Niklas Behrens was part of the day’s breakaway on behalf of the Dutch team. The young German, making his debut in the yellow-and-black jersey, joined a 17-man break that gained more than two minutes on the peloton. However, the group was never given the opportunity to fight for the stage victory.

On the final climb, Team Visma | Lease a Bike fully supported Uijtdebroeks. The 21-year-old stayed in close company with riders such as Adam Yates, David Gaudu, and eventual stage winner Valentin Paret-Peintre until two kilometers from the finish. In the end, he lost ground to these three but fought hard to secure fifth place at the finish. This result also moved him up from seventh to fifth in the general classification.

“I’m very happy with this performance”, Uijtdebroeks said after the stage. “I gave it everything I had. The three riders ahead were simply the strongest today. I tried to close the gap to them, but unfortunately, I couldn’t quite manage it. I maintained my own high tempo throughout without pushing myself over the limit. The team did an excellent job once again today.”

For Uijtdebroeks, the Tour of Oman turned out to be a successful season opener. “I came here to achieve the best possible result in the overall classification, but maybe even more importantly, to regain a good feeling on the bike. It’s still the beginning of the season, and I know I have more progress to make, but I’m satisfied with my current form and how I feel. Looking back, I would have signed up for this result beforehand. It’s been a great week with the team,” Uijtdebroeks said with a smile.

For Team Visma | Lease a Bike, the Tour of Oman was a success. The team won the first and fourth stages with Olav Kooij, held the leader’s jersey for a day, and finished with Uijtdebroeks in the top five of the general classification. “Our sprint train went two for two, so we can be very satisfied with that,” said sports director Maarten Wynants. “Cian also showed himself twice. The level here was already high, but he demonstrated that he has taken another step forward compared to last season. I think fifth place is a fair reflection of his performance.”