Cannondale Pro Cycling’s third and final event in the Middle East is fast approaching. FromFebruary 18th through February 23rd, eight riders will attend the Tour of Oman. The race’s six stages have become a benchmark for spring events, and the Green Machine will look for a bold performance from two of its best riders – Peter Sagan and Moreno Moser.
The Slovakian and the Italian had the same season debut at the Tour de San Luis in Argentina in January. Following San Luis, Sagan continued on to the Dubai Tour taking the podium at two stages (second and third place) while Moser opted for a training week in Spain with Ivan Basso and Longo Borghini. Currently, both the riders can be found attending a short team camp in Liguria, Italy where they have trained with good weather and have tested the final kilometres of the new route of Milan-San Remo.
“I’m satisfied with this first month of races and how I performed in Argentina and Dubai,” said Sagan, who at the Tour of Oman won two stages in 2013 and one stage in 2012.
“I don’t have specific result goals for this race. I just want to do my best. The podiums I took in Dubai prove that I am getting stronger. Oman will be another important step for bettering my condition, and I expect to be as competitive as possible. I’ve won the first stage of this race two years in a row, and I hope I have the chance to do that again this year.”
“The kick-off to this season has been different than last, and I chose a less stressful approach,” said Moser, who will race in Oman for the first time in his career.
“In Argentina I knew I had to work to find a race rhythm, and I couldn’t be extremely competitive, but the result, in terms of my cycling condition, was good. The training session I had after the race also went well. In Oman, I hope to put in quality riding to get ready for the spring season. My goal is to come back with the awareness to aim for important results in upcoming events.”
In addition to Sagan and Moser, Green Machine Team Director Alberto Volpi will have an additional six riders at his disposal. Oscar Gatto, Alessandro De Marchi, Kristijan Koren, Paolo Longo Borghini, Alan Marangoni, and Michel Koch will be heading to the race following the Tour of Qatar.
“We have a strong and reliable team,” said Volpi. “Sagan and Moser will be our leading riders, but the mixed routes of Oman are suited to the cycling strengths of the other athletes. We’ll look for a strong team finish at this race.”
Ron Callahan is the chief cook and bottlewasher at Bike World News, doing everything from website design to bike reviews.