The Belgian leads the Tour of Oman after a stunning number on the second stage of the race.
Louis Vervaeke claimed an incredible victory Sunday afternoon in Oman, moving into the red jersey after more than 120 kilometers at the front. It was a huge display of guts, determination and strength from Louis, who delivered Soudal Quick-Step’s fourth win since the start of the season and our 80th in the Middle East.
One of the most hard-working guys in the peloton and a rider who has always put himself in the service of his leaders – memorable remaining his contribution to Remco Evenepoel’s overall success at the 2022 La Vuelta – Louis saw an opportunity on stage 2 of the Tour of Oman and seized it with both hands after a fantastic display on the roads to Yitti Hills.
The victory he got was made more impressive by the fact it came after an unusual scenario, which saw him attack from the peloton with more than 140 kilometers to go – at a moment the original breakaway was already five minutes clear – and together with one other rider, bridging across to the leading group some 105 kilometers from the finish. The seven at the front worked well together and maintained their gap intact despite some strong headwind well inside the last two hours of the race, when the alarm sounded off in the bunch.
A wild chase ensued, as the pre-stage favourites began seeing the stage win go away, and the joint effort of some of the GC teams significantly reduced the leaders’ advantage to just two minutes for the last twenty kilometers, which included three climbs. On the penultimate of these, Vervaeke accelerated and dropped his companions, carrying a 1:40 gap on the descent. Behind him, the peloton continued to push hard, but so did Louis, who entered the closing kilometer with a ten-second margin over the chasers.
On the long finishing straight, despite the bunch rapidly closing in, the Belgian had plenty of time to sit up and celebrate his first victory in the pro ranks, leading home a superb 1-2 of Soudal Quick-Step, after Valentin Paret-Peintre outsprinted the others in the final 100 meters.
“It’s such a beautiful day for me, it feels incredible to take my first win as a pro. I came close several times in the past, and to finally pull it off makes me very proud. In the final ten kilometers of the stage I was empty, but I kept thinking of my family and immediately found the power to press on and give my best until the end. That’s why I pointed to the tattoo on my right arm when crossing the line, because being a rider means making a lot of sacrifices, both yourself and your family.”
I also want to thank my team, because they gave some valuable help from behind when the chase was on, and this only shows again the Wolfpack spirit.
“At the front we worked well together and I want to give a shout-out to Mikel Azparren, he was really strong and put in a solid effort as we joined the breakaway. It’s great to get a 1-2 with the team, especially as we came here to win a stage and we’re now delighted to have it. From tomorrow, we’ll focus on the general classification with Valentin and Mauri”, said an elated Louis, who is joined on the overall podium of the race by his French teammate, currently sitting just six seconds behind after the longest stage of the Tour of Oman.
Photo credit: ©Alex Broadway / Getty Images
