Incredibly, stage 3 of the Tour of Oman, 190 km from Nakhal Fort to Wadi Dayqah Dam, saw yet another breakaway attempt by Most Agressive Rider, Bobbie Traksel (CSS) in the opening phase of the stage. He was joined by teammate Jiang, Hantanaka (JPN) and Delle Stelle (BAR) as the group quickly gained a lead of more than 8 minutes on an indolent peloton.

Predictably, though, they were unable to maintain their lead and were eventually caught and then unceremoniously dropped by the chasing pack.

As the stage neared its end, BMC, SKY and Omega Pharma-Quick Step took turns leading the bunch. Inside the final 2 km Wiggins (SKY) and, somewhat surprisingly, Goss (ORICA Green-Edge) were dropped off the back of the pack. In the end Peter Sagan (Canondale) was able to claim his second consecutive stage win by yet another comfortable margin as he saw off the challenges of van Avermaet and Gallopin and thus strengthen his hold on the leader’s red jersey and, indeed, increase his overall lead.

Results of Stage 3
1 Peter Sagan - Cannondale Pro Cycling 05.06.28
2 Greg Van Avermaet - BMC Racing Team 0.01
3 Tony Gallopin - RadioShack Leopard
4 Alberto Contador Velasco - Team Saxo-Tinkoff
5 Marco Marcato - Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
6 Andrea Pasqualon - Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox 0.04
7 Philippe Gilbert - BMC Racing Team
8 Rinaldo Nocentini - AG2R La Mondiale
9 Peter Velits - Omega Pharma-Quick Step
10 Nacer Bouhanni - FDJ
11 Vincenzo Nibali - Astana Pro Team 0.08
12 Paul Voss - Team NetApp-Endura 0.09
13 Christopher Froome - Sky Procycling
14 Sébastien Hinault - IAM Cycling
15 Fabian Cancellara - RadioShack Leopard
16 Martin Elmiger - IAM Cycling
17 Jonathan Fumeaux - IAM Cycling
18 Johann Tschopp - IAM Cycling
19 Matti Breschel - Team Saxo-Tinkoff
20 Maxime Bouet - AG2R La Mondiale
21 Daryl Impey - Orica-GreenEdge
22 Kenny Elissonde - FDJ
23 Marco Canola - Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox
24 Cadel Evans - BMC Racing Team
25 Andriy Grivko - Astana Pro Team
26 Gianni Meersman - Omega Pharma-Quick Step
27 Zdenek Stybar - Omega Pharma-Quick Step
28 Domenico Pozzovivo - AG2R La Mondiale 0.16
29 Yannick Eijssen - BMC Racing Team 0.18
30 Pavel Brutt - Katusha
31 Rob Ruijgh - Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
32 Sergey Lagutin - Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
33 Geoffrey Soupe - FDJ
34 Sonny Colbrelli - Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox
35 Matthew Busche - RadioShack Leopard 0.25
36 Ryota Nishizono - Champion System Pro Cycling Team
37 Fumiyuki Beppu - Orica-GreenEdge
38 Arnold Jeannesson - FDJ
39 Junya Sano - Japan 0.33
40 Stijn Vandenbergh - Omega Pharma-Quick Step
41 Guillaume Van Keirsbulck - Omega Pharma-Quick Step
42 Taiji Nishitani - Japan
43 Taylor Phinney - BMC Racing Team
44 Zakkari Dempster - Team NetApp-Endura
45 Davide Appollonio - AG2R La Mondiale 0.39
46 Brent Bookwalter - BMC Racing Team
47 Stephen Cummings - BMC Racing Team
48 Andreas Schillinger - Team NetApp-Endura
49 John Degenkolb - Team Argos-Shimano 0.42
50 Matthias Friedemann - Champion System Pro Cycling Team 0.44
51 Feng Chun Kai - Champion System Pro Cycling Team
52 Marco Bandiera - IAM Cycling 0.51
53 Arman Kamyshev - Astana Pro Team 0.58
54 Kristof Goddaert - IAM Cycling
55 Reto Hollenstein - IAM Cycling
56 Michael Schär - BMC Racing Team
57 Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver - Katusha
58 Niki Terpstra - Omega Pharma-Quick Step
59 Jiao Pengda - Champion System Pro Cycling Team
60 Danny van Poppel - Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
61 Boy van Poppel - Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
62 Pirmin Lang - IAM Cycling
63 Gatis Smukulis - Katusha
64 Yuzuru Suzuki - Japan
65 Marko Kump - Team Saxo-Tinkoff
66 Rudiger Selig - Katusha
67 Dominique Rollin - FDJ
68 Dmitriy Gruzdev - Astana Pro Team
69 Steve Chainel - AG2R La Mondiale
70 Alexander Kristoff - Katusha
71 Sébastien Minard - AG2R La Mondiale
72 Alexander Wetterhall - Team NetApp-Endura
73 Jens Keukeleire - Orica-GreenEdge
74 Matteo Trentin - Omega Pharma-Quick Step
75 Xu Gang - Champion System Pro Cycling Team
76 Andrea Di Corrado - Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox 1.10
77 David Boucher - FDJ 1.14
78 Grégory Rast - RadioShack Leopard
79 Yaroslav Popovych - RadioShack Leopard
80 Fabio Sabatini - Cannondale Pro Cycling
81 Hayden Roulston - RadioShack Leopard
82 Markel Irizar Aranburu - RadioShack Leopard
83 Gediminas Bagdonas - AG2R La Mondiale
84 Borut Bozic - Astana Pro Team 1.18
85 Vladimir Isaichev - Katusha 1.24
86 Dario Cataldo - Sky Procycling 1.37
87 Kristijan Koren - Cannondale Pro Cycling
88 Richie Porte - Sky Procycling
89 Bradley Wiggins - Sky Procycling
90 Luka Mezgec - Team Argos-Shimano
91 Aliaksandr Kuchynski - Katusha
92 Joseph Lloyd Dombrowski - Sky Procycling
93 Markus Eichler - Team NetApp-Endura
94 Murilo Antonio Fischer - FDJ
95 Jesus Hernandez Blazquez - Team Saxo-Tinkoff
96 Blaz Jarc - Team NetApp-Endura
97 William Bonnet - FDJ
98 Jens Mouris - Orica-GreenEdge
99 Matteo Tosatto - Team Saxo-Tinkoff 2.23
100 Tom Boonen - Omega Pharma-Quick Step
101 Stijn Devolder - RadioShack Leopard
102 Evan Huffman - Astana Pro Team
103 Tom Stamsnijder - Team Argos-Shimano
104 Nikias Arndt - Team Argos-Shimano
105 Daniele Bennati - Team Saxo-Tinkoff
106 Dmitriy Muravyev - Astana Pro Team
107 Matthew Harley Goss - Orica-GreenEdge 2.27
108 Roy Curvers - Team Argos-Shimano 2.46
109 Brett Lancaster - Orica-GreenEdge 2.48
110 Jonas Aaen Jörgensen - Team Saxo-Tinkoff 2.55
111 Anders Lund - Team Saxo-Tinkoff 2.56
112 Ramon Sinkeldam - Team Argos-Shimano 3.31
113 Daniele Ratto - Cannondale Pro Cycling
114 Jacopo Guarnieri - Astana Pro Team
115 Maciej Bodnar - Cannondale Pro Cycling 3.39
116 Alessandro De Marchi - Cannondale Pro Cycling
117 Matt Brammeier - Champion System Pro Cycling Team 3.59
118 Filippo Fortin - Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox 4.16
119 Marco Coledan - Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox
120 Elia Viviani - Cannondale Pro Cycling 4.23
121 Wesley Kreder - Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
122 Christian Knees - Sky Procycling 5.06
123 Sam Bewley - Orica-GreenEdge
124 Marco Haller - Katusha
125 Peter Kennaugh - Sky Procycling
126 Vasil Kiryienka - Sky Procycling
127 Kohei Uchima - Japan
128 Kazuhiro Mori - Japan 5.33
129 Erick Rowsell - Team NetApp-Endura 5.35
130 Marcel Kittel - Team Argos-Shimano 6.39
131 Kenny Robert van Hummel - Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 6.41
132 Guillaume Boivin - Cannondale Pro Cycling
133 Valentin Iglinskiy - AG2R La Mondiale
134 Tom Veelers - Team Argos-Shimano
135 Baden Cooke - Orica-GreenEdge
136 Wouter Mol - Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
137 Tomohiro Kinoshita - Japan
138 Christian Delle Stelle - Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox 7.21
139 Jang Chan Jae - Champion System Pro Cycling Team 7.31
140 Bobbie Traksel - Champion System Pro Cycling Team 7.58
141 Yusuke Hatanaka - Japan 8.20
142 Russell Downing - Team NetApp-Endura 2.23

General classification
1 Peter Sagan - Cannondale Pro Cycling 12.59.43
2 Tony Gallopin - RadioShack Leopard 0.16
3 Greg Van Avermaet - BMC Racing Team 0.26
4 Martin Elmiger - IAM Cycling 0.30
5 Nacer Bouhanni - FDJ 0.31
6 Marco Marcato - Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0.32
7 Alberto Contador Velasco - Team Saxo-Tinkoff
8 Vincenzo Nibali - Astana Pro Team 0.33
9 Peter Velits - Omega Pharma-Quick Step 0.35
10 Andrea Pasqualon - Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox
11 Rinaldo Nocentini - AG2R La Mondiale
12 Philippe Gilbert - BMC Racing Team
13 Christopher Froome - Sky Procycling 0.36
14 Zdenek Stybar - Omega Pharma-Quick Step
15 Paul Voss - Team NetApp-Endura 0.40
16 Daryl Impey - Orica-GreenEdge
17 Marco Canola - Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox
18 Fabian Cancellara - RadioShack Leopard
19 Andriy Grivko - Astana Pro Team
20 Johann Tschopp - IAM Cycling
21 Jonathan Fumeaux - IAM Cycling
22 Matti Breschel - Team Saxo-Tinkoff
23 Gianni Meersman - Omega Pharma-Quick Step
24 Kenny Elissonde - FDJ
25 Cadel Evans - BMC Racing Team
26 Maxime Bouet - AG2R La Mondiale
27 Domenico Pozzovivo - AG2R La Mondiale 0.47
28 Sergey Lagutin - Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0.49
29 Rob Ruijgh - Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
30 Geoffrey Soupe - FDJ
31 Pavel Brutt - Katusha
32 Yannick Eijssen - BMC Racing Team
33 Arnold Jeannesson - FDJ 0.56
34 Matthew Busche - RadioShack Leopard
35 Stijn Vandenbergh - Omega Pharma-Quick Step 1.04
36 Taiji Nishitani - Japan
37 Zakkari Dempster - Team NetApp-Endura
38 Stephen Cummings - BMC Racing Team 1.10
39 Marco Bandiera - IAM Cycling 1.22
40 Niki Terpstra - Omega Pharma-Quick Step 1.29
41 Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver - Katusha
42 Taylor Phinney - BMC Racing Team 1.48
43 Michael Schär - BMC Racing Team 1.58
44 Feng Chun Kai - Champion System Pro Cycling Team 1.59
45 Dominique Rollin - FDJ 2.12
46 Reto Hollenstein - IAM Cycling 2.13
47 Joseph Lloyd Dombrowski - Sky Procycling 2.20
48 Sonny Colbrelli - Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox 2.24
49 Junya Sano - Japan 2.30
50 Yuzuru Suzuki - Japan 2.31
51 Borut Bozic - Astana Pro Team 2.33
52 Ryota Nishizono - Champion System Pro Cycling Team 2.39
53 Sébastien Hinault - IAM Cycling 2.40
54 Jesus Hernandez Blazquez - Team Saxo-Tinkoff 2.44
55 Davide Appollonio - AG2R La Mondiale 2.45
56 Brent Bookwalter - BMC Racing Team 2.46
57 Fumiyuki Beppu - Orica-GreenEdge
58 Andreas Schillinger - Team NetApp-Endura 2.53
59 Boy van Poppel - Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 2.55
60 Luka Mezgec - Team Argos-Shimano 2.57
61 Kristof Goddaert - IAM Cycling 3.05
62 Alexander Kristoff - Katusha
63 Matteo Trentin - Omega Pharma-Quick Step
64 Jens Keukeleire - Orica-GreenEdge
65 Steve Chainel - AG2R La Mondiale
66 Xu Gang - Champion System Pro Cycling Team
67 John Degenkolb - Team Argos-Shimano 3.06
68 Pirmin Lang - IAM Cycling 3.10
69 Sébastien Minard - AG2R La Mondiale
70 Gediminas Bagdonas - AG2R La Mondiale 3.21
71 Yaroslav Popovych - RadioShack Leopard
72 Andrea Di Corrado - Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox 3.22
73 Rudiger Selig - Katusha 3.29
74 Gatis Smukulis - Katusha
75 Jiao Pengda - Champion System Pro Cycling Team
76 Bradley Wiggins - Sky Procycling
77 Kristijan Koren - Cannondale Pro Cycling 3.34
78 Fabio Sabatini - Cannondale Pro Cycling 3.40
79 Richie Porte - Sky Procycling 3.42
80 William Bonnet - FDJ 3.44
81 Markel Irizar Aranburu - RadioShack Leopard 3.45
82 Hayden Roulston - RadioShack Leopard
83 Dario Cataldo - Sky Procycling 3.49
84 Vladimir Isaichev - Katusha 3.55
85 Daniele Ratto - Cannondale Pro Cycling 4.02
86 Blaz Jarc - Team NetApp-Endura 4.08
87 Markus Eichler - Team NetApp-Endura
88 Aliaksandr Kuchynski - Katusha
89 David Boucher - FDJ 4.21
90 Alexander Wetterhall - Team NetApp-Endura 4.29
91 Tom Boonen - Omega Pharma-Quick Step 4.30
92 Daniele Bennati - Team Saxo-Tinkoff
93 Evan Huffman - Astana Pro Team
94 Maciej Bodnar - Cannondale Pro Cycling 4.34
95 Stijn Devolder - RadioShack Leopard 4.54
96 Brett Lancaster - Orica-GreenEdge 4.56
97 Alessandro De Marchi - Cannondale Pro Cycling 5.06
98 Roy Curvers - Team Argos-Shimano 5.42
99 Ramon Sinkeldam - Team Argos-Shimano 6.02
100 Russell Downing - Team NetApp-Endura 6.15
101 Guillaume Van Keirsbulck - Omega Pharma-Quick Step 6.26
102 Matthias Friedemann - Champion System Pro Cycling Team 6.37
103 Dmitriy Gruzdev - Astana Pro Team 6.48
104 Danny van Poppel - Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 6.51
105 Marko Kump - Team Saxo-Tinkoff
106 Elia Viviani - Cannondale Pro Cycling 6.54
107 Grégory Rast - RadioShack Leopard 7.07
108 Arman Kamyshev - Astana Pro Team 7.15
109 Christian Knees - Sky Procycling 7.18
110 Murilo Antonio Fischer - FDJ 7.30
111 Marco Haller - Katusha 7.37
112 Peter Kennaugh - Sky Procycling 7.41
113 Sam Bewley - Orica-GreenEdge 7.50
114 Wesley Kreder - Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 7.54
115 Erick Rowsell - Team NetApp-Endura 8.11
116 Nikias Arndt - Team Argos-Shimano 8.16
117 Matthew Harley Goss - Orica-GreenEdge 8.20
118 Matteo Tosatto - Team Saxo-Tinkoff 8.40
119 Wouter Mol - Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 8.48
120 Jonas Aaen Jörgensen - Team Saxo-Tinkoff
121 Dmitriy Muravyev - Astana Pro Team 8.54
122 Baden Cooke - Orica-GreenEdge 9.08
123 Anders Lund - Team Saxo-Tinkoff 9.13
124 Kazuhiro Mori - Japan 9.16
125 Jacopo Guarnieri - Astana Pro Team 9.24
126 Christian Delle Stelle - Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox 9.47
127 Matt Brammeier - Champion System Pro Cycling Team 9.52
128 Jang Chan Jae - Champion System Pro Cycling Team 9.59
129 Filippo Fortin - Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox 10.09
130 Marco Coledan - Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox
131 Vasil Kiryienka - Sky Procycling 10.59
132 Jens Mouris - Orica-GreenEdge 11.26
133 Kohei Uchima - Japan 11.44
134 Marcel Kittel - Team Argos-Shimano 12.21
135 Tom Stamsnijder - Team Argos-Shimano 12.22
136 Kenny Robert van Hummel - Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 12.34
137 Tom Veelers - Team Argos-Shimano
138 Valentin Iglinskiy - AG2R La Mondiale
139 Guillaume Boivin - Cannondale Pro Cycling
140 Yusuke Hatanaka - Japan 14.12
141 Tomohiro Kinoshita - Japan 14.37
142 Bobbie Traksel - Champion System Pro Cycling Team 19.58