Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Visma-Lease a Bike tremendous expertise Jørgen Nordhagen are among the many riders set to make their 2025 season debuts in Oman on Friday, February 7.
Racing begins within the Middle Eastern nation’s capital metropolis Muscat with a UCI 1.1 one-day race, earlier than the five-day Tour of Oman launches on Saturday, February 8, and concludes with the well-known summit end up Green Mountain.
Yates will lead a robust UAE aspect as they appear to defend each titles from final season, the place Finn Fisher-Black, now at Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, received the Muscat Classic and the Brit took victory within the stage race.
The Brit could have the help of recent signing Florian Vermeersch, forward of the Belgian’s Classics marketing campaign, and each Jay Vine and Rafał Majka within the mountains.
“It’s all the time thrilling to pin a quantity on once more after an extended break,” mentioned Yates on UAE’s web site.
“Obviously I’ve bought nice recollections in Oman from what we did there final 12 months. If we may repeat that it will be excellent however there shall be competitors little question. All-round I’m simply eager to get issues going and get racing.”
He’ll face stiff competitors from Visma-Lease a Bike, who’re led by Cian Uijtdebroeks and neo-pro Nordhagen, 20, who’s pegged to be one of many sport’s future stars. The Dutch workforce can even be eyeing up dash alternatives with Olav Kooij and his newly signed lead-out man for 2025, Dan McLay.
Visma have been eager to not put extreme stress on the younger Norwegian to carry out, particularly with Uijtdebroek’s abilities and youth at nonetheless solely 21. It’s extra about growth for the Dutch workforce and getting ready their younger abilities to step up.
“My season will largely include stage races like this. Development is crucial factor this 12 months,” mentioned Nordhagen. “Hopefully, I could make good steps in 2025 that can repay in outcomes.”
Nordhagen has additionally been studying the ropes from Visma’s fundamental chief and fellow Scandinavian Jonas Vingegaard in his first few months on the WorldTour workforce.
“The two coaching camps in Spain went nicely. In December at coaching camp I shared a room with Jonas Vingegaard,” he mentioned.
“Jonas is a incredible rider, however above all a really regular and type particular person. An excellent studying level for me was to see his day by day preparations for coaching periods up shut. He shared all the things and actually needed to go it on to me. That’s particular, in fact.”
Also making their season debut in Oman shall be an entire host of recent signings, together with the U23 highway world champion Niklas Behrens, who can also be on Visma and Ethan Hayter at Soudal-QuickStep, who shall be trying to re-find his finest type.