Astana's Vincenzo Nibali has taken the victory and the lead of the race on the fourth stage of the Tour Of Oman.
Stage four with Edvald Boasson-Hagen of Dimension Data still in the lead by four seconds from Vincenzo Nibali, saw a 180km stage from Knowledge Oasis Muscat to Jabal Al Akhdhar which included an ascent of Green Mountain which was 7.5kms long with average gradients of 10.5%.
A break of ten riders in Cimolai, Oss, Pfingsten, Keisse, Antonini, Stenuit, De Vries, Steels, White and Reihs formed got 1.15 ahead after sixteen kilometres.
That lead stood at 3.40 after 65kms and 3.50 after Steels beat Keisse and Cimolai to take the first sprint of the day.
The gap did go out to 4.05 but as the riders got into the final fifty kilometres of the stage, it had dropped to 3.30.
Antoni took the second sprint ahead of Stenuit and Steels but onto Green Mountain and the break was caught.
Eduardo Sepulveda of Fortuneo attacked with six kilometres to go in a move which caught out Boasson-Hagen. Only VIncenzo Nibali and Bardet were able to chase the Argentinian.
Nibali caught up to Sepulveda and then dropped everyone and raced away to take the victory in 4.25.48 ahead of Romain Bardet, Jakob Fuglsang who was twelve seconds back, followed by Tom Dumoulin, Rui Costa, Kudus, Sam Bennett, Canty, De Tier and Edvald Boasson Hagen who came in 1.10 down.
Dan Martin finished 27th with British rider Mark McNally in 55th.