Travel

Losing my road cycling virginity at the world’s toughest amateur bike race in Oman


The last trip I managed to pack in before lockdown saw me tackle the world’s toughest amateur cycling race – and while now is not a good time to travel, the Haute Route cycle race will be back next year, giving you 12 months to prepare.

Here’s what to expect from the gruelling event – it will either inspire you to sign up or pedal in the opposite direction… and if nothing else, it will give you a hopefully interesting glimpse of the Oman countryside from the confines of your home.

‘Do I wear underwear under cycling shorts?’ was the question I found myself Googling on the morning of one of the world’s toughest amateur biking races.

You see, up until this point at the age of 32, I’d never worn padded cycling shorts or been on a racing road bike (you know, the type of bike with scarily thin wheels and curved handlebars).

Sadie had never ridden a road bike before the Haute Route Oman (Picture: Sadie Whitelocks)

But in a bid to see what the world’s toughest bike race could really throw at me and in a state of ignorant bliss, I decided to give it a crack.

The Haute Route Oman launched last year, following on from the success of the Haute Route races in other locations including the Alps, Dolomites and Pyrenees.

Organisers behind the Oman editions wanted to challenge racers to the maximum and they found some perfect strips of tarmac to do this.

The gruelling bike race takes part on the outskirts of Nizwa, which is one of Oman’s oldest cities.

It was once the capital of the country, with Muscat claiming the title in 1793.

Unlike Muscat, which is by the coast and very flat, the Nizwa region is arid and mountainous, with some unforgiving inclines even the sturdiest of vehicles would struggle with.

One of the very steep slopes on Stage One of the 2020 Haute Route Oman (Picture: Lloyd Images)

The Haute Route Oman is a three-day, three-stage event covering a total of 252km miles.

The distance doesn’t sound too bad, but when you take into account that this includes hill climbs which total 5,765 metres (more than 18 times the height of The Shard in London) it becomes a pretty brutal challenge.

Adding to the slog is the fact that temperatures in Nizwa during early spring can hover above 30C which makes biking on the desert flats sweaty business.

Back to my cycling shorts: My Googling revealed that no, you don’t wear underwear under them.

After getting dressed in the appropriate attire – race-goers are given branded jerseys from bike brand Léger Los Angeles as part of the participation package – I wheeled my rented race bike to the start line with some other 100 or so madcap competitors.

Sadie sets off on Stage Three of the race from Nizwa to Misfat village (Picture: Lloyd Images)



What to pack for a road cycling adventure in Oman

As part of the Haute Route Oman race, all participants receive a Léger Los Angeles branded jersey. Here are some other items that came in useful during my trip… 

Top tip: When visiting religious buildings or more conservative communities in Oman it is advisable to cover bare arms, legs to the upper knee and head

At this point, as the excitement built to the 7:30 am start time, my heart was pounding.

I had never ridden a road bike and I wasn’t entirely sure if I would be able to balance on the exceedingly thin tyres which were about the width of a breakfast crumpet.

The countdown was on and I placed myself somewhere near the back of the pack.

To start the race, we rode as part of a peloton (as a group) for 14.5 km.

The experience riding all together in convoy was really exhilarating but that feeling of euphoria quickly dissipated as we reached the dreaded Jebel Akhdar mountain.

Riders setting off as part of a peloton towards the mountain range (Picture: Sadie Whitelocks)

This is what makes Stage One of the Haute Route Oman so gruelling.

The seemingly never-ending uphill climb from around 540 metres to 2,022 metres snakes on for more than 19km.

The average gradient is 10.3 per cent with some parts at a 20 per cent tilt.

With no training, no professional clip-in biking shoes and not quite the right gears I have to say I found the Jebel Akhdar section close to impossible.

I tried my best to pedal up the steep road but by about halfway I decided to call it a day and I caught a lift in an army patrol truck which was on standby as part of the race.

Views from Stage Two of the race from the summit of Jebel Haat (Picture: Sadie Whitelocks)

Once at the summit, I clambered out of the truck and continued on. The scenery was insanely beautiful with waves of rock rolling as far as the eye could see amid a dusty haze.

It wasn’t just the uphills that were daunting. The downhills filled me with a similar feeling of terror, as I whizzed along at high speed with my crumpet-wide tyres wobbling slightly.

Overall, I managed around 40km of the 84km Stage One course. This certainly gave a real taste of how tough this race was.

The following day, being a glutton for punishment, I decided to take part in Stage Two of the race.

This involved a 140km route, with the first 50km being relatively flat followed by a 23km run with some killer inclines thrown in for fun.

The downhills were just as scary as the uphills, Sadie said (Picture: Sadie Whitelocks)

The landscape was different to the previous day, with the route taking us through small villages where the smell of frankincense scented the air along with groves of date palms baking in the sun.

Feeling a lot more confident on my road bike than the previous day, it was a much more enjoyable ride.

I could turn corners without fear that my tyres would topple me over and whizzing downhill at high speed was actually a thrilll.

However, unfortunately, with just 3km to go until the 2,000-metre summit of Jebel Haat I missed the cut off time for that marker point and was disqualified from the stage along with a few other riders… I wasn’t the only one!

Sadie celebrates the end of the Haute Route Oman with fellow racers (Picture: Sadie Whitelocks)

Indeed, a man I was cycling with for a while had to be carted off in an ambulance as he was fatigued from the previous day and having trouble breathing at altitude.

The race culminated on the third day with a 28km time trial.

This involved pedalling on undulating flats for 24km with a 4km uphill climb to the ancient village of Misfat Al Abriyeen, which looked like something from a movie set with mud houses constructed atop giant boulders.

Determined to complete at least one stage of the race I gave it my best shot.

I was first off the starting block and from there I kept my legs pedalling as fast as I could.

Sadie said she rode past date palm plantations on Stage Two of the race (Picture: Sadie Whitelocks)

The flat section seemed to go well and as warned, the last 4km was a real slog.

Thankfully, I’d mastered some techniques from the previous two days around how to keep pedalling uphill.

You see, once you stop it’s very difficult to get going again!

For instance, weaving on the road from side-to-side really helps boost momentum.

Thanks to this snaking rhythm I made it to the finish time in 1 hour 26 minutes and 5 seconds and came in second to last place.

So, after doing the Haute Route Oman as a complete amateur, I can report that this certainly is not a race to take lightly.

The temerature on the desert flats hovered just below 30C (Picture: Lloyd Images)

The overall winner of the race, a chap from Essex called Colin Peck, managed some mind-boggling times.

For instance, he completed Stage One of the race in just 2hrs 43m 49s and Stage Three in 50m 21s, making my time look slug-like in comparison.

Everyone I spoke to agreed that the race had been a challenge but they also commented on what a unique course it was and how interesting it had been exploring a little slice of Oman.

Seeing the country on two wheels from some of the loftiest points had been an amazing experience.

Maybe next year I’ll give the thing another shot, with some training under my belt, and the right shoes…



How to plan your own Oman adventure

Here are some of the top things to do while staying in and around Muscat:

  • Stay at the Mysk by Shaza hotel with a rooftop pool and good central location in the modern community of Al Mouj next to a marina, shops and restaurants
  • Alcoholic beverages are served at the nearby Kempinski Hotel Muscat (Oman is a dry country) which also has a beach for taking a dip and watching the sunset
  • Enter Aladdin caves of wonder at the Muttrah Souq which is one of the world’s oldest shopping markets
  • Eat traditional cuisine, including shuwa (lamb which is cooked in a pit for up to two days) and sit seated on the floor at the Bait Al Luban. Lunch here should keep you full for the whole day!
  • Learn about Oman’s fascinating history at the National Museum and take a walk to the impressive Sultan’s Palace, located opposite, afterwards
  • Soak up some beautiful scenery at the Wadi Shab gorge, where you can swim through a narrow channel to a hidden waterfall within a cave
  • For ultimate hotel luxury and stunning mountain views, check in to the Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort, a two-hour drive from Muscat
  • Beat the crowds by arriving early at the sprawling and architecturally impressive Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. It is home to the world’s second-biggest carpet which took 600 workers more than four years to make

Note: The currency in the country is the Omani rial but most places take Debit and Credit cards except for markets where it is better to carry cash

Oman Air runs regular direct flights from London to Muscat. For airport layovers, both Heathrow and Muscat have lounges that can be accessed with Priority Pass membership

The Haute Route Oman will return next year with the exact dates TBD. For more information on future Haute Route events visit www.hauteroute.org

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