UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s Yates takes runner-up spot at Muscat Classic

MUSCAT, 8th February, 2026 (WAM) — Picking up his first podium finish of the season, Adam Yates raced to second place at the Muscat Classic in Oman.

The Muscat Classic tested the peloton with a hilly parcours well suited to aggressive racing. True to form, Yates animated the final 10km with a series of attacking moves.

Once his UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammate Abdulla Jasim Al-Ali had closed down an earlier move from Jayco AlUla, Yates seized his chance to attack on the Climb of Al Jissah (1.1km at 9.3 percent).

Immediately, Yates’ back wheel was tracked by Mauro Schmid and Luke Plapp of Jayco AlUla, with the trio soon emerging as the three strongest riders in the field. With only 5km left to the finish in Al Bustan, it was two Jayco AlUla riders vs the lone UAE Team Emirates-XRG figure of Yates.

Try as he might, the 33-year-old could not shake Plapp nor Schmid from his wheel, though he did have the latter briefly on the ropes. Instead, it was Plapp who used his racing craft to open a brief gap with 2km to go. The Australian was well aware that he and Schmid had the numbers advantage over Yates.

Not to be denied a chance to sprint for the win, however, Yates closed down this attack and headed into the final 500m alongside the Jayco AlUla pair.

Inside 200m to go, Yates was the first to open up his sprint, but it was always going to be a tall order against the muscly figure of Schmid. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG man was forced to settle for second, as the Swiss National Champion took the day’s victory.

Plapp, meanwhile, rolled across the line in third, as UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s Rui Oliveira finished strong to take seventh.