Visma youngster hoovers up points in Oman, but Veistroffer steals the show with stage win
CyclingSunday, 08 February 2026 at 12:27
Baptiste Veistroffer won stage 2 of the Tour of Oman. After Juan Sebastián Molano’s sprint victory on day one, Sunday’s second stage served up a very different finale: following the climbs of Bousher Al Amerat and Al Hamriyah, the finish lay on top of the punchy Yitti Hills.
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Those with early-morning racing fever were rewarded: the riders rolled out at 07:25 Dutch time (CET) for a 191.4-kilometre stage, and the road immediately began to rise from the start.
A five-man break quickly formed with Gil Gelders, Patryk Goszczurny, Tim Marsman, Baptiste Veistroffer and home rider Said Al Rahbi. For Visma | Lease a Bike, Goszczurny made it two days in a row in the move, starting the day in the young rider’s jersey. Veistroffer had already impressed in the Muscat Classic, where he had spent a long spell out front solo.
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Goszczurny wins every sprint along the way — on the flat and uphill
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After the uncategorised opening phase, the race dropped down towards the foot of the Fanja climb. The 1.1km rise at just over 9% average was tackled with only three riders left in front: Al Rahbi was dropped, while Gelders had bad luck.
The maximum advantage of four minutes fell to under three minutes after the climb — where Goszczurny took the points — and the Pole also proved quickest at both intermediate sprints, making him the day’s big points-gobbler.
When the peloton hit Bousher Al Amerat, race leader Molano was quickly distanced, while in the break it was again Goszczurny who collected the mountain points — setting himself up for yet another podium ceremony after the stage.
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Veistroffer goes solo towards the decisive final punch
In the bunch, Tudor and Jayco AlUla were among the teams working hard to bring the break back quickly. In the finale, two short climbs remained, starting with Al Hamriyah (900 metres at 9.4% average). The three leaders began it with around a minute in hand.
After Goszczurny once again hoovered up the most points, Veistroffer attacked. The 25-year-old Frenchman of Lotto–Intermarché still had plenty left for the final punch on the Yitti Hills, and he kept the peloton under pressure. With two kilometres to go, the lone leader still hadn’t been caught.
Uno-X Mobility and UAE Team Emirates–XRG closed rapidly, and Veistroffer was clearly deep into the red — but grinding a huge gear, he kept his speed high enough to hold on. After his monster solo ride in the Muscat Classic earlier in the week, he was now rewarded in Oman with a stage win and the race leader’s jersey.
Results stage 2 Tour of Oman 2026
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