gravity Hill in Salalah on Tuesday.
Sepulveda completed the third stage in three hours 50 minutes and 28 seconds ahead of second-placed Colombian rider Edison Alejandro Callejas of Roojai Insurance Winspace (3:50:33) and Netherlands cyclist Adne van Engelen (3:50:39) of Terengganu Cycling Team.
Overnight leader Simon Pellaud (Li Ning Star) retained his golden jersey with a fifth-place finish at 3:50:52. Pellaud led teammate Sepulveda by 15 seconds for the overall lead with a consolidate time of 8:53:21 after three stages.
Roojai Insurance cyclists Callejas and Tegshbayar Batsaikhan of Mongolia were also in contention for the golden jersey staying 21 seconds adrift of Pellaud.
The Swiss rider also led the points classification with 37 points ahead of Callejas (24), Netherlands rider Jeroen Meijers of Victoria Sports Pro Cycling (23) and Sepulveda (23).
Indonesian rider Dimas Nur Fadhil Rizqi (Jakarta Pro Cycling Team) continued to lead the young rider classification with overall timing of 8:57:06.
Meijers claimed the grey jersey for the aggressive rider in third stage.

LI NING STAR LEAD TEAM SECTION
China’s Li Ning Star kept the team lead with 26:41:44 ahead of Thailand’s Roojai Insurance Winspace (26:42:33) and Rwanda’s Team Amani 26:51:24 in third.
Victoria Sports Pro Cycling (26:54:02) from the Philippines and Guam-based EuroCyclingTrips – CCN (26:58:43) completed the top five among the teams.
Oman National Team (27:30:09) were placed 12th among the total of 15 teams in contention at the Tour.
The top finishers were crowned at the conclusion of the stage by Saif bin Sebaa al Rashidi, Chairman of the Oman Cycling Association.
CONCLUDING STAGE
The sixth Tour of Salalah, organised by Dhofar Municipality in partnership with the Oman Cycling Association and held from September 5 to 9, concludes with the fourth and final stage for 106 km.
The race will start in front of Taqah Castle, passing the Darbat Waterfalls and heading toward Darbat Roundabout; it continues past Darbat Castle to the Darbat Roundabout, then proceeds to Nashib Roundabout, Hamran Roundabout, and the Taqah Police Station, passing Madinat al Haq Roundabout before reaching the finish line at Khor Rori.
TOUR OF SALALAH STAGE 3 RESULTS
(Read as rank, rider, country, timing)
1. Eduardo Sepúlveda (Argentina) Li Ning Star 3:50:28
2. Edison Alejandro Callejas (Colombia) Roojai Insurance Winspace 3:50:33
3. Adne van Engelen (Netherlands) Terengganu Cycling Team 3:50:39
4. Calum Johnston (United Kingdom) Li Ning Star 3:50:52
5. Simon Pellaud (Switzerland) Li Ning Star 3:50:52
6. Samuel Niyonkuru (Rwanda) Team Amani 3:50:56
7. Tegshbayar Batsaikhan (Mongolia) Roojai Insurance Winspace 3:50:56
8. Carter Bettles (Australia) Roojai Insurance Winspace 3:51:44
9. Hugo Lutz-Atkinson (United Kingdom) EuroCyclingTrips – CCN 3:51:50
10. Villaseñor Darius (Philippines) Victoria Sports Pro Cycling 3:53:27