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Mountain win propels Vincenzo Nibali to Tour of Oman lead

Vincenzo Nibali (Italy/Astana) laid the groundwork for his first Tour of Oman victory by winning Friday's Tour of Oman queen stage after topping Green Mountain first.

Vincenzo Nibali (Italy/Astana) laid the groundwork for his first Tour of Oman victory by winning Friday’s Tour of Oman queen stage after topping Green Mountain first. Nibali struck from a select group that chased down Eduardo Sepulveda (Argentina/Fortuneo-Vital Concept) and dropped race leader Edvald Boasson Hagen (Norway/Dimension Data).

Once more, the ever effervescent Kenny Dehaes (Belgium/Wanty-Groupe Gobert) tried to be in the day’s breakaway. He failed but previous breakmate Christoph Pfingsten (Germany/Bora-Argon 18) later shuffled away with seven others. Though the fugitives stayed away for the two intermediate sprints, they were destined to be caught.

Once the peloton made contact, Sepulveda attack in the opening kilometre of the 10.5% brute. After dangling in front for a while, a select group containing Nibali, Romain Bardet (France/AG2R), Tom Dumoulin (The Netherlands/Giant-Alpecin) and Hagen brought the Argentinean back. With 3-km remaining Bardet surged up the road on a 12% grade.

With the finish line just around the corner, Nibali made his move and won by 9-seconds. He now leads Bardet by 15-seconds with two stages remaining. Nibali came runner-up to Peter Velits in 2012.

Saturday’s stage sees a triple assault of Bousher Al Amerat, a 3.4-km, 6.8% dig, over 33-km in the last half of the 199-km stage.

2016 Tour of Oman Stage 4
1) Vincenzo Nibali (Italy/Astana) 4:25:48
2) Romain Bardet (France/AG2R) +0:09
3) Jakob Fuglsang (Denmark/Astana) +0:12
66) Hugo Houle (Canada/AG2R) +9:56

2016 Tour of Oman GC
1) Vincenzo Nibali (Italy/Astana) 16:18:35
2) Romain Bardet (France/AG2R) +0:15
3) Jakob Fuglsang (Denmark/Astana) +0:24
66) Hugo Houle (Canada/AG2R) +15:43