Mark Cavendish is doing his homework rather late today - he's making technical notes on the key points of the stage...
HTCOMAN
This is important - a left-turn with 25-kilometres to go...
Adriano Malori and Mark Cassidy are leading the day's gratuitous escape...
AN POSTOMAN
Andrew Fenn is having his cleats adjusted on the move at the back of the peloton...
AN POSTOMANMECHANIC
The Rabobank team set a daunting pose as they drive along in pursuit - the escape has a four minute lead now...
RABOBANKOMAN
A blue sky and bright warm sun can help make life in Oman almost pleasant for the peloton...
PELOTONOMANscenery
Fabian Cancellara makes a quick wheel change along one of Muscat's fabulous new highways...
LEOPARDOMAN
Jeremy Hunt is a mere water-carrier for Team Sky today...
SKYOMAN
Rabobank is still pounding along at exactly 50-kilometres-per-hour - and they're still four minutes down...
The peloton approaches the first mountain of this year's race - it's called, "Climb" in the race manual...and it's very long and steep too!
PELOTONOMAN
Taylor Phinney is setting the early pace on the climb - the new boy is showing his class already..!
BMCOMAN
Manuel Quinziato takes over at the front for BMC - the field is spread out over 500-metres now...
Jacob Fuglsang and Robert Gesink are the climbers setting the pace near the top...
CLIMBINGOMAN
A grimacing Mark Cavendish is looking at another stage-win slipping away...
Thor Hushovd is in difficulty as well, but Heinrich Haussler is right up with the leaders on the climb...
GARMINOMAN
Christian Vande Velde rides next to Phinney as he makes his own way into the front group...
Giovanni Visconti is stretching his legs as the summit nears - could the Italian champion be a potential winner of this race..?
farneseOMAN
Theo Bos descends the mountain over two minutes down - his race-leadership is ending here...
Up ahead, two groups are about to emerge to form a 67 rider peloton for the remainder of the stage...
Russell Downing is leading this big group for Boasson-Hagen - Teams Sky and Garmin-Cervelo both have four riders in this group...
Matthew Goss wins stage two ahead of Bennati and Boasson-Hagen - the Australian takes the race-lead..!
