Guardini Strikes First in Oman

Italy's Andrea Guardini (Astana) sprinted to victory on Tuesday's opening stage of the 2015 Tour of Oman.

Guardini crossed the line first in the mass sprint to claim his first win of the season ahead of Belgium's Tom Boonen (Etixx-QuickStep) and Italy's Matteo Pelucchi (IAM Cycling).

The Italian Guardini will wear the leader's red jersey after his victory in the 161km stage from Bayt Al Naman Castle to Al Wutayyah.

Wednesday's stage two runs from Al Hazm Castle to Al Bustan over a distance of 195km.

Due to time bonuses, Guardini leads Boonen by four seconds with Austria's Patrick Konrad (Bora-Argon 18) third overall at five seconds.