Stage set for Muscat Classic, Tour of Oman

Since the first edition of the Tour of Oman in 2010, the stars of the international peloton have become accustomed to the roads of the Sultanate, but 2026 brings a new dimension to the double event now on offer on the shores of the Sea of Oman -the Muscat Classic (6 February), created in 2023 as a prelude to the stage race, joins its older sibling (February ) on the Pro Series calendar. Victory at Al Bustan will be all the more prestigious and loaded with UCI points. The contenders will once again face a hilly and winding course that always makes for a dynamic race. With the final climb of Al Jissah (1.4 km at 9%) just 5 km from the finish, can an attacker make the difference, as Finn Fisher-Black did in 2024? Or will a puncheur-sprinter succeed Rick Pluimers, who made the most of his speed to claim victory last year?

The day after the Muscat Classic, riders will need to have recovered from the first efforts of the week in the Sultanate.

For the first stage of the Tour of Oman, the peloton will set off from the Ministry of Tourism and quickly tackle the slopes of the climb of Bushar (3.3 km at 9.8%) before a wind-exposed finale along the sea to reach Bimmah Sink Hole, where Olav Kooij won in 2025. Another coastal opportunity awaits the sprinters on Tuesday, 10 February, when they will race to Sohar for the finish of stage 4. The other profiles feature numerous climbs, with a thrilling crescendo leading up to the showdown on the slopes of Jabal Al Akhdhar - Green Mountain. 

Already on stage 2, puncheurs will need to master timing, power, and gear ratios to conquer Yitti Hills. The next day, Eastern Mountain (3.4 km at 8%) shall bring notable differences in the fight for the overall victory with its irregular slopes.

Finally, the best climbers are accustomed to battling it out on the climb up Jabal Al Akhdhar - Green Mountain, a summit of February with its 5.7 km at 10.5%. Who will succeed Valentin Paret-Peintre and Adam Yates, who ruled these heights in 2025? Eleven WorldTour teams (two more than last year) are preparing to light up the Omani roads. Four of the top five teams in the 2025 UCI world rankings are expected to compete, starting with UAE Team Emirates-XRG. They will be joined by six ProTeams and the Omani national team.

 One more step in the desert. Since the first edition of the Tour of Oman in 2010, the stars of the international peloton have become accustomed to the roads of the Sultanate, but 2026 brings a new dimension to the double event now on offer on the shores of the Gulf of Oman: the Muscat Classic (6 February), created in 2023 as a prelude to the stage race, joins its older sibling (7-11 February) on the Pro Series calendar. 

Victory at Al Bustan will be all the more prestigious and loaded with UCI points. The contenders will once again face a hilly and winding course that always makes for a dynamic race. With the final climb of Al Jissah (1.4 km at 9%) just 5 km from the finish, can an attacker make the difference, as Finn Fisher-Black did in 2024? Or will a puncheur-sprinter succeed Rick Pluimers, who made the most of his speed to claim victory last year?

The day after the Muscat Classic, riders will need to have recovered from the first efforts of the week in the Sultanate. For the first stage of the Tour of Oman, the peloton will set off from the Ministry of Tourism and quickly tackle the slopes of the climb of Bushar (3.3 km at 9.8%) before a wind-exposed finale along the sea to reach Bimmah Sink Hole, where Olav Kooij won in 2025. 

Another coastal opportunity awaits the sprinters on Tuesday, February 10, when they will race to Sohar for the finish of stage 4.

The other profiles feature numerous climbs, with a thrilling crescendo leading up to the showdown on the slopes of Jabal Al Akhdhar - Green Mountain. Already on stage 2, puncheurs will need to master timing, power, and gear ratios to conquer Yitti Hills.

The next day, Eastern Mountain (3.4 km at 8%) shall bring notable differences in the fight for the overall victory with its irregular slopes. Finally, the best climbers are accustomed to battling it out on the climb up Jabal Al Akhdhar - Green Mountain, a summit of February with its 5.7 km at 10.5%. 

Who will succeed Valentin Paret-Peintre and Adam Yates, who ruled these heights in 2025? Eleven WorldTour teams (two more than last year) are preparing to light up the Omani roads.

Four of the top five teams in the 2025 UCI world rankings are expected to compete, starting with UAE Team Emirates-XRG. They will be joined by six ProTeams and the Omani national team.