Dubai: UAE Team Emirates will continue their build-up to the UAE Tour this weekend as their riders — including UAE National Champion, Yousif Mirza — head to the UAE’s southern neighbour to compete in the 10th edition of the Tour of Oman.
Mirza, who recently picked up a second win at the Al Aslam cycling race, will be joined by former world champion Rui Costa and sprint-specialist Alexander Kristoff, who has picked up an impressive eight stage wins at this event over the past five years. They will be supported by Norwegian duo Sven Erik Bystrom and Vegard Stake Laengen, Slovenian Jan Polanc and Italian Marco Marcato.
With a combination of flat and rolling parcours, combined with the summit finish on Jebel Akhdar (Green Mountain), the Tour of Oman provides riders with a fitting test, particularly for those who will head to the emirates to compete in the UAE Tour, which begins on February 24.
Commenting ahead of the race, Kristoff said: “I won eight stages in the Tour of Oman, this means that my feeling with this race is pretty good. I hope to get a stage victory again this year. I was close in the last day in the Volta Valenciana, I think my shape is getting better and I have high motivation to get the stage win.”
Commenting ahead of his second appearance at the Tour of Oman, Mirza said: “I was happy with my season debut in the Challenge Mallorca. Now, I’m going to race the Tour of Oman with the goal of giving my team captains everything I have and to reach the best possible shape heading towards the UAE championships.”