The Frenchman finished runner-up at the Tour of Oman after a superb display on one of cycling’s hardest climbs.
Valentin Paret-Peintre produced a sumptuous performance on the final day of the race, emerging as the strongest rider of the peloton on the gruelling double-digit gradients of the Jabal Al Akhdhar climb to take the victory at the top and move onto the overall podium for a memorable debut in the Soudal Quick-Step jersey.
Before the final showdown, Pepijn Reinderink and Mauri Vansevenant animated the stage as part of a large breakaway group, the latter being the last rider to be brought back by the bunch. As soon as the Green Mountain started, Valentin – leader in the youth classification ahead of the day – climbed with ease at all times on the draining 5.7km ascent averaging 10.5% that strung out the peloton, and with two kilometers to go he found himself part of a select group featuring the first two riders on the GC and decided to punch clear. A small gap opened, but the others came back and the trio was getting ready for the final kilometer showdown.
Soon after, the red jersey wearer was dropped, leaving only Paret-Peintre and Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) in the lead. Soudal Quick-Step’s rider matched the tempo of his opponent and waited for the last 150 meters to get out of the saddle and launch a powerful acceleration that saw him distance the Brit and capture his maiden win as a member of the Wolfpack and our team’s fifth since the start of the season.
“Winning atop of this climb, where some big riders won in the past, means a lot to me. I had a lot of confidence going into the stage and knew that I could be in the mix for victory. I also tried to go for the GC win, but that turned out to be difficult, so instead I decided to wait for the final meters to go full gas. I’m happy that I could win against some really good climbers”, said Valentin, who finished runner-up on the GC after Tuesday’s remarkable ride.
Taking home the green and white jerseys, rewarding the points and youth classification winner, rounded out Paret-Peintre’s excellent week in Oman: “We can be proud of what we achieved here. At the same time, it’s important for me to have such a good start with the team. I knew it was possible to get a good result this week and I’m glad I could show the team they can put their trust in me. I’m leaving Oman with a great feeling and with the desire of fighting for more wins in the near future.”
Photo credit: ©Alex Broadway / Getty Images
