American Marconi Wireless News - Cavendish crashes as Hirt climbs to Tour of Oman lead

Cavendish said he escaped with grazes and bruises and with Tuesday's sixth stage ending in a sprint is in with a chance of both the stage and the sprint points classification.

"I had a touch of wheels and unfortunately I came down quite heavily," said Cavendish, who has 34 career stage wins on the Tour de France.

"I am lucky that my injuries seem to not be too bad and I was able to get on my bike," the Quick-Step sprinter said.

The Tour of Oman is Cavendish's first race since he was hospitalised after a high-speed track crash in Ghent in November.

Hirt, who rides for Intermarche, shook off his rivals in the final two kilometres of the 150.5km ride from Samail which ended with a 5.7km climb up to the summit finish on the 'Green Mountain' Jebel Akhdar climb.

Hirt outpaced French riders Kevin Vauquelin and Eli Gesbert, both of the Arkea-Samsic team, who finished 40 seconds adrift after the gruelling climb with 10.5 percent gradient.

The 31-year-old Hirt claimed his first success since the 2016 Tour of Austria, and overtook overnight race leader Italian Fausto Masnada, who finished nearly two minutes adrift in 11th.

Tuesday's sixth and last stage covering 135.5km should favour the sprinters, with the finale at Muttrah Corniche.

P.M.Smith--AMWN