Chris Froome got his 2014 campaign off to a winning start in Oman, defending his crown from last year. He won atop Green Mountain on stage five, opening up an unassailable advantage over nearest rivals Tejay van Garderen and Rigoberto Uran.

Chris Froome got his 2014 campaign off to a winning start in Oman, defending his crown from last year. He won atop Green Mountain on stage five, opening up an unassailable advantage over nearest rivals Tejay van Garderen and Rigoberto Uran.
Alejandro Valverde won the first three stages en route to his third consecutive victory at the 60th edition of the Vuelta a Andalucia-Ruta del Sol ahead of Richie Porte. However, this was as much a battle between Movistar and Sky as it was between Valverde and Porte, with the Spanish squad drawing first blood in what promises to be a season-long tussle at major stage races throughout 2014.