Fausto Masnada took a stylish solo stage four success to jump to the top of the Tour of Oman standings on Sunday.
Quick-Step’s rider forged clear on the final descent to cross the line in Muscat over a minute clear of the chasing group.
“Today was such a hard stage, but we rode as a team and that’s what made the difference in the end”, said Masnada. “Mauro did an amazing race, he was superb today, attacking and putting pressure on the others, before helping me in the final part of the stage, after getting caught”
“I knew that the descent would be important, a key point of the race, and that’s where I made the move. I tried just one time and it turned out to be the right moment. As soon as a gap opened, I just pushed as hard as possible to increase my lead. I worked hard the entire winter, so to be rewarded for it with a win so early in the season feels incredible. The fact that now I also have the red jersey on my shoulders it’s a big bonus. Monday we will try to do our best to defend this jersey”
Masnada, whose last stage win dates back to the 2019 Giro d’Italia, has a 1min 07sec lead over teammate Mauro Schmid and six others going into Monday’s penultimate fifth stage.
The 150.5 kilometre ride from Samail ends with a 5.7km climb up to the summit finish on Jabal Al Akhdhar.
