Preview Tour of Oman (and Muscat Classic) 2025 | With Visma | Lease a Bike, but without TV coverage

After the AlUla Tour, a new load of riders will be flown in for the Tour of Oman. The Muscat Classic will precede this year's second race in the desert before we race for the title from February 8 to 12, with defending champion Adam Yates ( UAE Team Emirates-XRG) at the start. IDLProCycling.com gives you a preview of what to expect.

The Tour of Oman has been on the calendar since 2010. With its place on the calendar and ASO as organizer, it has been a race where we welcome big names complemented by new top talents. With Yates and Matteo Jorgenson as the last two overall winners, that statement is emphasized. However, due to corona, the event was not organized in 2020 and 2021.

The Muscat Classic is a one-day race founded in 2023 to give riders a quick spin a day before the start of the Tour of Oman. For the third year in a row, the race will be competed from Al Mouj to Al Bustan, with the steep wall (1.1 kilometers at 9.3 percent) of Al Jissah just before the finish as the decisive factor. Jenthe Biermans won the first edition in 2023, and Finn Fisher-Black won the second last year. Who will win on Friday?

Times Muscat Classic
Start: 02:00 AM EST
Finish 06:20 AM EST

Weather Muscat Classic
The weather will be nice in Oman on Friday, with the temperature rising to a maximum of 26 degrees around Muscat in the afternoon. The wind will pick up in the afternoon, but this will typically only be after the finish.

Favorites Muscat Classic
Ethan Hayter (Soudal-Quick Step)
Iván Garcia Cortina (Movistar)
Rick Pluimers (Tudor Pro Cycling)

Look below the profile card for the Muscat Classic, for previews of the Tour of Oman!

Latest winners Tour of Oman

2024 Adam Yates
2023 Matteo Jorgenson
2022 Jan Hirt
2021 Canceled
2020 Canceled
2019 Alexey Lutsenko
2018 Alexey Lutsenko
2017 Ben Hermans
2016 Vincenzo Nibali
2015 Rafael Valls

Stage 1 Tour of Oman 2025, Saturday, Feb. 8: Bushar - Bimmah Sink Hole (177.7 km)

The stage from Bushar to Bimmah Sink Hole kicks off tough, as a particularly steep climb follows after about ten kilometers. The climb of Jabal Road is 3.5 kilometers and goes up at 9.2%! Ideal for a group of breakaway riders to get away. However, only two intermediate sprints follow after that. So, it's not the terrain for the breakaway riders to keep the advantage. There is a good chance it will end in a sprint!

Favorites
Olav Kooij (Visma l Lease a Bike)
Fernando Gaviria (Movistar Team)
Pavel Bittner (Team Picnic PostNL)

Times (EST)
Start: 02:00 AM
Finish: around 06:26 AM

Stage 2 Tour of Oman 2025, Sunday, Feb. 9: Al Rustaq Fort - Yitti Hills (202.9 km)

The second stage is 203 kilometers long, from Al Rustaq Fort to Yitti Hills. There are already two steep slopes along the way and two more near the end of the stage. Ten kilometers from the finish, the riders have to cross the Climb of Al Jissah (2.5km at 6.9%), and the finish is after the climb of Yitti Hills (1.6km at 6.8%). After the 'top,' it is only a hundred meters or so to the finish.

Favorites
Ethan Hayter (Soudal Quick-Step)
Amaury Capiot (Arkea-B&B Hotels)
Rick Pluimers (Tudor Pro Cycling Team)

Times (EST)
Start: 01:15 AM
Finish: around 06:19 AM

Stage 3 Tour of Oman 2025, Monday, Feb. 10: Fanja - Eastern Mountain (180.8 km)

The first uphill finish this Tour of Oman. After more than 170 kilometers of preliminary entertainment, the stage begins in the last ten kilometers. Eastern Mountain is 4.6 kilometers long and has an average gradient of 8.5%. A tough climb! The GC will be seriously tested here for the first time. The winner of this stage will have a shot at the overall victory.

Favorites
Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates - XRG)
Jørgen Nordhagen (Visma l Lease a Bike)
David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ)

Times (EST)
Start: 01:30 AM
Finish: around 05:55 AM

Stage 4 Tour of Oman 2025, Tuesday, Feb. 11: Oman Across Ages Museum - Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (181.5 km)

The fourth stage seems perfect for sprinters. Although the second half of the stage is downhill, which could favor a strong breakaway group, a sprint is the most logical thing to happen at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Center.

Favorites
Olav Kooij (Visma l Lease a Bike)
Fernando Gaviria (Movistar Team)
Pavel Bittner (Team Picnic PostNL)

Times (EST)
Start: 02:05 AM
Finish: around 06:37 AM

Stage 5 Tour of Oman 2025, Wednesday, Feb. 12: Imty - Green Mountain (138.5 km)

The final stage ends on the legendary Green Mountain. The rest of the stage is mainly a warm-up, an opportunity to loosen the legs because the real battle only begins in the last six kilometers. And that is no understatement, as Green Mountain is a tremendously steep climb with an average gradient of at least 10.5%. With such a grueling finale, the GC is still wide open. It will, therefore, be an exciting final stage.

Favorites
Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates - XRG)
Jørgen Nordhagen (Visma l Lease a Bike)
David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ)

Times (EST)
Start: 01:15 AM
Finish: around 04:43 AM

Weather Tour of Oman 2025

Lovely sunny conditions in Oman. Did anyone expect anything else? It will be pleasantly warm in the south of the Arabian Peninsula but not too hot: a maximum temperature of 26 degrees and a minimum of 17 degrees. Occasional gusts of wind but no storm and no chance of rain: nice summer racing in February!

Favorites standings Tour of Oman 2025 after stage 5

There is a nice lineup of GC riders at the start, with a few young talents. So, it looks like an exciting and interesting battle in Oman. UAE Team Emirates - XRG is coming with Adam Yates, Jay Vine, and Rafal Majka. Yates and Vine seem most likely to have a good result. A top three overall for both is certainly no crazy thought. But since Yates is last year's winner, he gets that extra margin.

Visma l Lease a Bike is also present this year with a strong team. Besides Olav Kooij, who takes care of the sprints, Cian Uijtdebroeks, and Jørgen Nordhagen focus on the GC. Last year, the young Norwegian rode a few times with the big names, but he is part of the main team this season. Oman is his first race of the year, which suits him well. The steep climbs will serve his 59 kilos well. Uijtdebroeks shouldn't be overlooked either; the 21-year-old Belgian hasn't finished high in a GC since last year's Tirreno, but with his climbing skills, he should be able to produce a strong result in Oman.

Other interesting names/chances are David Gaudu, Mauri Vansevenant, Wout Poels, Marco Brenner, and Valentin Paret-Peintre. Diego Ulissi, who finished fourth in the GC last year, should also be mentioned.

Who are the favorites for the Tour of Oman 2025, according to IDLProCycling.com

Top favorites: Adam Yates
Outsiders: Jørgen Nordhagen, David Gaudu, Jay Vine
Longshots: Cian Uijtdebroeks, Mauri Vansevenant, Valentin-Paret-Peintre and Wout Poels

TV broadcast Tour of Oman 2025

You can follow the Tour of Oman via an online stream, and of course, IDLProCycling.com publishes a report daily.

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