The first-ever Haute Route event in the Middle East has been celebrated as a success after delivering a challenging three-day experience in the mountains of Oman.

Haute Route Oman broke new ground when it won a place on the international cycling calendar, attracting more than 290 registered riders from 26 countries. It presented the peloton with a trio of daunting stages on a 238km course through the heart of Oman’s dramatic and scenic Al Hajar mountain range.

The iconic Jebel Akhdar – the Green Mountain – and a 3,000m-plus climb averaging 10.3% was at the heart of stage one, followed on day two by the only slightly less daunting ‘Hoota Climb’ to the 2,000m summit of Jebel Haat and its awe-inspiring panoramic views. Stage three on the final day offered a deceptively short 9.4km time trial finale, but came with a sting in its tail in the shape of a relentless series of steep switchbacks and short, sharp climbs to the finish.

Taking on the challenge for the first time was Haute Route Oman Ambassador Jenson Button, the 2009 F1 world champion racing driver, a keen cyclist who is also co-founder of the Léger cycle clothing brand who were official event partners.

The competitive field produced three different winners across the three stages, with Swiss rider Guillaume Bourgeois, Nol van Loon from the Netherlands, and Australia’s Adrian White taking the honours on respective days. A determined Bourgeois established enough of a lead with his first day victory to hold off the challenge from White, who finished only 1 minute and 27 seconds adrift after almost six hours of racing, and a consistent Thomas Berger from France who took the final place on the overall podium.

A delighted Bourgeois said: “It was pretty hard. It is my first time in Oman and it is a good race to start the season and I am happy as always – it’s amazing with a beautiful landscape, pretty cool.” Jenson Button also enjoyed the event, saying: ““It has been a really, really good experience, it’s been definitely tough but that’s what we do it for, we like to push ourselves, and to do it in a country with such beauty and hospitality has been terrific. The hills are so steep here and you are working so hard, but once you get up there, you look around and it makes it all worthwhile.”

The women’s race was a clearer cut affair, with British cyclist Helen Sharp winning all three stages to finish more than 20 minutes clear of China’s Stella Chen He, and the Netherlands’ Lispeth Gruppen taking third. “It’s been epic, absolutely amazing,” said Sharp. “Tough, but it always is with a Haute Route, that’s what you expect, it is what it is supposed to be. Great people, great scenery, a great country and sunshine.”

Riders can pre-register for Haute Route Oman 2020 and receive priority booking before entries officially open at hauteroute.org