Sebastián Molano powers to third place on stage 4 in Oman

In a hectic finale to stage 4 of the Tour of Oman, Sebastián Molano delivered an impressive performance to take third place for UAE Team Emirates-XRG. The Colombian sprinter appeared to have the quickest kick of the bunch, but was denied victory by Erlend Blikra of Uno-X Mobility, with Emmanuel Houcou (Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) taking second over the line.

Had it not been for a couple of close calls on the finishing straight, Molano may well have converted his strong form into a second stage victory of the race. Instead, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG man was forced to settle for third.

Coming hot on the heels of stage 3’s summit finish, where Molano was brought down in a crash at the foot of the final climb, stage 4 was always likely to end in a bunch sprint. With the Colombian heading into the day nursing his wounds, however, contesting for the win in Sohar was not going to be a given.

It was important, then, that Molano was expertly piloted through the closing kilometres by his teammate Rui Oliveira. It was only when the Colombian was boxed in by a pair of riders that Molano lost Oliveira’s all-important wheel, as the final 500m approached. In turn, he was forced to search for an alternate run to the finish line.

Looking for that clean approach, the fast-finisher drifted to the right-hand side of the road and began to open up his sprint. Appearing to have the fastest kick, Molano looked well set to double up on his victory from stage 1, but his momentum was ultimately quashed by a lead-out rider who pulled over to Molano’s path.

In classic sprinter’s fashion, Molano checked himself and moved back inside to continue his sprint, but by this point, the opportunity at landing the win had gone. Despite a consummate bike throw to the line, the Colombian was forced to settle for third.

Speaking after the finish, Molano reflected on another strong performance and looked ahead to his next big goal in the Middle East.

Molano: “It was a good and warm day. In the final, we did almost everything perfectly, but I lost Rui’s wheel a bit and ended up boxed in behind. I had to launch my sprint from the right side to find a gap. I felt that my legs were really good and I started strongly, but I got closed in. In the end, I gave everything I had and managed to finish third.

“This week I’ve felt really good with strong legs, and that gives me a lot of confidence heading into the UAE Tour.”

For Molano’s UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammate, Adam Yates, another opportunity will present itself on Wednesday, when the Tour of Oman will draw to a close with an uphill finish on the Green Mountain. Here, the overall winner of this year’s edition will be crowned.

Tour of Oman stage 4 results:

1. Erlend Blikra (Uno-X Mobility) 3:09:22

2. Emmanuel Houcou (Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) s.t

3. Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) s.t

Tour of Oman general classification after stage 4:

1. Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla) 16:10:03

2. Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana Team) +4″

3. Martin Tjøtta (Uno-X Mobility) +9″

11. Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +32″