BAHRAIN Merida Pro Cycling Team’s Tsgabu Grmay and Giovanni Visconti finished in top 10 overall at the eighth edition of the Tour of Oman.
The stage was flat and fast from start to finish, 130km from Wave Muscat to finish with three loops around Matrah Cornice.
The whole race has been controlled by Katusha as they were trying to set up their top sprinter for yet another win, and they managed to do that.
Alexander Kristoff won his third stage out of six, and he edged Grosu and Modolo that came second and third respectfully.
Bahrain Merida’s Sonny Colbrelli finished at seventh place. It was a bunch sprint, so most riders finished in the time of the winner.
With this stage being the final stage, the final standing saw Ben Hermans from BMC keep his red (winner’s) jersey with Rui Costa and Fabio Aru rounding the podium spots. Grmay came fifth, while Visconti finished ninth.
“It was difficult stage, because of conditions (wind) and because the boys started to be little tired. It didn’t work out as yesterday, but anyways, the boys put Sonny in good position for the final. Four hundred metres to go, another team jumped in front of him and he was blocked and couldn’t come out as he wanted for the sprint. But overall, the boys have done a very good job all week long. I’m very satisfied with the spirit, and also with the fitness. Two guys in top 10 is a good result,’ Bahrain Merida’s Sports Director Philippe Mauduit said.
Meanwhile, under the directives of His Majesty the King’s Representative for Charity Works and Youth Affairs, Supreme Council for Youth and Sports Chairman and Bahrain Olympic Committee President Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Bahrain is set to participate in the Extreme Fat Bike competition taking place on Saturday in Canada.
Moussa Karich and Mikel Calahorra will cycle 37km over the Ice, facing snow storms and fighting high winds under the coldest temperatures in the world to cross Lake Saint-Jean, an event only for the toughest athletes in the world.
The Bahrain Merida Team lineup for the Abu Dhabi Tour has also been announced.
The competition kicks off on Thursday with four stages, totalling 671km.
The lineup comprises Vincenzo Nibali, Manuele Boaro, Franco Pellizotti, Kanstantsin Siutsou, Ramunas Navardauskas, Janez Brajkovic, Valerio Agnoli and Niccolò Bonifazio.