"It was really a spectacular win,” said 'Purito' in a press release from Team Katusha.

“I'm very happy with this performance: my rivals are great riders, so the fact that I managed to take this stage makes this victory even more important. Obviously they're not at their top shape, and neither am I: but I'm in a good condition, this being February. I'm working very hard, I train a lot, and this win confirms I'm on the right path and gives me a strong motivation to continue like this."

“I knew this climb very well because this is the third year I take part in Tour of Oman: it's really demanding, but I knew where to start my attack and this helped me a lot. Moreover, my teammates worked perfectly: they brought me to the right positions in order for me to climb at my best,” said Joaquim Rodriguez.

The stage win marked Rodriguez’ first victory of the season. It may also prove to be his last with Team Katusha. Today the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will decide whether or not Katusha will be granted a WorldTour license. Rodriguez’ desire to remain with Katusha may well depend upon the decision made by CAS later today.

When Katusha was denied a WorldTour license by the UCI, Rodriguez immediately said he would jump ship, but recently he hinted that he might consider staying with Katusha even if the team should fail to obtain the coveted license.