Soudal Quick-Step came close to victory Friday afternoon.
Just like last year, our team finished on the podium of the Muscat Classic, the hilly one-day race serving as appetizer for the Tour of Oman. After Jordi Warlop finished runner-up in 2023, this time it was neo-pro Luke Lamperti who took silver, following a nail-biting finale in Al Bustan, where the 174.3km race concluded.
Unlike last year though, it didn’t come down to a reduced bunch sprint, a late attack of Finn Fisher-Black (UAE Team Emirates) on the final ramps of the Al Jissah climb proving to be decisive in the outcome. Our team was among the most active of the day, chasing the original breakaway and later shutting down a dangerous move courtesy of a great effort of Fausto Masnada and Mauri Vansevenant.
The Soudal Quick-Step boys pulled hard also on descent and reduced the gap, but in the end, they ran out of road and the Kiwi took the win. Luke Lamperti was the best of the rest, showcasing his speed on the slight uphill finish and taking second place for what was our team’s eighth podium since the start of the season.
“The team did a good race, was really strong the entire day and made sure we were in a good position going into the key sections of the climbs. In the end, one guy got away and it was difficult to bring him back, as it was downhill all the way to the finish. On the other hand, second is a solid result and it shows we can be confident for the Tour of Oman”, Lamperti explained.
Photo credit: ©Dario Belingheri / Getty Images
