Tour of Oman Stage 1: As Suwayq Castle > Naseem Garden, 164kms

CUMUL_OMA12 [Converti]

Bart Leysen carries out Lotto's daily ritual of a pre-race meeting...

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Orica-Green Edge discuss their tactics too, courtesy of Lorenzo Lapage...

lapageoman

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Philippe Gilbert decides that BMC won't bother with a team meeting this morning...

bmcoman

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Boy scouts cheer the race away at the start in As Suwayq...

sceneryfansoman

Preban Van Hecke leads the day's early escape - he has Jelle Wallays, Alessandro Bazzana and Nicola Boem with him...

Hello, hello...

Some camels have come out to watch the Tour of Oman, much to the amusement of the dawdling peloton...

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Lars Bak is chasing for Lotto on a stage they reckon they can win...

bakoman

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Andy Schleck and Tom Boonen have more than enough time to talk - the escape has almost five-minutes lead...

trekoman

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The escape passes a new Mosque in the town of Al Rustaq

sceneryoman

The peloton speeds past the Mosque over four minutes down...

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Vincenzo Nibali is in Oman and hoping to win for Astana...

astanaoman

The mountains of northern Oman dwarf the peloton as it chases the escape...

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Tony Gallopin is a new recruit to Lotto-Belisol this year - seems like he's drawn the short straw so far...

lottolaysenoman

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Thomas Lofkvist loads up with bottles for IAM teamates despite the fact he's also the team leader..!

IAMoman

The Tour of Oman is about to leave the mountains behind as it heads towards the coast and the finish...

Wallays leads the escape that still has almost three minutes lead...

A sudden turn in direction has allowed the wind to split the peloton...

Incredibly, Andre Greipel has been caught out and is in the third echelon of riders...

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Fabian Cancellara and a few other Trek riders are the ones who have been doing the damage in front...

trekschleckoman

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Orica-Green Edge are also racing hard, but Lotto are alongside them and waiting for Greipel to get back-on...

green edgeoman

A policeman is going to get a close-up look at today's finish-sprint..!

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It's a tight finish between Greipel, Howard and Ruffoni..!

lottosprintoman

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Andre Greipel sprints to victory on stage one..!

lottoyoman

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Andre Greipel pulls on the first race-leader's jersey of the 2014 Tour of Oman...

lottooman