Cycling
Froome wins Tour of Oman
2013-02-16 14:18
Boshar - Chris Froome of Britain won the Tour
of Oman on Saturday, last year's Tour de France runner-up beating two
previous winners of cycling's blue riband, Alberto Contador and Cadel
Evans.
The Sky star, who took possession of the leader's red
jersey on Thursday, had a 27 second advantage over Spain's Contador in
the overall standings with Australia's Evans 39s away in third.
Saturday's
sixth and final stage, a 144km ride from Hawit Nagam park in the south
of the emirate to Muscat along the Matrah corniche, was won by France's
Nacer Bouhanni.
He finished clear in a sprint from Australia's Matthew Goss and USA rider Taylor Phinney.
"It's
been an incredibly successful week for us this week. The team has
rallied around me all the way and having guys of the calibre of Bradley
Wiggins helping you to win a race makes it a hell of a lot easier to be
up there when the going gets tough," said Froome.
"This is still
very early days at the moment and early on in the season. This was a
preparation event and a good test to see how the winter training has
gone so far.
"I'm quite confident that I'm on track at the moment
and right where I need to be with my preparations in view of being ready
at 100 percent for the Tour de France."
Results after the sixth and final stage of the Tour of Oman on Saturday, a 144 kilometre stage from Hawit Nagam park to Muscat:Stage
1.
Nacer Bouhanni (FRA/FDJ) 3hr 24min 20sec, 2. Matthew Goss (AUS) s.t.,
3. Taylor Phinney (USA) s.t., 4. Elia Viviani (ITA) s.t., 5. Borut Bozic
(SLO) s.t., 6. Daryl Impey (RSA) s.t., 7. Tom Boonen (BEL) s.t., 8.
Danny Van Poppel (NED) s.t., 9. Blaz Jarc (SLO) s.t., 10. Marco Coledan
(ITA) s.t.
Selected
18. Cadel Evans (AUS) s.t., 31.
Christopher Froome (GBR) s.t., 51. Alberto Contador (ESP) s.t., 58.
Joaquim Rodriguez (ESP) s.t., 81. Fabian Cancellara (SUI) at 38, 126.
Bradley Wiggins (GBR) 4:00.
Overall standings
1.
Christopher Froome (GBR/Sky) 23hr 28min 33sec, 2. Alberto Contador (ESP)
at 27s, 3. Cadel Evans (AUS) 39, 4. Joaquim Rodriguez (ESP) 50, 5.
Rinaldo Nocentini (ITA) 1:13, 6. Johann Tschopp (SUI) s.t, 7. Vincenzo
Nibali (ITA) 1:19, 8. Kenny Elissonde (FRA) 1:34, 9. Domenico Pozzovivo
(ITA) 1:44, 10. Maxime Bouet (FRA) 1:57.
Selected
21.
Philippe Gilbert (BEL) 3:04, 42. Fabian Cancellara (SUI) 11:46, 68.
Taylor Phinney (USA) 19:30, 74. Bradley Wiggins (GBR) 22:46, 83. Tom
Boonen (BEL) 26:17