Crash limits Team Visma | Lease a Bike’s chances in third stage of the Tour of Oman

# Turmoil for Team Visma | Lease a Bike in Tour of Oman Stage 3

In a challenging third stage of the Tour of Oman, the peloton departed from Samail for a grueling 194-kilometer journey, culminating in the steep ascent of Eastern Mountain. Unfortunately for Team Visma | Lease a Bike, the day was marred by a significant crash that impacted their performance.

American rider Sepp Kuss was notably absent from the stage due to illness, prompting his withdrawal as a precautionary measure. Meanwhile, Patryk Goszczurny, leading the combativity classification, proudly wore the gold jersey, a silver lining amid the chaos.

“Unfortunately the big crash compromised our chances early on,” reflected Sports Director Robert Wagner after the race.

The early part of the stage featured a fierce contest for the breakaway, ultimately leading to a group of seven riders—including overall leader Baptiste Veistroffer—taking charge. However, as the climactic ascent approached, a major crash unfolded at a roundabout, involving Team Visma riders Lemmen and Graat. Both managed to reach the finish line, but Lemmen sustained a wrist injury that will sideline him for the next stage.

“Patryk keeps the gold jersey, so that’s the positive takeaway from today,” Wagner noted. “We were ready to start the final climb with Bart and Tijmen, but unfortunately the big crash compromised our chances early on. Over the next two stages, we’ll do everything we can to defend Patryk’s jersey.”

### Final Results for Stage 3
1. **Mauro Schmid** (Team Jayco AlUla) – 4:13:17
2. **Christian Scaroni** (XDS Astana Team) – +00:00:01
3. **Martin Tjøtta** (Uno-X Mobility) – +00:00:01

**Team Visma | Lease a Bike Results**
31. **Bart Lemmen** – +01:28
72. **Tijmen Graat** – +06:04
76. **Patryk Goszczurny** – +06:33
96. **Aldo Taillieu** – +09:08
– **Sepp Kuss** – DNF

### Overall Rankings
1. **Mauro Schmid** (Team Jayco AlUla) – 13:01:01
2. **Christian Scaroni** (XDS Astana Team) – +00:00:04
3. **Martin Tjøtta** (Uno-X Mobility) – +00:00:09

**Team Visma | Lease a Bike Rankings**
25. **Bart Lemmen** – +01:38
70. **Patryk Goszczurny** – +08:49
74. **Tijmen Graat** – +09:01
90. **Aldo Taillieu** – +13:47

The team now looks ahead, facing the forthcoming stages with determination, especially in their efforts to safeguard Patryk’s leadership in the combativity classification. As always, cycling proves both exhilarating and unpredictable.