Andre Greipel is facing an important week at the Tour of Oman. The German sprinter has already had his first run-out with his new team, the Pro Continental-level Arkea-Samsic, but the Tropicale Amissa Bongo in Gabon turned out not to be the best ground on which to lay foundations. `I expected it to be different, to be more organised, but it wasn`t. You`re riding with riders who are risking more than they do in Europe,` Greipel told Cyclignnews in Oman. `It`s the biggest race in Africa so they want to show themselves. It`s money to earn as well. But they`re riding well - it`s not like playing PlayStation or something, I was surprised, actually, that there were so many strong riders.`ADVERTISEMENT Greipel won a stage in Gabon, but had to settle for minor placings on the other six days. `I just tried to stay out of trouble,` he said. `We worked well together, despite all the disorganization and the different racing style. A lot of the finishes didn`t suit my way of racing. There were a lot of attacks in the final kilometres. With six riders, we had to make choices and could not perform a real lead-out anymore. But we came away with a victory and made the best out of it.` After several years at Lotto Soudal, Greipel is ripping up his habits with the move to the second-division Arkea-Samsic, having to construct a lead-out train from scratch. That process can now begin in earnest in Oman, where he`ll be guided by compatriot Robert Wagner.
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