Cycling: Valls waltzes to Tour of Oman victory

MUSCAT (AFP) - Spanish climbing specialist Rafael Valls won cycling's Tour of Oman on Sunday, as Matthias Brandle of Austria clinched the sixth and final stage.

Valls, who seized control in winning the feature stage of the race, the climb to the Green Mountain on Friday, had a nine-second advantage over American Tejay van Garderen, while another Spaniard, the experienced Alejandro Valverde, was third overall, 19 seconds adrift.

In the stage itself, Brandle went clear of three other break-away riders in the final stretch along the Matrah corniche to finish four seconds clear of Belgian Iljo Keisse with the latter's compatriot Jef Van Meiraghe third, 13 seconds off the pace.

Saturday's fifth stage had been cancelled due to poor weather.

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