MUSCAT, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Alexander Kristoff of Team UAE cruised to victory on stage one of the Tour of Oman on Saturday, clocking in two hours, 54 minutes and 50 seconds.

The Norwegian cyclist took the first leader's jersey, ahead of French sprinters Bryan Coquard and Nacer Bouhanni.

Tour of Oman 2019 kicked off on Saturday with the participation of 126 riders representing 18 teams from 10 countries, namely Bahrain, Belgium, France, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

The five-stage Tour, being held at the Omani Muscat Festival, started from the Swadi Beach in the state of Barka, about 90 kms away from Muscat, and will conclude by the sea route in Sohar state on Feb. 21.

The first stage, a 138.5km race, is considered an easier one without high elevations or mountainous areas.