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Third place for Damien Howson on Eastern Mountain

Damien Howson secured a fantastic third place on Eastern Mountain in the Tour of Oman today. The Australian rider fought hard to follow David Gaudu and Adam Yates and now moves up to third place in the general classification.

10 February 2025.

The breakaway never got much room as all the teams anticipated it would come down to the final climb to Eastern Mountain. That was also the strategy sports director Alex Sans Vega had for this important day. Eastern Mountain is an unknown climb in the Tour of Oman, but its 4.8 kilometers at an average gradient of 7.7%, with the final kilometer at a brutal 13%, tells the story.

The Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team stayed focused and made sure the team started the final climb at the front. There was a hard pace set but no attacks came until David Gaudu launched the decisive move at one kilometer from the line, followed by Adam Yates. Damien Howson gave everything to ride away from the group and to finish in third place at only five seconds behind, also taking valuable bonus seconds.

“To be back competing for a podium is a real confidence boost.” 

Damien Howson: “I am really happy with my performance. There were two very accomplished bike riders who beat me today so I can’t be unhappy with the result although I always set the bar high. It was a relief to be back at this level after having struggled with injury for quite a while last year. To be back competing for a podium is a real confidence boost. We can use this as a stepping stone going forward. There is Green Mountain to come which I did once before ten years ago in 2015, but I don’t remember much of it and sure wasn’t racing it. First, we get through tomorrow. I really feel the energy of the team and we really race well together.”

Howson’s podium place follows after a really strong display by Xabier Mikel Azparren on Sunday. He bridged across the five-minute gap to the early breakaway together with Louis Vervaeke. The duo then left behind the original break. Xabier Mikel only had to let go of Vervaeke a few hundred meters before the top of the penultimate climb. The Belgian went on to win the stage.

“We got a good gap of almost eight minutes so that worried a couple of teams,” Xabier Mikel noted. “I knew it was difficult to stay at the front with that steep climb in the final. On the last climb, Vervaeke surprised me a bit. It is a shame, as I was so close to the win and then finished in the bunch, but I am happy with the good form. I did some good work in the winter. The year has only started but it feels like it can be a good year for me if I keep working.”

Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team now has three riders in the top 20 of the general classification with Howson, David de la Cruz and Matteo Badilatti all within a minute of the race lead. Tomorrow is one more chance for the sprinters. The Tour of Oman concludes on Wednesday with the stage to Green Mountain.