Lee Rodgersʼ Oman Diary: Shades of beige
Is Oman the most interesting, scenic and just plain wonderful place I’ve ever been to on earth? Iʼm not sure yet. What I am sure of is that itʼs not exactly the land of lush, verdant forests, cascading waterfalls or humming, vibrant valleys of emerald green. However, it isnʼt Qatar, which is probably the reason this place looks so lovely.
Not to get too down on Qatar. Itʼs a fantastic place of you like realizing just how many shades of beige there are in the world, and if you like all that beige to be pancake flat with wind thatʼll whip your hairline back ten years in a single minute. After racing there all last week we (I speak for the peloton, I’ve polled them…) are thankful for a very well-run, well-raced event, but are also pretty happy to change locale.
And so to Oman we were whisked, to epic cliffs, towering red mountains, beautiful ocean and a very classy resort situated just a few km outside the capital, Muscat. If you look around a little Muscat is a pretty cool place. In the cavernous souk you can buy a ceremonial dagger and a local outfit for about $50. Both make very nifty souvenirs. Set.








