AL SEEB, Oman, Feb 15, 2011 -Rabobank’s Theo Bos saw off Britain’s
Mark Cavendish and German Roger Kluge to win the first stage of the Tour of
Oman here on Tuesday.
Dutchman Bos, a former world track cycling champion in the sprint and
keirin, came off the wheel of Australian lead-out man Graeme Brown to beat
Cavendish by half a wheel at the finish line and thus claim his first win of
2011.
“It’s great,” said Bos, whose older brother Jan was a speed skater who won
Olympic silver in 1998 and 2002.
“The best sprinters in the world are here, and it’s me who’s won. It’s
fantastic.”
Cavendish, a 15-time stage winner on the Tour de France and considered the
world’s fastest man on two wheels, claimed he had fallen victim to some
sign-post confusion in the lead-up to the bunch sprint.
“I didn’t see the sign indicating three kilometres to go, and when I saw we
had two kilometres left I was quite far back in the peloton,” claimed
Cavendish.
“When I started the sprint I was way behind the leaders.
“I was feeling good today. But it just goes to show that even when you’ve
got great legs they won’t count for anything if you’re badly positioned going
into the home straight.”
A three-man breakaway lit up the race in the early stages but Belgian
Pieter Serry, Estonian Kagel Tangert and Britain’s Mark McNally were reeled in
10km from the finish line.
Wednesday’s second stage is another sprinter-friendly ride over 139.5km
from The Wave Muscat to Al Wutayya.
Results from the first stage of the
Tour of Oman, a 158km ride here Tuesday:
1. Theo Bos (NED) Rabobank 3hr 38min 29sec, 2. Mark Cavendish (GBR) same
time, 3. Roger Kluge (GER) s.t., 4. Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) s.t., 5. Denis
Galimzyanov (RUS) s.t., 6. Nacer Bouhanni (FRA) s.t., 7. Danilo Hondo (GER)
s.t., 8. Russel Downing (GBR) s.t., 9. Francesco Chicchi (ITA) s.t., 10.
Mathew Hayman (AUS) s.t.
General classification
1. Theo Bos (NED/Rabobank) 3hr 38min 19sec, 2. Mark Cavendish (GBR) at
4sec, 3. Pieter Serry (BEL) same time, 4. Roger Kluge (GER) 6, 5. Mark McNally
(GBR) 7, 6. Tanel Kangert (EST) s.t., 7. Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) 10, 8.
Denis Galimzyanov (RUS) s.t., 9. Nacer Bouhanni (FRA) s.t., 10. Danilo Hondo
(GER) s.t.