Bryan Coquard outsprints Mark Cavendish in the Tour of Oman Opening Stage

Bryan Coquard (Vital Concept) won the final sprint on Stage 1, ahead of Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) and Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek-Segafredo)

The 25 year old sprinter got a real confidence booster and secured Vital Concept’s first success in this season. The Frenchman crossed the line just ahead of Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) and Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek-Segafredo).

Fellow countryman Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis) and German Maximilan Walschleid (Sunweb) were 4th and 5th repectively.

Bryan Coquard now leads the Tour of Oman 2018 general classification.

An early breakaway included Maxime Farazijn (Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise), Pierre Luc Perichon (Fortuneo-Samsic), Conor Dunne (Aqua Blue Sport) and Brian Van Goethem (Roomport – Nederlandse Loterij).

Pierre Luc Perichon built up some time bonuses, the Frenchman got six seconds whereas the rest of the breakaway got a two second time bonus.

With just 11 kilometers to go, the peloton reeled in the breakaway on the 162,5 km flattish stage fron Nizwa to Sultan Qaboos University and the sprinters’ trains started jostle for the best positions.

Quick Step Floors approached the last hundred meters of the stage at the fromnt to lead out their sprinter Fabio Jakobsen but the Dutchman lost contact on the finish line, letting Coquard take the spoils.

The Frenchman wins again, nine months after his last success at the 2017 Tour of Belgium.

VIDEO 2018: Tour of Oman Stage 1 Final Kilometres

2018 Tour of Oman Stage 1 Top 10

1 COQUARD Bryan Vital Concept Cycling Club 3:58:41
2 CAVENDISH Mark Dimension Data
3 NIZZOLO Giacomo Trek – Segafredo
4 BOUHANNI Nacer Cofidis, Solutions Crédits
5 WALSCHEID Max Team Sunweb
6 BLYTHE Adam Aqua Blue Sport
7 KRISTOFF Alexander UAE-Team Emirates
8 WELTEN Bram Fortuneo – Samsic
9 CORT NIELSEN Magnus Astana Pro Team
10 VALLÉE Boris Wanty – Groupe Gobert

2018 Tour of Oman GC after Stage 1

1 COQUARD Bryan Vital Concept Cycling Club                      3:58:31
2 CAVENDISH Mark Dimension Data                                      0:04
3 PERICHON Pierre-Luc Fortuneo – Samsic                            ,,
4 NIZZOLO Giacomo Trek – Segafredo                                     0:06
5 FARAZIJN Maxime Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise                  0:08
6 VAN GOETHEM Brian Roompot – Nederlandse Loterij    ,,
7 DUNNE Conor Aqua Blue Sport                                              ,,
8 BOUHANNI Nacer Cofidis, Solutions Crédits                      0:10
9 WALSCHEID Max Team Sunweb                                           ,,
10 BLYTHE Adam Aqua Blue Sport