Luke Plapp came close to victory on the final stage of the Tour of Oman but had settle for a solid third place after a strong collective performance from Team Jayco AlUla.
Green Mountain, known locally as Jabal al Akhdhar, once again proved decisive for the overall victory of the five-day race, and the riders in purple put in a strong performance.
Plapp attacked a few hundred meters from the finish line and was only overtaken in the final 100 meters of the climb to take third on the day. Meanwhile Paul Double finished a few seconds behind in fifth place on the stage, having done a big job all week to work for the team’s overall ambitions.
The steep final climb, unfortunately, proved too much for Mauro Schmid after he was dropped in the final kilometres of the day and had to relinquish the overall leader’s jersey.
However, the Swiss champion returns from Oman with a remarkable performance and victories in the Muscat Classic and the third stage of the Tour of Oman. The final general classification standings were ultimately decided by a countback of finish placings after Schmid and Double finished on the same time as Adam Yates, with Schmid being awarded fourth overall and Double in fifth.
Luke Plapp
“We gave it everything we had to defend the GC and also have a good stage result. In the end, was an amazing week with Mauro and the team in Muscat Classic and then Tour of Oman. I loved racing with the boys and getting as many results as we could with Mauro, and then today, I was happy to be able to mix it with the boys on the climb. I’m super happy and proud of Mauro to be able to be there on GC. This ends a brilliant block of racing after Australia and now here.”
Mauro Schmid
“It was a pretty perfect week and today I knew from the beginning it will be quite tough for me. With the few seconds I had on my opponents, I hoped I could reach the podium, but it wasn’t to be. I gave it everything I had, but it wasn’t enough on the climb. I’m still super happy with this first block of races of the season, and now I’m ready for some rest.”
Valerio Piva (Sport Director)
“I feel sorry for Mauro. I would have loved to see him on the podium, but the climb turned out to be very selective. The fact remains that Mauro rode a great Tour of Oman, also winning the Muscat Classic and he’s certainly a rider with great prospects. Plapp also did very well, having been held back by a crash a few days ago but still capable of a great race today, as did Double, who proved to be a real revelation.”
2026 Tour of Oman Stage 5
1. Christian Scaroni 03:23:19
2. Cristian Rodriguez +03
3. Luke Plapp (Team Jayco AlUla) +06
2026 Tour of Oman general classification
1. Christian Scaroni 19:33:16
4. Mauro Schmid (Team Jayco AlUla) +44
5. Paul Double (Team Jayco AlUla) +st
Photo: Sprint Cycling
