Quotes
Stage 4
3| Magnus CORT NIELSEN
Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility): “It turned out perfectly”
As we were coming close to the finish, I was getting a bit nervous. The front six were very strong and the twenty-five guys pulling behind couldn’t manage to bring them back. I was confident I was going to be able to go for the overall victory, but I was unsure about the stage win. In the end, it turned out perfectly. I must say that my team did an amazing job again today. It’s unbelievable how strong we could race all week long with just six guys. It’s amazing to win our home race. Actually, it’s almost a home race for me too despite me being Danish...
Stage 4
106| Gregaard Jonas WILSLY
Jonas Gregaard Wilsly (Lotto-dstny): “With luck on my side I could have won today”
I feel a little bit disappointed. I will be thinking for a long time on how long a few hundred meters can be. I fell so agonizly short of pulling it off. I came close after a great effort all day long along with my teammate Logan Currie. It’s a bit sad and strange feeling, because with luck on my side I could have won today. I have been in the breakaway on many big races, and I knew this one today was no TV break. I knew we stood a chance of making it to the finish, because we were a strong group. We played our cards well but, sadly for me, we couldn’t make it...
Stage 4
1| Andreas LEKNESSUND
Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X Mobility): “As a Northern Norwegian guy, I feel very proud”
It has been a super special week. It has been really cool for the team, with many good results crowned with Magnus’ overall win. But, even without the results, it would have been a great week because of the weather, the spectators and the route, which has been really nice. As a Northern Norwegian guy, I feel very proud of everything - the team, the race, the results. I am happy with my performance too. We came here with the goal of winning the race either with me or with Magnus. Yesterday, he had the legs to finish it off. We all put our efforts behind him and it has...
Stage 4
31| Kevin VERMAERKE
Kevin Vermaerke (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL): “It’s a bittersweet result”
It’s a bittersweet result. I was 3rd overall, like last year, and I was hoping for more. The team did a really good job and, given the competition and how the stages played out, I can be satisfied with being third and best young rider. Had the climbs been longer, the race would have suited me better. Uno-X did a great race. All the teams here enjoyed racing here and tried to show themselves. It was as nice a race from the inside as it was from the outside.
Stage 4
51| Clément CHAMPOUSSIN
Clément Champoussin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels): “A great result for my team”
I’m very happy, as I have put a way better performance this week than last year’s. My final sprint was very good, considering my position with 500 meters to go. 2nd overall is a great result for my team. Uno-X has been excellent. They are a great team and I’m not surprised they have been so strong all week long.
Stage 3
81| Kamiel BONNEU
Kamiel Bonneu (Flanders-Baloise): “I was not riding alone today”
Yesterday I got the sad news that my grandfather had passed away. He was the reason I started cycling in the first place. There was no possibility of going home, so I wanted to give my everything today. I knew I was in good shape, so I believed I stood a small chance of winning if all the pieces fell into place. I was not riding alone today, and everything did fall on the right place indeed. I’m very happy I made both my grandfathers proud today, as I lost both of them in just three months. I just hope they watched the race together, somewhere.
I knew the first...
Stage 3
3| Magnus CORT NIELSEN
Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility): “This is an amazing team to be part of”
I’m in the midnight sun jersey now, but I still regret having come so close to the stage win and those bonus seconds that may make a big difference at the end of the race. Anyway, I’m happy to be in the leader jersey.
This is an amazing team to be part of. We have been riding the whole day for three stages in a row, and it’s hard to realize that we are only six guys. Especially as you see that we have numbers in the final. It was an honor to have all those riders working for me today, the same way we all were working for [Alexander] Kristoff in the...
Stage 3
171| Anton H STENSBY
Anton Stensby (Coop-Repsol): “André Drege was in my mind the whole time today”
It was quite a long day in the breakaway. We didn’t have the best wind conditions, as we had to endure a lot of headwind and that made it difficult for us to keep our gap on the peloton. Luckily, I felt better throughout the day and I could give my best on the final climb. We wanted to show ourselves in this race both for the sake of sponsors and to honor André [Drege], who we lost at the beginning of the summer. He was in my mind the whole time today. He gave me all the energy I needed to attack and land this most aggressive rider award. As for tomorrow, it...
Stage 3
94| Jelle JOHANNINK
Jelle Johannink (TDT-Unibet): “I’m not a real climber, but winning a climber jersey is very nice”
My legs were really good at the beginning of the stage. I claimed all the KOM points at stake and then I took it easy, as coming into the final I focused on positioning my teammates ahead of the bottom of the last climb. Tomorrow we will try something at the end of the race, and I need some energy for that. You won’t see me in the break, but I hope you will see me in the final climb. I’m not a real climber, but winning a climber jersey is very nice. This race is great, as is Norway in itself.
Stage 2
5| Alexander KRISTOFF
Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X Mobility): “It’s fun to be part of such a strong team”
I enjoyed a great lead-out yet again today, following an excellent work by Rasmus [Tiller] and Markus [Hoelgaard] over the stage. I only had to ride full gas for a few hundred meters at the very end of the stage, because Jonas [Abrahamsen] and Magnus [Cort] nearly brought me all the way to the finish line. The fact Magnus finished 3rd shows how strong the lead-out was. I’m very happy and pleased with my team’s performance. It’s fun to be part of such a strong team.
The gravel sector made the final part of the stage a bit nervous, and the local lap...