Although the temperature was 15 degrees higher, 8,000 kilometers away, and unlike the countryside of Haen, there were no olive groves in sight, the Tour of Oman could not miss the impact of Tadey Pogachar's first win in Spain in 2023.

With a three-hour time difference between Spain and Oman, even allowing for the long travel time back to the hotel in Muscat from the stage 3 finish at Jabal at Hut, the riders had to deal with Pogachar's devastating hour-long Clasica Haen Paraiso Interiors There was plenty of time to watch the attack live on TV over an evening meal and assess the outcome.

Pogachal's UAE Team Emirates teammates were understandably most appreciative of his victory. First, they pointed out that Pogachal's solo victory elevated the team's overall war situation and helped the UAE secure three of the top four places on a challenging and unpredictable course.

He also expressed the view that his Slovenian rivals would have nothing but support for such a strong blow early in the season, when Pogachar is eager to regain his Tour de France crown. As teammate Ryan Gibbons put it, "This win scares the crap out of everybody."

"We knew of course that it was his first race of the season, and fortunately it was in Oman with a three-hour time difference, so we were all watching it live over dinner, and the finish was around 8:00," Gibbons told Cycling News at the start of stage 4.

"We saw his attack and witnessed the last hour of racing. First he was up by a minute, then he closed it again, then he opened it up to two minutes, then he had an unfortunate mechanic. But all in all, it was great to watch and very exciting.

Gibbons, who has been a professional since 2016 and a member of the UAE team since 2021, noted that while Pogachar has etched his name as the winner of the Spanish one-day race, the ripple effect of such a victory, especially early in the season, cannot be underestimated.

"As a team leader, a lot of trust and belief is poured into one rider. When he wins, especially his first win of the year, when he is already head and shoulders above the other riders, it definitely inspires and motivates us.

He stressed that the effect of Pogachar's first win of the season - the Slovenian's second at the Tour of Algarve in his rookie season in 2019 - the fourth in his five-year career, was also remarkable throughout.

"Everyone wants to raise their game just to be part of the setup," he said. The whole team ran really well." I finished third with Tim Wellens and fourth with Marc Hirsch.

"Also, we have genuine faith in our leaders. That gives us faith in the season as a whole. We're excited because we're just getting started."

From the outside looking in, Gibbons argued that such a rapid start in 2023 would inevitably have a demoralizing effect on opponents.

"At the same time, it will give our rivals a bit of a scare to see him off to such a good start. Many of the GC contenders in the Tour de France will only peak once or twice this season, trying to get a good result in Paris-Nice.

"But to blow it in the first race of the year ....... So again, as a team we are very proud of him."