Monday 10 / February / 2025
MUSCAT: A gripping battle on the roads of Oman saw Louis Vervaeke (Soudal–Quick-Step) emerge victorious in a thrilling Stage 2 of the Tour of Oman 2025 on Sunday.
The 31-year-old Belgian rider claimed his first professional victory after a courageous solo effort atop the Yitti Hills, narrowly holding off a charging peloton in a crash-marred finale.
With the win, Vervaeke also surged into the overall lead of the race.
The stage, the longest of this year's Tour of Oman at 202.9 kilometres, began with a picturesque yet challenging setting at Al Rustaq Fort. The peloton faced a hot and unforgiving morning sun, but the riders were soon engaged in a relentless battle for position. Early on, breakaway attempts began to take shape, as riders vied for the chance to form the day's lead group.
By the ninth kilometer, the first significant breakaway emerged, with Kane Richards (Roojai Insurance) and Rodrigo Álvarez (Burgos Burpellet BH) breaking clear of the pack. The duo had tried their luck in Stage 1 as well but were caught just 25km from the finish.
However, their efforts were once again stymied as the peloton reeled them back in. At the 24th km, Mohamed Al Wahibi and Mundher Al Hasani, both from the Omani national team, joined the escape, and soon Magnus Kulset (Uno-X Mobility) added his presence. The lead group was now growing, and the peloton let them stretch their advantage to over six minutes by kilometer 34.
At this point, the peloton splintered into three parts, with a 17-man counter-attack forming at the 63rd kilometre. Among the riders involved were Valentin Madouas (Groupama–FDJ) and Ethan Hayter (Soudal–Quick-Step).
However, this move was short-lived as the break was quickly neutralised. With the lead group still holding a five-minute advantage over the main pack with 140 kilometers to go, Vervaeke took matters into his own hands.
At the halfway stage, Vervaeke made his move, bridging the gap to the front group, now comprising five riders, including Mikel Azparren (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team), who had been chasing for some time. The two riders caught the leaders and formed a new six-man breakaway. As the race progressed, the group continued to work well together, despite some attempts from other riders, such as Madouas and Orluis Aular (Movistar), to make a solo bid for the front. Yet, the peloton, still trailing by over seven minutes, struggled to organize an effective chase.
The race intensified as the peloton bore down on the leaders, and the Bausher Al Amerat climb (3.3 kilometres at an average gradient of 9.8%) shattered the breakaway group. Vervaeke, Azparren, and Kulset were the only riders to hold strong and ascend together, maintaining a lead of around five minutes with 30 kilometres to go. However, with the peloton picking up speed under the efforts of Jayco–AlUla, the gap began to shrink quickly.
With 11 kilometres to go, the gap had already narrowed to just over one minute, prompting Vervaeke to make a decisive move on Al Jissah, the second-to-last climb of the stage. This bold attack split the remaining escapees, and Vervaeke was soon alone in his pursuit of victory, holding a slim lead over a rapidly closing peloton. As he approached the final climb of the day, the pressure mounted, but Vervaeke managed to hang on, reaching the bottom of the last challenge—a 3km climb with a steep 1.6km section at 6.8% - with just over a minute to spare.
As the peloton surged behind him, the race for the win came down to a frantic final stretch. With seconds ticking away, crashes in the final kilometer further disrupted the chase, leaving Vervaeke with just enough to hold off his rivals. Valentin Paret-Peintre, Vervaeke’s teammate at Soudal–Quick-Step, made a valiant sprint to second place, crossing the line just two seconds behind. Sean Flynn (Picnic PostNL) rounded out the podium in third.
With Stage 2 now behind him, Vervaeke heads into the next phases of the race in a commanding position, ready to defend his lead with the support of his Soudal–Quick-Step teammates..
