Rick Pluimers had imagined his first professional victory many times, but he certainly never thought it would happen so far from Europe, especially in a completely different climate from his native Netherlands. The twenty-four-year-old from Team Tudor has perfectly kicked off his season, making his mark in the third edition of the Muscat Classic, decided in a sprint.

"It's beautiful to win for the first time, it's a strange sensation that I can't quite describe. I had heard many stories from my teammates, but now that I'm experiencing it, it's all magnificent, unique. Last year at the Alula Tour I came very close, but I never succeeded, and here I am celebrating. Everything is so new to me - the podium, the victory. During the sprint, there was a crosswind, but I barely noticed it. I was just thinking about pushing the pedals, seeing the finish line ahead at the top of the climb, and couldn't wait to get there," Rick Pluimers explains to tuttobiciweb right after the podium, still a bit dazed and especially with emotion taking center stage.

For the Dutch athlete, this is his first time in Oman, and yesterday, on the eve of the race, he had the opportunity to scout the route to better understand its various challenges. "I've already raced in these parts of the world, but in Alula everything is completely different, and especially I knew nothing about Oman. Even before leaving home, I watched various YouTube videos of the race. The stages are quite similar each year, so I could have a good reference point, but seeing everything live is completely different," Pluimers continues. "Yesterday we took the opportunity to do a real reconnaissance of part of the route. It was a smart choice that helped me a lot today because I knew where I needed to pay more attention. In particular, we took a close look at the finish of the second stage, which could hide many pitfalls."

Today the race was literally split in half. Immediately after the start, a breakaway group was kept under control by the peloton, but in the last 50 km, things completely exploded, and the Swiss team worked hard to allow Pluimers to contest the sprint. "In the group, we all wanted to keep the race closed, and so many teams collaborated to catch the attackers. My teammates were incredible because they allowed me to approach the final climb with tranquility, without the risk of going into the red, and then they put me in the perfect position to do my sprint. In particular, Larry Warbasse and Marco Brenner were incredibly valuable. Thanks to them, I found myself in the right place at the right time," Pluimers adds, who will officially start the Tour of Oman tomorrow with a stage where he will try to have his say in the sprint again. Although the season has barely begun, Team Tudor is already at 3 victories and seems determined to increase its tally.