Tour of Oman

[Reverend_T_Preedy]

The Tour of Oman was presented yesterday by the ASO.

It follows a similar format to last year but with the addition of a finish at Jabal al Akhdhar (Green Mountain) which is allegedly 3,000m high. It looks like being a decent race again but with the potential to be better than last year. It should also mean that a different type of rider could win, as opposed to Cancellara or EBH.

Stage details:
Stage 1: As Sawadi - Al Seeb, February 15
Stage 2: The Wave, Muscat - Al Wutayya, February 16
Stage 3: Sur - Sur, February 17
Stage 4: Sultan Qaboos University - Jabal al Akhdhar (Green Mountain), February 18
Stage 5: Al Jissah - Al Jissah (TT), February 19
Stage 6: Qurayyat - Mattrah Seafront, February 20

 

[auscyclefan94]

Should make for an interesting race. Qatar can be for the sprinters and oman for the guys who can tt and climb. Awesome!

 

[Ferminal]

I think Oman has potential, good to see that they are making it a more all-round stage race, rather than the 1-2-3 TT specialists we had last year!

 

[Reverend_T_Preedy]

Oman looked stunning last year the racing was far more varied than their neighbour Qatar. Mountains, cross winds, breakaway opportunites, sprints and a TT. That's a pretty good combination for some really good unpredictable racing, especially at the start of the season.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

should be fun unpredictable racing. none of the 1st rate climbers will be there, and even if they are expect no form/interest. A good chance to see the 2nd or even 3rd rate climbers have a go.

 

[ingsve]

It wouöd be intersting to know exactly how long and hard that mountain acually is, If it's a real 10k climb or if it's more like a 2-3k hump.

 

[Reverend_T_Preedy]

It wouöd be intersting to know exactly how long and hard that mountain acually is, If it's a real 10k climb or if it's more like a 2-3k hump.

Tried to find some details but I can't. There's a vague possible route up I can see on one map which looks pretty long and winding but I don't know if that's the one. I suppose we'll find out when they gove route profiles and more details I suppose.

 

[Reverend_T_Preedy]

Some photo's of the road....

It looks long, wide and not very steep..

 

[Anonymous]

Tried to find some details but I can't. There's a vague possible route up I can see on one map which looks pretty long and winding but I don't know if that's the one. I suppose we'll find out when they gove route profiles and more details I suppose.

Rough stage 4 profile

160k'ish
finish elevation about 1600m - i think the end of the climb is where it levels off on the profile. About 1000m of climbing in 10k, so 100m per k approximately, 10% average if my maths are correct..

ISH!!!!

 

[Kvinto]

I'm surprised, even more I thought mountains in Oman are something like Ardennes, for shame

 

[ingsve]

I think this might change the season plan for some riders. Teams probably won't send a team of sprinters and rouleurs only like last year.

 

[Kvinto]

It could be good preparation race before Paris-Nice or Tirreno, as an alternative to Volta Algarve and Andalucia. After all, in february Oman's climate is more comfortable than in Europe (this year's Tour Mediterraneen as an example)

 

[maltiv]

Does anyone know if this will be on TV, or will we have to watch highlights like last year?

 

[jens_attacks]

Rough stage 4 profile

160k'ish
finish elevation about 1600m - i think the end of the climb is where it levels off on the profile. About 1000m of climbing in 10k, so 100m per k approximately, 10% average if my maths are correct..

ISH!!!!

lol no way i can believe that.oman's mortirolo in february?
if it's true,then it's fine with me anyway.
i enjoyed oman this year,it was ok.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I'm surprised, even more I thought mountains in Oman are something like Ardennes, for shame

I know the Arabian peninsula is mostly known as desert, but there's some mountainous terrain down the west coast of Saudi Arabia, and along the south of the peninsula, which means Yemen and Oman. Masqat and the other big cities in Oman are mostly on the East Coast, where they have a few large mountains, one half of the same range that makes up a lot of Iran.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Are we talking Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar (الجبل الأخضر) as that is the name of a group of mountains as well as one individually (same as they rode Black Mountain in the Tour of Britain, or how they sometimes call the Alto da Torre Serra da Estrela) - so unless that map is from an official source, I will not be sure that they're taking that route until I see it from the ASO; it looks absolutely insane for early-mid February.

 

[ingsve]

Are we talking Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar (الجبل الأخضر) as that is the name of a group of mountains as well as one individually (same as they rode Black Mountain in the Tour of Britain, or how they sometimes call the Alto da Torre Serra da Estrela) - so unless that map is from an official source, I will not be sure that they're taking that route until I see it from the ASO; it looks absolutely insane for early-mid February.

Ya, and even if it is the correct climb we don't really know how far up it they would actually ride.

 

[Kvinto]

I know the Arabian peninsula is mostly known as desert, but there's some mountainous terrain down the west coast of Saudi Arabia, and along the south of the peninsula, which means Yemen and Oman. Masqat and the other big cities in Oman are mostly on the East Coast, where they have a few large mountains, one half of the same range that makes up a lot of Iran.

Well, for me there are two main things to describe Arabian peninsula - desert and oil I knew about existence of these mountains, but now I have conceived that those mountains are higher than my native Carpathians

 

[Anonymous]

Are we talking Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar (الجبل الأخضر) as that is the name of a group of mountains as well as one individually (same as they rode Black Mountain in the Tour of Britain, or how they sometimes call the Alto da Torre Serra da Estrela) - so unless that map is from an official source, I will not be sure that they're taking that route until I see it from the ASO; it looks absolutely insane for early-mid February.

the aso have released the route. To clarify, i took the official route, and laid it over the google map (See below) and then plotted the route from there on biketoaster. I did go just a bit too far, the climb finishes on the level bit. But it is only approximate as the road on the climb isnt marked on the map very well (some maps the road isnt even marked). Its there, but none of the gps sites will follow it, had to do it manually.

Ya, and even if it is the correct climb we don't really know how far up it they would actually ride.

the 157k mark is just as it levels out, i think it stops just there. Just chuck that route into a mapping software.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

From looking at the map, there's a spot that may suffice as a stage finish (one of few areas with the feasible space) at about 1450m-1475m, then nothing right to the top. That seems to tally up with what you have but be about 100m lower, so not sure what's happened there.

To be fair, looking at your altimetry, the climb starts left of centre between 140-150 and finishes (assuming the spots we expect the finish to be are the same) right of centre between 150-160; it's probably more like 14-15km for that climbing, which is still pretty extreme for that time of year, but less insane than 10km at 10%.

 

[ingsve]

Well, it certainly won't be a "first day of Tour" type of climb then. Perhaps it will be more like a Mont Faron climb or if the guesstimate from TeamSkyFans is correct then it might be even harder but I would have to see something official before I believe that.

 

[The Hitch]

that those mountains are higher than my native Carpathians

Maybe on your side of the border

 

[Anonymous]

From looking at the map, there's a spot that may suffice as a stage finish (one of few areas with the feasible space) at about 1450m-1475m, then nothing right to the top. That seems to tally up with what you have but be about 100m lower, so not sure what's happened there.

To be fair, looking at your altimetry, the climb starts left of centre between 140-150 and finishes (assuming the spots we expect the finish to be are the same) right of centre between 150-160; it's probably more like 14-15km for that climbing, which is still pretty extreme for that time of year, but less insane than 10km at 10%.

yeh, sorry about 15k of climbing.. i took the 10k from not reading insgve's post properly. Looks like 15-16k so a pretty steady climb of about 7% average


Can other people go look at this on google earth, about half way up the climb it appears to turn into nothing more than a rock road about the width of a horse, certainly not suitable for bikes. I dont know whats going on, unless they have recently built roads and the satellite images are out of date.

this is using microsoft maps who actually have the road/path marked

says pretty much the same, 1500m over 15k.

having plotted the entire route, im not convinced that they arent grossly overexagerating just how much of the climb they do, 157k mark seems to be about 7k into the climb.

 

[Kvinto]

Maybe on your side of the border

On both sides, believe me (they have mountains over 3000m)

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I assume you're looking at the same road as me, but it looks to me like it's a proper two-way road all the way up, and indeed there are cars on it on google maps.