D-1: Alexander Kristoff to start racing as European champion

August 9 ^th 2017 - 21:03

Alexander Kristoff:“I’m happy I managed to win after my team-mate Edvald Boasson Hagen made a great late attack”, Kristoff commented during a fishing party. “We fulfilled the tactic really well. It was good to have this test as a national team before the world championship in Bergen coming up next month. We are having great world class cycling events in Norway these days. At the Arctic Race, I firstly want to win a stage. Stage 2 is the one that suits me the best but I also remember that I won in Tromsø before (in 2014), so the last stage is also maybe a possible win but the organizers made it harder this time. I thought it was already hard enough when I won it… however, if legs are there, I think I’ll have a chance.”

Thor Hushovd: “Kristoff can win all stages but it won’t happen”
That stage to Tromsø was Thor Hushovd’s last race ever in Norway and the ambassador of the Arctic Race of Norway was fuming after Kristoff passed him at the eleventh hour. The 2010 world champion has remained strongly involved in the race organization since he retired from racing. “It’s a quite open race this year”, he warned. “Four stages can have four different stage winners. But the queen stage with a top finish is not hard enough to exclude the possibility for Kristoff to win GC this year. He has the skills to win all four stages but it won’t happen because there are a lot of good teams. It’s hard to control this race, especially on the last day in Tromsø. It’s very technical. I believe the overall victory will not be decided before the very end on Sunday. I foresee the same kind of thrilling scenario as in Narvik two years ago [with Rein Taaramäe dethroning Silvan Dillier]. Dylan Teuns is the favourite but I’m not sure if it’s hard enough for him to make a difference. We can have a big and nice surprise on Sunday.”

Dylan Teuns is the favourite
Belgium’s Dylan Teuns is the rider of the summer after he successively won the Tour de Wallonie and the Tour de Pologne overall. “It feels good to be here again after some good weeks of racing”, the BMC rider said. “It’s a different situation now for me. I can hopefully go further with the good shape I have. I’ll try to win the uphill finish. I raced the Arctic Race of Norway two years ago as a neo pro and I made the top 5 of the queen stage. The climbs around here suit me. They aren’t too long. It’s always amazing to see the nature in this part of the world.”

Damiano Cunego: “It’s wonderful to be here”
Aged 35, the winner of the 2004 Giro d’Italia Damiano Cunego is another star on the start list of the Arctic Race of Norway. “This is my first cycling experience in Norway”, the Italian commented. “I’m here to try and help my team-mate Eduard-Michael Grosu to win a sprint but I might as well make a breakaway one day to try and win a stage myself. It’s been very important for me to win a race last month in China [stage 6 of the Tour of Qinghai Lake after a four years drought]. To win again after such a long time has given me a great confidence. It was at 4.120m of altitude. To win as well so far north in Europe would be wonderful too but it’ll be difficult since the terrain doesn’t suit me very well. However, I love to be here and I’ll bring my family to the north of Norway one day to see the beautiful landscapes and the lifestyle.”

Kristoffer Halvorsen back as a world champion where it all started
This is the fifth edition of the Arctic Race of Norway. The team presentation took place in Harstad where the race came to an end in 2013 with the overall victory of Thor Hushovd. On the eve of that conclusive stage, the race ambassador made his way to Harstad to talk to the participants of the first Arctic heroes of tomorrow’s race (Arctic Morgendagens Helter Rittet) contested by promising juniors. The winner was Kristoffer Halvorsen from Glåmdal ahead of Anders Skaarseth from Lillehammer. Both are on the start list of the fifth edition racing for Norway’s talent factory Joker-Icopal. Halvorsen is the reigning world champion in the u23 category. “Hushovd was my hero and that evening when he came and talk to us was my first time to meet him”, he remembered. “I was also a fan of Tom Boonen. It was my big dream to become a professional cyclist. So I’m obviously looking forward to taking part in the real Arctic Race of Norway. Being a sprinter, I target stage 2 and I hope for a stage win but Kristoff is here and many other good sprinters too.”