Ben Hermans has said that winning the Tour Of Oman was more than he dreamed of.
Speaking to the BMC Press Office, Hermans, who won two stages and took the overall title said: “I’m really happy that I could take two stages and the GC. It’s more than I could have dreamed of. It was the perfect week for me, perfect start to the season. I always like to start the season in good shape and then normally it continues for the rest of the year.
“I knew from training that I was really, really good. I was going so hard. I already had this feeling several times but I never won the GC, I won stages or I won classics, but I was never performing so well against the kind of climbers who are here. So in this way I surprised myself.
“It definitely gives me more confidence. I am not the level of Richie Porte, Tejay van Garderen or Greg Van Avermaet. I am going to have my chances though I think. For the classics perhaps I will have a chance. Liege-Bastogne-Liege is for sure a goal for me.”
Valerio Piva, BMC's Sports Director said: “It was an amazing week. It was amazing to see the whole team working together. It was very nice and of course Ben was very strong to win two stages and the overall, but everybody helped.
"Without the team it was not possible so it is a team victory. When we came here the idea was to win a stage and we didn’t have the overall win in our minds so much. Of course, you think about it.
"When Ben was really strong on the first climb we knew we could go for the win and we pulled it off. It’s a great way to stat the season, after an already successful first month of racing for BMC Racing Team.”
Source: DSG
