XDS Astana rider comes close to victory at Tour of Oman

The 191.4 km stage started at Al Rustaq Fort and finished in Yitti. Mulubrhan was the strongest in the bunch sprint to take second place, finishing just behind stage winner Baptiste Veistroffer of Lotto–Intermarché, who held off the chasing group from a breakaway. French rider Thibaud Gruel of Groupama–FDJ United rounded out the podium in third, while another Astana rider, Italy’s Diego Ulissi, crossed the line in fifth.

After the finish, Mulubrhan said the team had set its sights on victory from the outset, with him named as the sprint leader. He added that Ulissi did an excellent job in the closing stages by helping reel in rivals, though the team ultimately fell just short of the win.

“Second place isn’t the result we were aiming for, but the whole team gave everything. I’m very happy with my current form and can see progress compared to last year. I feel I’m growing as a rider and improving step by step, so I’m confident the best is still to come. We’ll now focus on the next stages and keep fighting in the general classification,” Mulubrhan told the team’s press service.

Earlier, Qazinform reported Kazakhstan’s road cycling team rider Rinata Sultanova claimed gold at the Asian Road Cycling Championships in Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia.