In Oman, everything is ready for an incredible six days that will bring all the beauty of cycling to the sultanate. Today, the Muscat Classic will be raced, a not-too-light appetizer of the Tour of Oman that will keep the entire Aso caravan busy from February 8th to 12th. Cycling is certainly not a popular sport, and it's practically impossible to find a bicycle around, yet the festive atmosphere of great occasions can be felt, albeit subtly.

The growing level of the race is demonstrated by the lineup of teams at the start, with 9 World Tour formations and many riders who have come to Oman to refine their preparation for the season's major goals. The route, which we discussed a few days ago, is open to all types of athletes. There is certainly space for sprinters, but attackers and climbers will also be able to give their best on the various climbs scheduled, which require a lot of explosiveness. There are 12 Italians at the start with Team Ukyo, with 3 of our compatriots ready to do battle.

All eyes are on Adam Yates, the winner of the previous edition, who arrives at the start with the ambition to repeat and with all the favors of the prediction for the conquest of the red jersey. UAE Team Emirates is certainly the most equipped team. In addition to the British superstar, they can count on valid athletes like Jay Vine and Rafal Majka who could aim for a good placement in the general classification. David Gaudu with Groupama Fdj, Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma Lease a bike), and Warren Barguil (Team Picnic Postnl) will certainly give the Emirates team a hard time. Among the Italians, Alessandro Fancellu (Team Ukyo), after an excellent performance at the Alula Tour, will try to leave his mark again. The battle for sprints seems to be a head-to-head between Olav Kooij (Visma Lease a Bike) and Fernando Gaviria (Movistar), who on paper have the best trains, but Giacomo Nizzolo (Q 36.5), Erlend Blikra (Uno X Mobility), Pavel Bittner (PicNic Postnl), and British champion Ethan Hayter (Soudal Quickstep) could also get involved.

The Tour of Oman route hides many pitfalls, especially due to the wind that could give attackers the opportunity to attempt a low blow starting from today with the Muscat Classic. Among the names to keep an eye on, we highlight Mauri Vansevenant (Soudal Quickstep), Valentin Madouas (Groupama Fdj), Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates), Anthony Turgis (Totalenergies), and Diego Ulissi at his debut with the Astana team jersey.

The list of participants is in the attached PDF