Adam Yates eyes triple crown

Adam Yates has an opportunity to set a new record. So far, the only two riders to have won the Tour of Oman twice, Chris Froome (2013-14) and Alexey Lutsenko (2018-19), have failed to win a third time. This is exactly what the British rider will be attempting to do, and he will be well supported in this quest, as UAE Team Emirates XRG has added Rui Oliveira, Juan Sebastian Molano, and the promising Pablo Torres to his team. For Yates, who has already won the Tour of Catalonia (2021), the Tour de Suisse (20213) and the Tour de Romandie (2024), the prospect of a 10th overall victory will depend, among other things, on the challenges of Eastern Mountain (stage 3) and Green Mountain (stage 5), where formidable rivals will attempt to thwart his plans. As is often the case, the battle will be with Visma-Lease a Bike, who will field 2023 Vuelta winner Sepp Kuss, with Bart Lemmen and Owain Doull as his lieutenants. However, the biggest threat may come from Valentin Paret-Peintre, who beat Yates on last year's queen stage and finished second in the overall classification. A rematch is expected, given that the French climber seriously stepped up his game last summer by winning the Mont Ventoux stage of the Tour de France. Movistar's lineup could also give the defending champion a run for its money, as he will be facing a impressive trio of climbers in Colombians Nairo Quintana and Einer Rubio, along with their latest signing, Roger Adria. At XDS Astana, the partnership between Alberto Bettiol and Diego Ulissi could prove explosive. 

 

Alongside the battle for the title, sprinters and punchers will be chasing wins from the Muscat Classic onwards and throughout the other stages of the Tour of Oman. There will be plenty of contenders, but this is an opportunity for the likes of Axel Zingle, Ivan Garcia Cortina, Bryan Coquard, Mickel Honoré, Amaury Capiot, and Emilien Jeannière to shine.