Muscat – The sultanate of Oman is set for a cycling spectacle as the Muscat classic event will begin on Friday and will be followed by Tour of Oman 2024 which will kick off on Saturday (February 10) and will run until February 14 with the participation of 17 teams of seven riders representing well-known teams from Asia, Australia, Europe and the US.
“It is a great opportunity to welcome everyone in Muscat including the participating teams around the world, the international and domestic media, the ASO team, and the race officials. The technical team delivered their level best to choose the proper routes that reflect the challenge of the race, Diversity of the topographic and show the beauty of our beloved country Oman,” Chairman of Oman Cycling Association (OCA) Said al Rashdi said during a press conference to unveil the Tour of Oman and Muscat classic event.
The second edition of the Muscat Classic will kick off on Friday on a 174.3 km course.
The one-day Muscat Classic event will be organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth in coordination with Oman Cycling Association (OCA) and many government and private entities. The one-day race event will start from Al Mouj Muscat and will finish in Al Bustan. As many as 17 teams will take part in the race including the Oman International team.
“The Sultanate of Oman is an ideal place for cycling events. Our country has a strong and right infrastructure that looks by the riders to compete for the top winners. The technicality of a tour of Oman and Muscat Event draws the attention of the best cyclists around the world to take part in these events.
Muscat Classic is a new product that normally begins ahead of the Tour of Oman. Special thanks to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth and particularly to His Highness Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham al Said for his support in renewing the contract with the organizing company of the race (ASO) and the assistance from the undersecretary beside the other government entities. “OCA chief added.
Developing the cyclist
Yann Le Moenner, CEO of ASO, affirmed that the 13th edition of Tour of Oman is entering a new era. “This is an extension to our tight partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth and OCA. We are super happy to be here in Oman. One of the main purposes of this event is to develop cycling sports in the Sultanate of Oman. Another advantage of this year’s race we will see the national cycling team for the third time. Last year, Oman’s cyclists went to France for an intensive training camp. They had trained and took part in some advanced competitive race to improve and get better,” he added.
The chief of ASO affirmed that this is the best way to discover the country on the cycles. “Oman is a great cycling destination. The main goal is to be here to strengthen and inspire young athletes in the future,”
Later, the local and international media saw some best moments from 2023 through a visual show during the press meet.
Preparations in full swing
Franck Perque, Director of Tour of Oman, said that the technical team of the race came to Oman during October and November. “As part of the technical preparations for the tour of Oman, we came to Oman in last October and beginning of November to design the routes. We managed to check all the selected routes before the race. In the first week of February, the technical team complete the set-up of the route before one week of the event’s start,” he added
“The tour of Oman is a key point in the professional calendar of cycling events as all the international riders are interested in taking part in this world cycling class event. Oman’s routes with beautiful land scape and have many climbs and this is good for the riders. Furthermore, the weather is great in the country nowadays and the temperature is very suitable for the riders to come and take part in the tour of Oman,” he concluded.
The top-ranking cyclists will compete on four jerseys including the red jersey which is for General individual time classification while the green jersey is for general points classification. White jersey for Best young rider classification and golden jersey for most aggressive rider classification.
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