Finn Fisher-Black displays top form in Muscat Classic and outwits the peloton with a late breakaway

Finn Fisher-Black claimed victory in the Muscat Classic on Friday afternoon, serving as a precursor to the Tour of Oman (Feb. 10-14). The 22-year-old New Zealander made his move on the final, steep ascent of the day and crossed the finish line solo.

The race began in Al Mouj Muscat and concluded in Al Bustan, situated at the opposite end of the city. The initial stretch was predominantly flat, facilitating the quick escape of breakaway riders. Ultimately, a trio emerged, all hailing from Asia: Japanese rider Manabu Ishibashi (JCL Team UKYO), Indonesian cyclist Aiman Cahyadi (Terengganu Cycling Team), and his Malaysian teammate Irwandie Lakasek. The peloton deemed the chances of the Asian trio reaching the finish line as slim and allowed the breakaway group to amass a lead of over 12 minutes. Fabio Jakobsen, competing in his inaugural race for dsm-firmenich PostNL, withdrew from the race following a minor crash before the hilly section.

Halfway through the course, it was time for climbing. Similar to last year, there were six categorized climbs to conquer. On the first ascent of the day, Jabal Road (3.5 kilometers at 9.2 percent), the Japanese rider sensed that his two companions were struggling and decided to break away solo. BORA-hansgrohe also aimed to make it a challenging day and succeeded in reducing the gap to the peloton, which Adne van Zengelen (Roojai Insurance) capitalized on by launching an attack. The 30-year-old Dutchman's move triggered a chain reaction, but by the seventy-kilometer mark, everything was back together under pressure from Lotto Dstny and Thomas De Gendt.

Emil Herzog attempts to surprise peloton with long solo breakaway

At around forty kilometers into the race, BORA made its intentions clear. German rider Emil Herzog, aged 19 years and 126 days, the youngest participant in the race, launched an attack and set off in pursuit of the lone leader, leaving his team to control the pace within the peloton. Cofidis found themselves in a tight spot, with sprinter Bryan Coquard positioned poorly and forced to work at the head of the chasing pack.

On the penultimate climb of the day, a fatigued Ishibashi couldn't match the pace of the young German, who still held a three-minute advantage. Recognizing the threat, Soudal-Quick Step dispatched Fausto Masnada and young Frenchman Antoine Huby to the front. However, it soon became apparent that the second ascent of Al Jissah (1.1 kilometers at 10 percent) would be decisive. Ishibashi's lead would soon be eroded.

As the peloton closed in on Herzog's lead at the base of the climb, both UAE Emirates and Intermarché-Wanty intensified their efforts to drop the remaining sprinters with a blistering pace. Finn Fisher-Black surged ahead with a rider from Jayco-AlUla on his wheel, forcing the latter to dig deep to keep up before eventually succumbing to the New Zealander's acceleration.

Fisher-Black maintained his lead and crossed the finish line alone.

Results Muscat Classic 2024 

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