Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team worked at the front inside the final 15km of 190km Tour of Oman Stage 3 on Wednesday, including rider Tom Boonen, who is riding to gain important fitness for the Classics. They did what they could, keeping GC riders such as Peter Velits near the front. Velits won the 2012 edition.
However, it was Peter Sagan (Cannondale) who won the stage, with Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team) placing 2nd and Tony Gallopin (Radioshack-Leopard) taking 3rd. Velits finished 9th on a stage with an undulating final kilometers, and attacks flying inside the final 5km. Velits is also now 9th in the GC, 35" back from Sagan.
OPQS looks next to 152.5km Stage 4, which includes a summit finish on Jabal Al Akhdhar (Green Mountain). Green Mountain is 5km and averages 10%, except for two kilometers that average 13 percent.