Olympic bronze medallist Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) has sprinted to victory on stage two of the Tour of Oman.
The Norwegian out-paced Leigh Howard (Orica-GreenEDGE) – who had to settle for second place for the second consecutive day – and Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-Quickstep).
Howard moved into the overall lead courtesy of the result, but it was Kristoff who took the stage honours with a well-timed sprint to earn his first victory of the season.
The day started on a sombre note, with the peloton observing a minute’s silence in memory of Kristof Goddaert after IAM Cycling announced the 27-year-old had been killed in a training crash.
When the racing started, nobody was able to make an escape stick in the first few kilometres but Preben van Hecke (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise), racing in the most aggressive rider’s jersey, eventually went clear with two for company.
Paolo Colonna ensured Bardiani-CSF were once again represented in the break, while Aldo Ino Ilesic (UnitedHealthCare) rounded off the escape.
Veteran Sebastien Hinault (IAM Cycling) mounted a lone counter-attack, but the efforts of the three riders up the road made him sit up and return to the bunch as the original break extended its lead to eight minutes.
The sprint teams all shared the load at the front of the bunch however, with Lotto-Belisol and Omega Pharma-Quickstep pulling hard and Tinkoff-Saxo also putting riders at the front.
And the gap soon tumbled once van Hecke – fourth overall after stage one – had earned himself more time bonuses at the intermediate sprint.
Ilesic was the first to be caught, with van Hecke and Colonna being kept at a safe one minute in front of the bunch as the Belgian won more time bonuses at the second sprint.
They were eventually swallowed up with ten kilometres to go, clearing the way for a bunch sprint on the entirely flat run-in to Quriyat.
And with the pace remaining high, the peloton remained in a bunch inside the final kilometre where Kristoff proved his sprinting credentials with an impressive display of power to earn his first victory of the year.
Tour of Oman: stage two – result
1) Alexander Kristoff (NOR) – Katusha – 3.12.01
2) Leigh Howard (AUS) – Orica-GreenEDGE – ST
3) Tom Boonen (BEL) – Omega Pharma-Quickstep
4) Robert Forster (GER) – UnitedHealthCare
5) Nacer Bouhanni (FRA) – FDJ.fr
6) Nicola Ruffoni (ITA) – Bardiani-CSF
7) Pieter Vanspeybrouck (BEL) – Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise
8) Marcus Burghardt (GER) – BMC Racing
9) Matteo Trentin (ITA) – Omega Pharma-Quickstep
10) Sam Bennett (IRL) – Team NetApp-Endura
General classification (provisional)
1) Leigh Howard (AUS) – Orica-GreenEDGE – 7.15.20
2) Alexander Kristoff (NOR) – Katusha +2”
3) Andre Greipel (GER) – Lotto-Belisol – ST
4) Preben van Hecke (BEL) – Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise
5) Tom Boonen (BEL) – Omega Pharma-Quickstep +8”
6) Nicola Ruffoni (ITA) – Bardiani-CSF – ST
7) Paolo Colonna (ITA) – Bardiani-CSF
8) Nicola Boem (ITA) – Bardiani-CSF +9″
9) Tony Gallopin (FRA) – Lotto-Belisol +11″
10) Stijn Devolder (BEL) – Trek Factory Racing – ST
