“Breakaway Baptiste” lived up to his name. After a phenomenal breakaway of no less than 194 kilometres, Baptiste Veistroffer claimed victory in the second stage of the Tour of Oman. In the final kilometres, he dropped his fellow escapees to take his very first professional win.
Last weekend, Veistroffer had already spent the entire day off the front in the Muscat Classic, and he repeated that trick today in Stage 2 of the Tour of Oman. This time with success: after a breakaway of just under 194 kilometres, he shook off Tim Marsman and Patryk Goszczurny in the closing kilometres to secure the first pro victory of his career.
Stage two of the Tour of Oman, from Al Rustaq Fort to Yitti Hills, was one for the punchers. After only a handful of kilometres, Veistroffer went clear together with four other riders. The group managed to build a maximum advantage of five minutes, but it was Veistroffer who ultimately proved the strongest. With only the Yitti Hills still to come- 1.6 kilometres at an average of 6.6%- the peloton, led among others by Adam Yates, was unable to reel him back in.
After 15 early breakaways and countless solo kilometres, the French rider of Lotto–Intermarché finally claims the first, and an impressive one, victory of his professional career. “You just have to keep believing,” a delighted Baptiste Veistroffer said from Oman. “I definitely had a good day. I already felt strong last weekend in the Muscat Classic as well, when I rode 150 kilometres alone at the front. People asked me why on earth I was doing that, but I simply needed it,” he laughed. “More than my own performance, though, I’m happy with what the team has done for me this season and last. The staff, the coaches, the sports directors… I was listened to, given opportunities, and I learned so much over the past few months. They taught me how to race smarter and how to make the right move at the right moment. That I got the chance to go all-in today and was able to make the most of it makes this victory even more special.”
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