This week on The Breakaway we get stuck into the Tour of Oman drama and why Astana’s 1–2 felt like a real “we’re back” statement — plus where Adam Yates landed and what it means when early-season racing turns chaotic with weather and tactics. ¹ ²

Then we bring it home: the Dis-Chem Ride for Sight and the Herald Cycle Tour — what stood out, who showed depth, and why the SA calendar is quietly producing seriously strong racing (men and women). ³ ⁴

From there we go full gravel/MTB brain: UCI Gravel World Series – The Cedar recap, the moves that mattered, and why certain “big race” dates can clash hard with training blocks (Tankwa / Epic prep). ⁵ ⁶

And if you’re counting down to Cape Epic, this is the practical section you don’t want to skip: tires, tire pressure, and the small mistakes that become massive time losses over a long week — plus what most amateurs get wrong when they chase “light and fast” setups.

We also talk Tuesday Chappies chaos (how it works, who’s there, and why it’s such a good midweek test), and we preview the In Buku / Big 5 MTB Challenge in Wellington as an Epic-style reality check. Finally: a quick nod to the Peninsula Marathon and why we’re going to give the running side more love after Cycle Tour + Epic.

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Footnotes / sources

1. Tour of Oman official rankings (GC after Stage 5): https://www.tour-of-oman.com/en/rankings 

2. ProCyclingStats GC result page (Tour of Oman 2026): https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/tour-of-oman/2026/gc/result/result 

3. Dis-Chem Ride for Sight coverage (Lucy Young winner): https://www.citizen.co.za/boksburg-advertiser/news-headlines/2026/02/16/young-races-to-first-ride-for-sight-title/ 

4. Herald Cycle Tour results recap (Tyler Lange win; Ryan Gibbons 3rd): https://heraldcycletour.co.za/news/2026/2/17/lange-powers-to-first-herald-cycle-tour-victory-in-thrilling-sprint-finish 

5. UCI Gravel World Series recap: “The Ceder” (Colombo & Preen): https://ucigravelworldseries.com/en/colombo-and-preen-conquer-the-ceder/ 

6. Cyclingnews race report: The Ceder winners + key race dynamics: https://www.cyclingnews.com/category/womens-cycling/uci-gravel-world-series-hayley-preen-attacks-on-uitkyk-pass-to-claim-win-at-the-cedar-while-filippo-colombo-scores-maiden-gravel-victory/ 

7. Imbuko Big 5 MTB Challenge official site (21 Feb 2026 + 3000m/80km): https://imbukobigfivemtbchallenge.co.za/ 

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00:00 Intro music

00:03 Cam & Sarah take the hot seats + “Tap Out Tuesday” banter

01:52 Tour of Oman: weather chaos, Astana 1–2, Adam Yates 3rd

04:08 UCI points explained: why teams race full gas early

06:37 Dis-Chem Ride for Sight: wind/rain racing realities

10:55 Herald Cycle Tour: SA depth + women’s racing growth

14:47 The Ceder (UCI Gravel World Series): key moves + Colombo wins + Preen

21:36 The Ceder timing debate: Tankwa / Imbuko / Epic clashes

28:08 Cape Epic prep: small mistakes get punished (nutrition, pacing, saving tires)

32:14 Tires: why “light & fast” can cost you

38:07 Tire pressure: too hard vs too soft (grip, comfort, rim risk)

44:23 Tuesday Chappies battles: who’s there + how to join

46:06 Imbuko Big 5 MTB Challenge: perfect Epic-style test day

58:48 Bonus clip: Mark & Felix recap The Ceder + MTB vs gravel bike take

1:01:21 Running: Peninsula Marathon mention + more running focus coming

1:02:55 Viewer callout + questions + outro