A new racing front has opened. This Friday, on the Arabian Peninsula, the Groupama-FDJ United Cycling Team kicked off its stay in Oman with the Muscat Classic. After a lively final marked by several very steep ramps, Thibaud Gruel finished fifteenth as part of a chasing group. The national tour will start tomorrow.
As last year, the racing in Oman began with a one-day race featuring nearly 2,000 metres of elevation gain in the second half of the course. Several steep climbs had to be tackled in the final hour, including the decisive climb of Al Jissah (1 km at 9%), located less than five kilometres from the finish. “The goal at the start was to go all in with Thibaud, because the finish suited him well in the event of a final similar to previous years, where a small group contested the win,” explained the team sports director Thierry Bricaud. With a lone rider out in front, the race only began to intensify when the peloton tackled the famous Al Jissah climb for the first time, with forty kilometres to go. From that point on, the battle for position was relentless approaching the various climbs. Entering the final ten kilometres, Thibaud Gruel could still rely on most of his teammates, who did their best to place him at the foot of the day’s final obstacle. “The guys did what they had to do,” assured Thierry. Then, on the first slopes of the Al Jissah climb, the fight started in the bunch and one rider stood out.
“Thibaud had the legs to do better” – Thierry Bricaud
“Josh tried to follow the attacks, with a slight delay, but he was there,” Thierry specified. “It’s good that he dared to go for it; it will give him confidence for what’s next.” The New Zealand climber hung on for a few hundred metres in a small group of riders that went clear, but was eventually forced to let Luke Plapp, Mauro Schmid and Adam Yates go, as the three men went away together approaching the top. “As usual, the climb was ridden very hard, and the wind after the summit was a bit more favourable than last year,” added Thierry. “That allowed the three strong riders to go all the way.” Schmid claimed the victory, while a chasing group of around thirty riders came fifteen seconds later. Within that group, Thibaud Gruel had to settle for fifteenth place. “Thibaud wasn’t as sharp as he would have liked in the sprint,” Thierry admitted. “It’s a shame because he had the legs to do better. Collectively, there’s not much to complain about; the guys executed what we had planned.” Ill and a non-starter on Friday, Rudy Molard will be reassessed tomorrow morning to decide whether he will be able to start the Tour of Oman.
