Lotto's Andrei Greipel won the third stage of the Tour Of Oman to take back the lead of this race in its fifth edtition.
Greipel had been in fourth place overall at the start of the 145km stage from Bank Muscat to Al Bustan, behind Leigh Howard of Orica Green Edge, whose two second places had put him in the leader's jersey.
Four riders in Kevin Ista (IAM), Jelle Wallays (TSV), Lars Boem (BAR) and Martijn Maaskant (UHC), were straight on the attack, getting away after four kilometres on a day when temperatures were around 25 degrees with no wind.
Thirty seven and a half kilometres were covered in the first hour of racing as the quartet build a lead of three minutes.
The first sprint of the day came after 74kms and Lars Boem took points ahead of ista and Wallays as the gap started to drop under two minutes.
Their lead was 1.50 as Wallays crested the Al Hamriya climb and was now dropping rapidly.
Boem took the second sprint but the peloton including 2013 Tour De France Winner Chris Froome was now just twenty two seconds behind.
The escapers could not hold on and were caught before Cataldo was first at top of Al Jissah climb ahead of Froome and Peter Sagan.
Froome attacked with five kilometres remaining but Fabian Cancellera, Sagan and Stybar went with him.
They stayed clear until the final kilometre when the peloton caught them and in a bunch sprint, Lotto's Andre Greipel stormed home to win and take the ten second time bonus ahead of Peter Sagan. and FDJ's Nacer Bouhanni.
The time bonus means that Greipel now leads the race from Leigh Howard and Alexander Kristoff.