MUSCAT: New Zealand’s rider Finn Fisher-Black of UAE Team Emirates put up a dominating performance to win the dramatic 170.4 km stage two of 13th edition for Tour of Oman on Sunday in Qurayat. On a day of heavy rains, the Kiwi youngster picked up a spectacular victory after more than four hours of racing that began at Al Sifah in a cloudy weather. This is the second successive triumph for the rider Finn in Muscat following his earlier title of the second edition of Muscat Classic event on Friday after an impressive show.
The star of UAE Team Emirates claimed the overall leader’s red jersey (general individual time) after he completed the race within 4 hours, 4 minutes and 4 seconds ahead of the rider LUKE LAMPERTI (USA) of SOUDAL QUICK-STEP team who came in second place within a timing of 4H, 04 minutes and 06 seconds. Italian rider DIEGO ULISSI finished third as he clocked 04 hours, 04 minutes and 06 seconds with minor difference in the seconds. The champion Finn Fisher received red (individual time classification), green (general points classification) and white (young rider) jerseys while rider Oscar Pelegri Ferrnandis from Burgos-BH team of Spain got the golden jersey as he claimed the most aggressive rider for the second straight stage as he claimed the same jersey in the previous opening stage of the tour.
“It is nice to have two victories in three days after my opening triumph in Muscat classic race and then in Tour of Oman in the second stage. It was tough race and competitions in this weather conditions. I did not expect to see this weather as I was in Saudi Arabia and UAE in last two weeks and I thought it will remain the same climate here in Muscat. The heavy rains were in the last part of the race but the weather was in good condition during the earlier part,” New Zealand’s rider Finn Fisher-Black said “ We managed as a team to overcome with some climbs and hills during the stage as we implemented a good tactical and strategic plan. One of our team members was crashed during the race but he managed to continue the race later. We are eyeing for more victories in the coming days of the race,” the champions signed out.
A couple of days after he started strongly his tally for 2024 with Muscat Classic and stage 2 of the Tour of Oman 2024, the young New-Zealander proved again to be the strongest riders when the road rose on the final ascent of the day in Qurayat. Showered by the heavy rain to spice up the race, Fisher-Black got the better of Luke Lamperti (Soudal Quick-Step), already runner-up on Friday, and Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates), already 3rd last year in Qurayat. The Spanish rider Oscar Pelegri Ferrnandis from Burgos-BH team of Spain remained the champions of the golden jersey for the second straight stage. “It is very good for me to be with this jersey and for my team as well. I am planning to go home with this jersey,” he added
“ The heavy rains started in the last 50 km of the race approximately.
Later, the water were in the roads and we took our precautions from that to continue the race safely,” he ended
Oman’s national team rider Said al Rahbi finished the second stage race in the 67th position in a timing of four hours, six minutes and 23 seconds. Ahmed bin Mohammed al Humaidi, Chairman of Muscat Municipality, the chief guest delivered the awards in the final ceremony to the top winners in presence of officials from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth and Oman Cycling Association. On Monday, the road keeps rising in the Tour of Oman with an even harder finish up Eastern Mountain. The stage three will start from Bidbid at 10:25 am and will end in Easter Mountains for a distance of 169.3 km. The finishes will occur at the top of the hill at the end of a 180 m final.
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