'I was afraid about Adam Yates' - Scaroni conquers two-time defending champion in Oman finale

Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana) admitted that he was full gas and afraid about Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) in the finale of the Tour of Oman on the slopes of Green Mountain, but found enough in reserve to rocket his way to the stage and GC victory.

Being the two-time defending champion and with time to make up in the GC, Yates shouldered the responsibility of making the race selective, but Scaroni was up to the task, forming part of the selective six rider group inside the closing kilometres alongside his XDS Astana teammate Cristián Rodriguez. 

When Luke Plapp attacked and opened up an advantage, Scaroni acknowledged the strength of Yates and played his cards close to his chest with his teammate in support, leaving Yates to continue to burn matches.

"I was afraid about Adam Yates, who was really strong. With 1.5km to go, I was really full gas,” said Scaroni.

In the end, Scaroni launched like a rocket in the closing metres, swooping past Plapp, with his teammate Rodríguez being the closest man to him at the finish line atop the Green Mountain, securing the stage and GC.

“But I managed the power, and in the end, I did a really good sprint, and this incredible feeling is for the whole team that worked a lot in these five days.”

Scaroni admitted that a race like the Tour of Oman wasn’t initially part of the plan, as he doubted his ability to acclimatise to the warmer weather conditions. But ultimately, it proved to be a perfect debut in Oman for the Italian. 

“It’s the first time for me here in Oman, everything is beautiful. Normally, I wouldn’t do this race, because when it’s hot, my performance is a bit lower,” said Scaroni. “But we managed everything in a good way, the team worked in a really good way.”

The stage and GC marked the ninth and tenth victories of Scaroni’s professional career, who is already up to three wins for the 2026 season. The Italian is no stranger to early-season success, having picked up three victories in February 2025, going on to enjoy the best season of his career, and his current form indicates another impressive season is on the cards.