The sprinters, classics riders, and time trialists have had their chance to shine in the Dubai Tour and the Tour of Qatar but now it is time for the climbers to come to the fore when the triptych of races in the Middle East comes to a close with the Tour of Oman. As the perfect end to a unique block of racing on the international calendar, the Omani race has - in just four years of existence - developed into the first big rendezvous for the best grand tour riders in the world and with the likes of Chris Froome, Vincenzo Nibali, and Joaquim Rodriguez all on the start line, the 2014 edition shapes up to be no less spectacular.

 

When Tour de France organizers ASO took the brave decision to team of with the Qatari authorities to create a new bike race in the Arabian desert state, few would have imagined that this would be the start of a true success story that has since turned into the most important block of racing in the early season and has prompted many of cycling stars to leave the traditional races in cycling's European heartland to instead race in warm and sunny conditions in the Middle East.

 

In less than a decade, the Tour of Qatar built up a reputation as the preferred preparation race for sprinters and riders who target the cobbled classics. Eager to showcase their beautiful country, the Omani authorities wanted to capitalize on that success and try a similar formula and in 2010 they joined forces with ASO to host the inaugural edition of the Tour of Oman.

 

With ASO backing both races, there has been a great synergy between the two races which often have invited the same teams and have had a great overlap between the riders. However, there is a great difference between the two events and we will see a completely different kind of racing than the one we have witnessed in the recent Tour of Qatar.

 

Qatar is a country with almost no elevation differences and the spectacle is created by the wind which often turn the race into a true war when the best classics riders battle for position in the first echelon. As opposed to this, Oman is a rather hilly country and even though many of the classics riders prefer to stay in the Middle East for another 6 days of quality racing under the sun, the final race in the Arabian block is one for the climbers.

 

Hence, it is no wonder that a number of the world's greatest grand tour riders have been travelling to Oman for the past few days, eager to test their condition and continue their preparation for their later goals. In just 4 years of existence, the race has built up a reputation as the preferred testing ground for the riders that will later shine in the grand tours.

 

It took some time for the organizers to find the right format, with the first edition being a flatter affair that was mostly determined by a time trial. Unsurprisingly, Fabian Cancellara took home the win during his reign as time trial king but for the next edition, the tables had been turned. With a summit finish on the race's landmark climb, the Green Mountain, the race had become one for the true stage racers, with Robert Gesink kicking off what was a splendid start to the year with a convincing overall victory.

 

By removing the time trial, the race was even more suited to climbers in 2012 when Peter Velits took a narrow win over Vincenzo Nibali. By the time the 2013 edition came around, the race had improved its reputation even further and on the hilliest course so far, Chris Froome, Alberto Contador, Vincenzo Nibali, Cadel Evans, and Joaquim Rodriguez battled it out in an exciting spectacle.

 

With the addition of the Dubai Tour, the block of racing in the Middle East has now developed into a triptych which offers 20 days of competitive action. As the combination of the three races offer a bit of everything, all riders now have an incentive to travel to the Arabian peninsula in February. The Tour of Oman is a fitting end to what has been a fantastic month of racing in a part of the world where cycling has no long history.

 

The race may mainly be about preparation but it would be a mistake to expect the riders to take it easy during the 6 days. In fact, the win will be fiercely contested as it was the case 12 months ago. On that occasion, Chris Froome won his first ever stage race, giving the first indication that he would go on to dominate the multi-day events in 2013. Having finished 2nd behind Joaquim Rodriguez on the race's queen stage, he took over the lead on the 4th day and went head-to-head with Contador and Rodridguez in an exciting battle to win the stage one day later. He ended the race with a comfortable lead over Contador, with Cadel Evans proving that he was back from illness with a solid 3rd place. This year Evans and Contador will both prepare their grand tours in Europe but Froome will be back to defend his title as he again opens his season under the Omani sun.

 

The course

Having originally been a race for time trialists, the Tour of Oman is now one for the climbers. The time trial has been removed from the route that now consists of a mixture of flat stages for the sprinters, tricky stages for puncheurs, and real mountain stages. The organizers have continually made the race harder by adding more climbs and the trend seems to have continued for the 2014 edition that will follow a well-known formula but will be the toughest yet.

 

Stage 1:

The race has traditionally kicked off with a stage for the sprinters and that will again be the case in 2014. The riders will start the race at the As Suwacq Coast at the coast just west of the capital Muscat. They will leave the sea behind them right from the start as they head in a predominantly southern direction.

 

The first part of the stage consists of a long, predominantly uphill drag but the gradient will be almost unnoticeable. At the 56.5km, they will head up a small 800m hill with an average gradient of 4,6% which will determine where points for the aggressiveness competition will be awarded.

 

The uphill drag continues as the riders get closer to the mountains in the central part of the country and at the 78km point, they will contest the first intermediate sprint before turning around to head back towards the coast. Unsurprisingly, this means that the next 60km are predominantly downhill.

 

Having reached the outskirts of Muscat, the riders will turn right and a few moments later, they will contest the final intermediate sprint which is located 16.5km from the finish. A little further down the road, the riders will turn left in a roundabout to continue their journey towards the sea along slightly downhill roads. The finish is located at the Naseem Garden on the outskirts of Muscat just before the riders have the seafront in sight.

 

The roads will be slightly downhill until the 3km to go banner from which they will almost completely flat. The peloton will turn right in a roundabout 2.3km from the finish and from there it is a long straight, 8m wide road all the way to the finish. Sprinters like Andre Greipel and Nacer Bouhanni will be eager to add their name to the list of first wearers of the leader's jersey that already includes Jimmy Casper, Theo Bos, Greipel and Marcel Kittel and it is hard to imagine that they won't get their chance on the 164.5km opening stage

 

 

 

 

Stage 2:

The sprinters will again have a chance to shine on the second day and they will need to make the most out of it as they face three consecutive days in hilly terrain at the end of stage 2. The riders will again start at the sea as they will take off from the city of Al Bustan on the eastern outskirts of Muscat.

 

In the first 7.5km the riders will travel along the coast until they reach the centre of Muscat and from there the stage follows a pattern that is not too different from the previous day's. Heading south, the riders will leave the coast and get closer to the mountains and so the first part of the stage will be predominantly uphill. In the 139km stage, however, they will not gain as much elevation as they did on day 1 and the gradients will play no role at all.

 

Turning left, the riders will now continue in a southeastern direction and when they have reached the site of the first intermediate sprint at 63km, the roads will be slightly downhill as they approach the coast. After the feed zone, there will be a short, insignificant hill that is followed by a fast descent that brings them back to sea level.

 

At first, the riders will continue past the finishing city of Quriyat and will negoatiate two smaller climbs in the hills around the city. After turning around and heading down the first descent, they will contest the second intermediate sprint which comes 17.5km from the finish and is followed by a second descent that brings them back to sea level. From there the roads are flat all the way to the finish in Quriyat. The riders will turn right in a roundabout 2.5km from the finish and from there, it is straight to the finish along an 8m wide road. Again nothing will prevent a bunch sprint and the fast finishers will again rule as they did in 2010 when a stage first finished in Quriyat, with Edvald Boasson Hagen emerging as the winner.

 

 

 

 

Stage 3:

It is time for the first shake-up of the GC on day 3 when the riders return to Al Bustan for a 145km stage whose final 95.5km are identical to the exciting stage 2 of last year's race. The riders will take off from the Bank Muscat in the centre of the capital and from there they will head west before making a U-turn and turn right to head back towards the interior of the country.

 

Again the first part of the stage will be slightly ascending as the riders leave the sea behind them but the gradient will be almost unnoticeable. After 49.5km, the riders reach the highest point of the stage where they will make a U-turn and from there the stage is identical to last year's.

 

The roads are now slightly descending as the riders travel in a northeastern direction back towards the centre of Muscat, contesting the first intermediate sprint of the day. Instead of continuing straight towards the city centre, however, they will turn right to make a small visit to the climbs that are located on the eastern outskirts of the city.

 

The first challenge comes at the 121km mark where the riders will climb the short, steep 800m climb of Al Hamriya whose average gradient of 9,8% will tire out the riders legs. From there it is a gradual downhill down towards the sea where the riders will reach the site of second intermediate sprint in Yiti 10.5km from the finish.

 

Having turned around to head back towards the city centre, it is time for the day's major challenge, the 1.4km climb of Al Jissah that has an average gradient of 9% and whose top is located just 6.5km from the finish. It is followed by a fast descent that continues all the way to the 2.5km to go mark where the road flattens. 1.9km from the finish, the riders hit the coastal road when they go left in a roundabout and will then negotiate a small 500m hill that brings them to the flamme rouge. A short descent brings them onto flat roads for the final 500m, with the finish coming on an 8m wide road.

 

Last year's stage saw Team Sky whittle down the peloton on the first of the climbs in the finale, providing a launch pad for Rinaldo Nocentini and Alberto Contador who attacked on the second one. The break didn't have any success but the fierce pace whittled down the peloton to just around 50 riders who were set to contest the win in a sprint. With limited domestique resources, however, no one took control, leading to an attack from Martin Elmiger, Vincenzo Nibali, and Tony Gallopin on the final small rise inside the final 2km. Sagan bridged across and instead of waiting for the final sprint, he launched an immediate attack to continue past his rivals, taking a beautiful solo win and the leader's jersey in the process. This year we will again be in for some aggressive racing in the finale but the most realistic scenario is that we will see a sprint from a reduced bunch, meaning that Sagan is again the major favourite to shine.

 

 

 

 

Stage 4:

While stage 3 was one for the puncheurs, the 173km 4th stage is one for the climbers. Last year the organizers introduced the climb of Bousher Alamrat which produced some of the most exciting racing of the year, and they are happy to repeat the success.

 

The riders will start in Wadi Al Abiyad southweast of Muscat and from there they will head east and turn left before following a slightly downhill road to the coast, contesting the first intermediate sprint at the 37km mark.

 

The riders will now turn right and follow the coastal road all the way to the city centre. Having passed the feed zone, they will continue along flat roads to again reach the hills on the eastern outskirts of the city. At the 108km mark, they will turn right to enter the circuit that will be the scene of the final 65km of exciting racing.

 

The 29.5km circuit is a very straightforward one. The first 3.4km consist of the climb of Bousher Alamrat that has an average gradient of 8.8% and is followed by a short descent and a small flat stretch. Then they do a U-turn and head back up the climb from its easier side where it is only 3.2km long with an average gradient of 6.8%. Having reached the bottom of the descent, there is a small flat stretch before the riders do another U-turn to it all again. There will be KOM points on offer both times up the steep side and the final time up the easier side while the final intermediate sprint is located at the top of the "easy" climb after the first passage.

 

From the top of the final climb, 12.5km remain. They consist of the final downhill section of the circuit after which the riders continue back towards the city and the finish at the Ministry of Housing. There will be a number of sweeping bends inside the final 5km but the final 3.5km will be mostly straight with only two bends and a roundabout to disrupt proceedings before a very slight left-hand turn leads onto the 300m finishing straight on an 8m wide road.

 

Last year the rider approached the climb from the other side and only did one lap on the circuit, meaning that they did the easy side twice and the hard one only once. On that occasion, a true spectacle unfolded, with Sky riding tempo to whittle down the group the first time up the climb. On the steep ascent, Vincenzo Nibali attacked but he was quickly passed by Alberto Contador. The Spaniard crested the summit with a gap but Richie Porte brought him back in time for the final climb to start.

 

At that point, the lead group only contained 16 riders and it split to pieces when Contador attacked on the final ascent. Cadel Evans tried to join him but was passed by Chris Froome and Joaquim Rodriguez who bridged the gap. The trio managed to stay away to the finish, with Froome winning the sprint to increase his overall lead, while Daryl Impey won the sprint for 4th from a 7-rider group that lost 4 seconds. With an even harder finale this time around, we can expect an even greater selection and there is no doubt that we will get a serious indication of who is going to win the Tour of Oman.

 

 

 

 

Stage 5:

Since the second edition in 2011, the Green Mountain, or Jabal al Akhdar, has played host to the finish of the queen stage of the race and been the scene of the season's first big mountain battle between some of the best grand tour riders in the world. With the stage having been a huge success in the past editions, the organizers have found little reason to remove the race's landmark climb which will now challenge the riders on the penultimate day of the race.

 

The 147.5km stage has a rather straightforward beginning and all the excitement will be saved for the final climb. The stage is almost identical to last year's as the final 140km are the same as they were 12 months ago. The riders will start in Bidbid which is located south of Muscat and from there they will head in a southern direction as they approach the mountains, following a long, gradual uphill drag that will not be too challenging. They will reach a temporary top before heading down to the first intermediate sprint at the 50km mark in Al Jarda where they will turn right.

 

From there, they will follow rolling roads for the next 86km as they travel in a predominantly western direction until they reach the site of the second intermediate sprint in Birkat Al Mouz. From there, only 11.5km remain but most of them are simply brutal.

 

The riders will start to climb immediately after turning right to head north out of the city but the first 5.8km will be easy as the gradient are very mellow. However, all hell breaks loose when the riders hit the bottom of the Green Mountain. It has a length of just 5.7km but with an average gradient of 10.5%, it is a real leg breaker.

 

The first two kilometres have an average gradient of 10% and the next one is even steeper at 12%. There is a bit of a respite at the midpoint, with a 6% section, but it is only a chance to breathe before the brutal finale. The final 2km have an average gradient of a massive 13.5%, making it one for the true climbers. The final 3km follow a mostly straight road with only some sweeping bends but inside the final kilometre the riders will go through a 90-degree turn and two hairpin bends.

 

The finish on the Green Mountain made its debut in 2011 when Robert Gesink put a massive 47 seconds into his nearest rival, Edvald Boasson Hagen. One year later, Vincenzo Nibali beat Peter Velits to move to within one second of the overall lead. Last year the climb was the scene of a thrilling battle between Cadel Evans, Alberto Contador, Chris Froome, and Joaquim Rodriguez, with lots of attacks and riders constantly dropping off before getting back to the front. Having already lost time on the previous stages, Rodriguez exploited the tactical face-off between his competitors to sneak away for the win while Froome accelerated inside the final kilometre to take 2nd and the overall lead. With the field containing most of the world's best grand tour riders, the Green Mountain may again give the first indication of who's hot and who's not in 2014 and it will undoubtedly determine the winner of the Tour of Oman.

 

 

 

 

Stage 6:

Like most other national tours, the Tour of Oman has usually ended with a flat stage for the sprinters in the country's capital and the 2014 edition won't change this tradition. The 146.5km stage starts in the coastal city of As Sifah which is located southeast of the capital of Muscat. From there, the riders set off on a ride along the beautiful coast as they head in a northwestern direction towards the main city.

 

The first part of the stage is mostly flat and only contains a number of small, insignificant climbs. When the riders reach the outskirts of the city, however, they will be challenged by the lumpy terrain that is likely to have created drama on stages 3 and 4. After 31km they will again climb the Al Jissah ascent (1.4km, 9%) which played an important role in the finale of stage 3. From there, they continue all the way to the city centre before heading south to do a small loop on the southern outskirts.

 

The riders will contest the first intermediate sprint at the 59.5km mark and as they get farther from the coast, they will again tackle the climb of Bousher Alamrat that they did four times on stage 4. This time they will do it from the easier side, meaning that the 3.2km ascent has a gradient of 6.8%.

 

From there, they will speed down the descent back to the city and will then turn left to continue along the seafront. Shortly after the feed zone at the 87km mark, they turn around to head back towards the city centre, always following flat roads that only have a few rolling hills.

 

With 21km to go, they reach the coastal road at the Matrah Corniche in the heart of Muscat and enter the final 7.5km finishing circuit. It follows the coastal road for most of the time and only makes a small digression when it makes small loop before getting back to the seafront. The circuit is almost completely flat but has a very small climb 3.5km from the finish that may serve as the launch pad for a late attack. The riders will do an almost full lap before crossing the finish line for the first time to contest the final intermediate sprint of the race. From there, they will do two full laps that make up the final 15km of the Tour of Oman.

 

The riders hit the coastal road shortly before the 2km to go banner and from there they will follow the flat, slightly winding 8m wide road all the way to the finish, with the line coming into sight when the road makes its final slight bend 400m from the end of the race. The first year the race ended with a time trial but for the past three years, the race has ended with a big bunch sprint at the Corniche. Mark Cavendish, Marcel Kittel, and Nacer Bouhanni are the previous winners and the sprinters will go all out to add their name to the list while the overall leader hopes to stay safe before being crowned as the winner of the 5th Tour of Oman.

 

 

 

 

The weather

One of the reasons for the success of the Tour of Oman is the near 100% guarantee for good weather conditions. Nothing suggests that the riders will be disappointed at the 2014 edition, with only a small surprise on Wednesday interrupting what should be a week of splendid racing conditions.

 

The riders will take off on Tuesday under a sunny sky, with the temperatures reaching a maximum of 25 degrees at the midpoint of the day. There will be a moderate wind from a northwestern direction which may increase a bit as the day goes on. This means that the riders will have a cross-tailwind in the first part of the course, later turning to a cross-headwind as they turn around to head back to the coast. If the desert roads are exposed, this could potentially cause some drama but with the riders having mostly a headwind near the finish, we don't expect things to split up.

 

The riders will have an unpleasant surprise on Wednesday when a bit of rain could fall. The conditions will be less sunny and the temperatures will only reach 23 degrees. The wind conditions will be similar to Tuesday's, meaning that the riders will generally have a tailwind before turning into a headwind for the finale.

 

For Thursday's third stage, the riders can expect conditions that are almost an identical copy of Tuesday's as it will only be slightly cooler at 23 degrees. In general, the riders will mostly have a crosswind before turning into a tailwind and later a headwind but as most of the actions happens near the well-protected city of Muscat, we doubt that things will split up.

 

Friday should offer more sunshine and 25-degree temperatures but a bit more wind, still coming from a northwestern direction. This means that the riders will generally have a cross-tailwind in the first part of the course while the riders will alternate between a direct head- and tailwind when they ride back and forth on the hilly finishing circuit. There will be a headwind on the final climb and during the run-in to the finish, meaning that the stage could be slightly less selective.

 

The peloton can expect a hot day in the saddle for Saturday's queen stage. There will be almost no wind and bright sunshine and in the city of Muscat, the temperatures will reach 28 degrees. In the mountains where most of the stage takes place, it will of course be cooler,  meaning that it should be a perfect day for a bike race. The slight wind will turn from a western to a southeastern direction, meaning that there should be a cross-tailwind up the final climb.

 

The race will come to an end on Sunday when beautiful conditions are again expected. Plenty of sunshine, 26-degree temperatures and almost no wind will set the scene of a great end to the Tour of Oman. The slight win will come from a northwestern director, meaning that the riders will face a slight cross-headwind in the sprint.

 

The favourites

The Tour of Oman is in fierce competition with the Volta ao Algarve, Vuelta a Andalucia, and the Tour du Haut-Var which both run at the same time as the Middle East race. Compared to last year when everybody seemed to be heading to the sultanate for what was an almost all-inclusive rendezvous of grand tour stars, the best riders have distributed themselves a bit more evenly over the races but if one has to select a winner, it is again the Omani event. The guarantee for optimal weather conditions and the good organization certainly play a role and even though the time trial specialists will always prefer Algarve over Oman, the climbers cannot find a better place to spend this week in February.

 

While the sprinters look forward to the chance to shine on a few stages, and Peter Sagan is looking to add to his already impressive tally of Oman stage victories on some of the hilly days, the GC will come down to the 4th and 5th stage. Friday's stage will open up the first time gaps and we could see a rather big selection on that day but a select group of favourites is likely to arrive at the finish to contest the win. Those riders will battle it out one day later on the Green Mountain where the decisive selection will be made.

 

When it comes to selecting a favourite, it is hard to look beyond the defending champion and reigning Tour de France champion. The race is set to be decided on the climbs and since the world's best climber is in attendance, it is a no-brainer to select Chris Froome as the man to beat.

 

At this time of the year when the best riders are still not at their highest level, selecting favourites is a bit of a lottery game though. Several riders are making their racing debut in Oman and many others have very limited racing in their legs. Despite that kind of uncertainty, however, there is no reason not to expect Froome to be the man to beat.

 

If one forgets about his participation in the US Pro Challenge which he mainly used to get back into racing after his successful Tour de France, Froome only lost one stage race in 2013. Vincenzo Nibali used foul weather conditions, brutally steep climbs and an uncontrollable stage in terrain that didn't suit Froome to deny the Brit the overall win in the Tirreno-Adriatico at a point where the Sky leader appeared to have locked up the win by winning the race's queen stage to Prato di Tivo. In all other stage races, Froome used dominant showings on the race's marquee mountain stages to take overall wins.

 

Froome has taken over the habit of his predecessor Bradley Wiggins of only riding stage races to win them and there is no doubt that he is in Oman to make the double. While Wiggins struggled with motivation and non-cycling commitments during his off-season, Froome has had a completely different build-up. Escaping the chaos that surrounds a Tour de France champion, he has been doing some solid training under good weather conditions in South Africa and even though he insists that there is less pressure for him to perform this time around, he has also stated his intention to back up his 2013 results with strong showings right from the beginning.

 

Team Sky have assembled most of their A team for the Omani race, indicating that they mean serious business, and as many of his teammates have been selected for the Tour de France roster as well, it will be the first stepping stone in the build-up of the internal team spirit that should help Froome step onto the top step of the podium in Paris. There is no reason to expect that they are not up for the challenge and we are likely to see another Team Sky exhibition that prepares a stinging acceleration from Froome on the Green Mountain - an attack that is likely to give him another overall win in Oman.

 

The line-up may be star-studded but one of the riders that are most likely to challenge Froome, is actually his teammate Sergio Henao. The Colombian is one of cycling's greatest talents and his performances in last year's spring indicate that he has the potential to match his compatriot Nairo Quintana as a future grand tour star. An ill-fated campaign in last year's Vuelta a Espana doesn't change this impression and it is certainly not without any reason that Sky have singled him out as their next big grand tour rider.

 

This year Henao will get little chance to go for personal glory as he has been selected as one of Froome's key riders for the Tour de France. He will target the Ardennes classics and maybe the Vuelta al Pais Vasco but is likely to do a lot of racing in support of Froome to prepare for July. This is the reason for his participation in Oman but it would be a good idea to keep an eye on the Colombian.

 

Henao is usually flying at this time of the season. Last year he was the strongest rider in the hardest race of the Challenge Mallorca but unsurprisingly he was unable to beat Alejandro Valverde in the select group that arrived at the finish. In the Volta ao Algarve he went on to crush the opposition on the Alto do Malhao before losing his overall aspirations in the time trial.

 

The early indications are that Henao has again come out with all guns blazing. In the hardest Mallorca race, he again launched an attack on the Col du Puig Major before being joined by Michal Kwiatkowski. The duo bridged across to the early break and while Henao was unable to follow his Polish companion on the rolling terrain that led to the finish, there was certainly nothing wrong with his climbing legs. The Green Mountain is the kind of short, steep climb that he excels on and the race suits him down to the ground. Of course he will enter the race as the luxury domestique for Froome but it would be no surprise if the Sky duo emerges as the strongest two climbers in the race - much like Froome and Porte did on the Ax-3-Domaines stage in the Tour de France. If that happens, Froome will be more than happy to give Henao the chance to take an early win in a season where he will mostly be expected to be the loyal domestique.

 

In addition to Froome, there are a number of former winners back in Oman for the 2014 edition. One of those is Robert Gesink and the Dutchman is back in the sultanate to take a second overall win. Gesink may not have had the best seasons in recent years but there is little doubt that it has taken some time for the talented Dutchman to fully recover from a broken leg he suffered a few years ago. After getting through three consecutive grand tours, indications in the second half of the 2013 season were that he was finding back to this best level, with his impressive showing in the GP de Quebec of course being the highlight of his season.

 

Like Henao, Gesink usually starts his seasons very strongly. Many will remember how he opened the 2011 season with a bang, winning in Oman and finishing on the podium in both the Tirreno-Adriatico and the Vuelta al Pais Vasco and leading to speculation that he could potentially challenge for the Tour win that year. Ultimately, that never happened and his broken leg ended up kick starting a long series of disappointments for Gesink.

 

This year Gesink has again started his season strongly, with a solid 6th place in the Tour Down Under being the perfect start to his year. Since then, he will have improved his condition and the longer and steeper climbs in Oman suit him much better than the short, punchy ascents in Australia. Gesink will be very well-prepared for the Omani race and it could be time for him to put the many disappointments behind him by seriously challenging Sky on a course that suits him well.

 

Ag2r have got their season off to a solid start with Jean-Christophe Peraud's win on the Mont Faron and they will be eager to keep the ball rolling in Oman. They line up a strong roster with two clear captains: Romain Bardet and Domenico Pozzovivo.

 

The rider most likely to shine in the Middle East is Pozzovivo who has all the characteristics to win the race. The very steep gradients of the Green Mountain are perfectly suited to the pint-sized Italian who will also relish the fact that the key ascent is not too long. The steeper the better is Pozzovivo's motto as he proved when he crushed the opposition on the Punta Veleno in the 2012 Giro del Trentino and the Green Mountain should suit him well.

 

In 2013 Pozzovivo took a massive step up. His Giro campaign was affected by health issues but he was riding really well in the Vuelta, clearly emerging as one of the best climbers in the world. Unlike most of the GC riders in Oman, he has proved that he has a solid condition right from the beginning of the season, finishing 10th in San Luis despite having a bad day on the race's queen stage. Since then he will only have become stronger and Oman could be the chance for him to add another big stage race to his palmares.

 

Another French team which aims for success in Oman, is FDJ that line up three splendid climbers in Thibaut Pinot, Kenny Elissonde and Arnold Jeannesson. The latter has been hampered by health issues but the former two should be right in the mix. While it is still too early for Elissonde to realistically hope for the overall win in a race like the Tour of Oman, Pinot will be a very dangerous rival for Sky. The Frenchman is continuing his upwards trajectory as he proved throughout most of the 2013 season, with the Tour de France being his only major disappointment.

 

Pinot's Vuelta performance suggests that he is now not too far behind the best climbers and the low-stress course in Oman with its very steep climbs and absence of a time trial suits him perfectly. His condition is a little bit uncertain as he is usually not riding too well in February but his very aggressive showing in his only race so far, the GP La Marseillaise - which doesn't suit him at all - indicate that things may be different this time around. It would be no surprise to see Pinot lighten up the action on the Green Mountain and if that happens, he could come away with the win.

 

Omega Pharma-Quick Step arrive in Oman with plenty of confidence after their dominant showings in the Tour of Qatar and the Mallorca Challenge. They cannot expect themselves to exert the same kind of dominance in Oman but they have a good chance to be in the mix.

 

The rider that will be tasked with captaincy role is new signing Rigoberto Uran who has started the campaign that should see him reach top form for the Giro. He made his debut with his new squad in the Challenge Mallorca and by finishing in the front group on the hilly days he proved that he is riding rather well at the moment.

 

Traditionally, Uran has not been going too well in February but things indicate that it may be different this time. He will be eager to kick off his time with his new team in the best possible way and he could not have found a better course to make it happen. Short, very steep climbs suit him down to the ground, and with his fast finish he would even be a good winner candidate on stage 4 which could give him a few bonus seconds. Combined with a solid ride on the Green Mountain, this could see him end high up in the overall standings.

 

If it had been the month of May, Joaquim Rodriguez would have been right near the top of our list of favourites but things are different in February. Rodriguez is usually using the first few months to build up his condition and rarely features near the top before the Tirreno-Adriatico. Like last year, he started his season with a very discrete performance in the Tour de San Luis and even though he has also done the Dubai Tour in 2014, things appear not to be too different to what it has been in the past.

 

Last year he won the queen stage to the top of the Green Mountain but he was clearly not the strongest rider and he admitted to be surprised by the result. Instead, he capitalized on his time loss in the previous stages that allowed him to sneak away in the finale while the likes of Froome, Contador and Evans were focused on each other. On paper, the race is tailor-made to a rider like Rodriguez but we doubt that he has the form to win it. Nonetheless, he is such a classy bike rider that he needs to be mentioned as an outsider and his participation in Dubai could mean that he is a little bit stronger than he was 12 months ago.

 

One of the big question marks in the race is Jurgen Van Den Broeck. The Belgian didn't race in the second half of 2013 after crashing out of the Tour de France and even though he is reported to be producing the right numbers in training, it will take some time for him to find back up to racing speed. He was solid but unspectacular in San Luis but showed great progress in Mallorca where he was one of the animators of the final race and finished with the best on the hardest day.

 

At his best, Van Den Broeck would be a solid podium candidate in a race like this and things suggest that his condition is already at a rather advanced level. In the past, he has always started his seasons extremely well but due to his injury things have been a bit different this time around. With a few races now in his legs, however, we won't be surprised to see Van Den Broeck be in podium contention in Oman.

 

In addition to Froome, the only grand tour winner in attendance is Vincenzo Nibali but we doubt that the Italian will come to the fore in Oman. The Giro champion is steadily building his condition for his later objectives and until now his performances have mirrored those of 2013. He had an unspectacular showing in San Luis where he even admitted that his many non-cycling commitments had probably seen him be a little bit behind his schedule, and things only got more complicated by a crash that injured his ribs. He had a decent showing in the Dubai Tour time trial but nothing suggests that his condition will allow him to shine in Oman.

 

In 2012, he almost won the Middle East race and as a fromer winner in San Luis he has been riding well in past early seasons. In recent years, however, his approach has changed and we would be surprised to see him perform better than he did last year when he was 7th. Nonetheless, the Italian deserves to be mentioned as an outsider as he is one of the few riders who are actually strong enough to win the race.

 

Finally, we will point to Roman Kreuziger who is one of the big question marks in the race. The Czech took a massive step up in his first year with Saxo-Tinkoff (now Tinkoff-Saxo) and is heading into what should be another great year. In the past he has been riding solidly in the early part of the season but last year he started his year rather slowly and we suggest that it will be the same this time around.

 

The Tour of Oman is his first race of the season and so his condition is completely unknown. His team, however, insists that he has ambitions for the GC in the Middle East and as the Ardennes Classics are a more clear objective for him than they were in 2013, his condition could be better. If that is the case, he certainly has the class to mix it up with the best on the Green Mountain.

 

***** Chris Froome

**** Sergio Henao, Robert Gesink

*** Domenico Pozzovivo, Thibaut Pinot, Rigoberto Uran

** Joaquim Rodriguez, Jurgen Van Den Broeck, Vincenzo Nibali, Roman Kreuziger

* Tejay van Garderen, Romain Bardet, Johann Tschopp, Frank Schleck, Kenny Elissonde