Ait el Abdia, what a day!

Today was the 4th stage in which the Moroccan champion Anass Ait el Abdia participated as a World Tour cyclist: he lived a lively unforgettable day.

Breakaway, virtual red jersey, counter-attacks and a wrong direction: when he’ll be back to Morocco, Anass will need a lot of time to narrate all the events in which he was protagonist in the 4th stage of the Tour of Oman, 118 km from Yiti to the Ministry of Tourism which was won by Kristoff and in which Kump obtained the 5th place.

He’ll begin his narration describing how the early kilometers of the course were demanding, because of a climb immediately after the start and a hilly road on which he went clear from the bunch together with other 8 riders at km 8, fulfilling the request by sports director Pedrazzini of joining breakaway in which there would have been BMC’s riders.

In the breakaway, together with Ait el Abdia, there were Kung (BMC), Kangert, Denifl, Domont, Doubey, Eaton, Jungels and Teunissen: their maximum advantage on the peloton was 1’50”, which was enough to give the virtual red jersey to Ait el Abdia, who was 59″ behind the leader Hermans in the general classification at the start of the stage.

On the final hill, at 13 km to the arrival, only three riders (Ait el Abdia, Domont and Kung) remained in the breakaway and the Team UAE’s cyclist tried a counter-attack, before the favourites group, which was thinned to 20 riders (Rui Costa and Marcato were in this group), bridged the gap.

The day of the Moroccan champion was still not over: he followed an attack by Zeits in the very final kilometers, however the duo took a wrong road and their chance of obtaining a top result vanished (Ait el Abdia reached the arrival in 54th place at 1’35” to the winner.

In the approach to the arrival, the head group was joined by 30 riders who bridged the gap under the work by Katusha, who led Kristoff to the sprint. Kump too succeeded in coming back to the front of the race and he obtained the 5th place in the sprint.

Rui Costa, who reached the arrival in the front group, is 2nd (+5″ to Hermans) in the general classification, waiting for the queen stage with summit arrival at Jebel Akhdar.

“I simply try to do what my sports director asks me to do and I try to do it in the best possible way – Ait el Abdia explained – today my shape was very good and I exploited it for going clear in a breakaway in the early kilometers, which were very demanding.
Once I was in the front of the race, I managed my energies and I was still enough brilliant to try to attack again in the final kilometers.
Unfortunately Zeits took a wrong road and our attempts was over, however today remains a day to remember and I really hope there will be many others“.

STAGE RESULTS
1- Kristoff 2h50’29”
2- Colbrelli s.t.
3- Van Avermaet s.t.
4- Haas s.t.
5- Kump s.t.
30- Rui Costa s.t., 48- Marcato 25″, 54- Ait el Abdia 1’35”, 106- Zurlo 8’17”, 107- Mirza s.t., 120- Ferrari 10’04”, 128- Modolo s.t.

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1- Hermans 13h50’41”
2- Rui Costa 5″
3- Fuglsang 13″
4- Kudus 21″
5- De la Cruz 22″