Christian Scaroni (XDS-Astana) claimed overall victory and stage 5 of the 2026 Tour of Oman with a perfect performance on the brutally steep slopes up to Jabal Al Akhdhar (Green Mountain), responding to every move before eventually powering to the line in the final 100 metres.
Two-time defending champion Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) lit up the 5.7km ascent with repeated accelerations, which left race leader Mauro Schmid (Jayco-AlUla) reeling as the stage headed into the finale, but at no point was Scaroni really distanced.
Helped by a new teammate for 2026, former Arkéa-B&B Hotels racer Cristián Rodríguez, the Italian held his nerve once Schmid was dropped, only hitting out for glory as the line approached and roaring past a fading Luke Plapp, who had tried to salvage the stage for Jayco-AlUla in the final 500 metres.
To complete the perfect finale, Rodríguez also came around Plapp to make it a 1-2 on the stage and the general classification, with Yates moving up to third and the final podium spot thanks to his undying efforts.
