Patrick Konrad underlined his good form and climbing qualities at the fourth stage of the Tour of Oman. The 23-years old Austrian rode to the 15th rank, led across the line by his teammate Bartosz Huzarski who finished in 14th place. Rafael Valls (Lampre – Merida) won the stage, Tejay van Garderen (BMC) and Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) came in second and third. Despite a very good performance, Konrad unfortunately lost the white jersey of the best young rider. He is now 10th in the general classification of the tour.

“The whole team showed a very good performance today. They implemented our tactics exactly as we planned them. The guys positioned Patrick and Bartosz very well at the bottom of the mountain. The final climb with these high temperatures brought the challenge, we expected. Patrick was on the limit but he rode really well. Even though we couldn’t defend the jersey we are more than satisfied with his performance. That was a good race”, Sport Director Enrico Poitschke comments the queen stage.

Tomorrow, the fifth stage will run over 151 kilometers from Al Sawadi Beach to Ministry of Housing. In the second part oft he stage, the riders have to complete a circuit that includes a climb for four times. In previous years this course led to a selection in the peloton.