Norwegian Alexander Kristoff won the third stage of the Tour of Oman in a sprint finish on Thursday, comfortably beating Dutchman Moreno Hofland and Belgian Roy Jans to the line.

Katusha man Kristoff’s season has started in a remarkably similar vein to last year, with replicate wins on stages two, four and five in Qatar, before this victory after a 176.5km ride to Naseem Park.

His compatriot Edvald Boasson Hagen, who was unlucky to lose the overall title in Qatar to Dimension Data team-mate Mark Cavendish, still leads the overall standings by four seconds from former Tour de France champion Vincenzo Nibali.

Friday’s 177km fourth stage will see the peloton tackle an uphill finish on the “green mountain”, which is likely to be crucial in deciding the General Classification.