News – Tour of Oman 2015 Favourites

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Tour de France winner Vincenzo Nibali tops provisional favourites list for the 2015 Tour of Oman

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News – Tour of Oman 2015 Favourites

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In its sixth edition from 17 to 22 February, 2015, the Tour of Oman will again feature some of the biggest names among the Grand Tours and Classics contenders with Tour de France winner Vincenzo Nibali topping the provisional list of the race favourites.

The Tour of Oman holds a special place in Nibali’s cycling memories as he ended a 17-months drought following his first overall victory in a Grand Tour [the 2010 Vuelta a España] when he claimed stage 5 to Jabal Al Akhdhar (Green Mountain) and carried on to his successful campaigns of the past three years at the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France.

Since he made its debuts in the Sultanate in 2012, he hasn’t missed an occasion to test his legs against the other stage race specialists in the event that has attracted the winners of the past six Tour de France since its inception in 2010.

Grand Tours podium finisher Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) who has competed in all Tour of Oman since 2011 and won atop Green Mountain one year after Nibali, will return to Muscat as well as Colombia’s Rigoberto Uran at the helm of Etixx-Quick Step, while a duel of the new generation is expected to take place with Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) and Fabio Aru (Astana), the best young rider of the Tour de France and the Vuelta in 2014 respectively, crossing path for the first time with their new status in a high profiled stage race.

As well as Astana with Nibali and Aru, FDJ has put together a very interesting line up with their climbing corps formed of Kenny Elissonde, Steve Morabito and Arnold Jeannesson along with sprinter Arnaud Démare.

Philippe Gilbert and Tejay van Garderen (BMC), Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida), Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo), Tom Boonen and Niki Tersptra (Etixx-Quick Step), Warren Barguil (Alpecin-Giant), Alexander Kristoff (Katusha), Fabian Cancellara (Trek Factory Racing), Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ), Edvald Boasson Hagen (MTN-Qhubeka) and hour world record holder Matthias Brändle (IAM Cycling) are among the other big names expected to turn up in Oman in mid-February.

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