Mark Cavendish (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) won stage 2 of the Tour of Oman to take the overall lead from Fernando Gaviria and claim his first victory of 2022.
The British sprinter edged-out Kaden Groves at the end of the 167.5 kilometer stage from Naseem Park to Suhar Corniche.
It is the 36-year-old’s first victory of 2022 and 157th of his career.
“I was looking forward to this sprint, as it was similar to a Tour de France one, with a long finishing straight of over one kilometre,” Cavendish said. “Everyone on the team was committed and did a great job.”
Cavendish opened his 2022 season with a second-placed finish behind Fernando Gaviria in the opening stage from Rustaq Fort to Muscat on Thursday.
“Coming into the stage I had a lot of confidence,” he added. “When the sprint started, I was a bit far back, but I had a good speed and I’m happy with the way things panned out.”
Amaury Capiot beat Gaviria to claim the final spot o the podium, with Cavendish moving into the overall lead before Saturday’s finish in Qurayyat.
? LAST KILOMETRE – Stage 2 #TourofOman ??@MarkCavendish shows all his mastery to surf wheels and power to the front at the perfect moment. What a sprint from the ?? Rocket ? @qst_alphavinyl @mcsy_om @OmanOca pic.twitter.com/gqOLpwXyI2
— Tour of Oman (@tourofoman) February 11, 2022
