Mauro Schmid claimed his second victory in the space of a week, storming to the win on stage three of the Tour of Oman and taking first place in the overall standings as well.
The Swiss champion capitalised on a huge effort from his Team Jayco AlUla teammate Paul Double up the final climb, using his powerful finish to overwhelm his rivals on the tough gradients of Eastern Mountain.
Stage three featured a long breakaway of six attackers, who were caught only in the final kilometres of the race. The finale was further complicated by two crashes in the bunch, the last of which happened close to the foot of the key climb, but fortunately both Schmid and Double avoided them.
The British rider played a decisive role on the final steep climb leading to the finish line, first closing in on an attack from Nairo Quintana and then paving the way for the Zurich rider’s sprint. His final burst surprised the few riders still following him, and Schmid was alone at the difficult East Mountain finish line.
With two stages remaining, one of which is the formidable Green Mountain, Schmid holds a four-second lead in the overall classification.
Mauro Schmid
“This victory is for the team; without the help of my teammates, I couldn’t have won. It was a much tougher race than I thought, with a strong and well-organized breakaway. The team’s work was crucial and they protected me very well in the final part of the race. I was also very lucky to avoid two crashes in the finale, and then on the final climb, Paul was superb.”
Paul Double
“We worked all day, first to control the breakaway and then to narrow the gap on the final climb. My job was to set the pace for Mauro and try to close in on Quintana, who had attacked in the finale. It goes without saying that Mauro is in great shape, and we’ll all work hard to try and secure the overall victory.”
Valerio Piva (Sport Director)
“The finale suited Mauro’s characteristics well, so we controlled the race all day, being careful not to give the six attackers too much of an advantage. We did a good job of keeping calm and making selections on the final climb. Mauro did the rest and demonstrated once again that he is a rider of great strength and talent.”
2026 Tour of Oman Stage 3 results
- Mauro Schmid (Team Jayco AlUla) 04:13:17
- Christian Scaroni st
- Martin Tjøtta +09
2026 Tour of Oman general classification after stage 3
- Mauro Schmid (Team Jayco AlUla)
- Christian Scaroni +04
- Martin Tjøtta +09
