“In the last climb I was struggling to stay in the wheel of Vacek. I was like: it’s not the moment to get dropped!” 😬 Axel Laurance (@AlpecinDCK) had to go full gas on the last climb to hold onto the Respol leader jersey! 💪 #ToN24 🇳🇴
"A pleasure to ride together with Van Aert"; Lemmen and Laurance reflect on the Tour of Norway
CyclingMonday, 27 May 2024 at 15:24
Alexander Kristoff wist zondag in zijn Stavanger de laatste rit van de Ronde van Noorwegen te winnen, waarbij het eindklassement in de slotetappe niet meer in gevaar kwam voor Axel Laurance van Alpecin-Deceuninck. De Fransman zag Bart Lemmen (Visma | Lease a Bike) nog een aanval plaatsen, maar trok uiteindelijk aan het langste eind.
'Het was een korte, maar zware rit. Zoals verwacht werd het tactisch en nerveus', vertelde de beloftenwereldkampioen na afloop van de wedstrijd. 'De ploeg reed heel goed. Het tempo lag hoog in de eerste rondes door het werk van Visma | Lease a Bike, maar we wisten samen met Uno-X de controle te behouden. Dat zij ook hielpen, was goed voor ons.'
'In de laatste twee rondes wisten we dat het chaos zou worden', aldus Laurance. 'Ik had het op de laatste klim wel lastig toen Mathias Vacek ging, maar uiteindelijk wist ik terug te komen. Toen wist ik dat het voor het klassement wel goed zat. Het is mijn eerste zege in een klassement, dus dat is heel mooi. Het voelt heel goed.'
Continue reading below the video.
Visma | Lease a Bike's key riders give each other a pat on the back
Lemmen ended up finishing second. "I didn't specifically have a plan to prevent Laurence, who won later, from taking the overall victory. However, I did want to see what would happen if we made the race tough and managed to break away with some strong riders. I had a very good day and could also rely on an incredibly strong team. It was the first time I rode with Wout, and it's truly incredible how strong he is. It's a pleasure to ride with him," said the Dutchman.
For his part, Van Aert had some praise for Lemmen, who attempted to take the overall lead with an attack. "It's a shame the peloton caught up because with Bart in the leading group, it was the perfect scenario for us. He was second in the classification and didn't need to work with us," said the Belgian, who himself finished third in the final stage. "About 300 meters from the finish, I got boxed in, so I couldn't execute the sprint as I had planned. It was my own fault."
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Latest Comments
- Well explained, thanks for the clarity! Daniel DantasDanieldantas20-12-2024
- This is the kind of 'news' that belongs in a cheap tabloid. No matter how boring the offseason gets, nobody wants to read this.
santiagobenites19-12-2024 - I wish we could have seen him try. He'd absolutely get dropped before Pogi overtakes his domestiquesVeganpotter10-12-2024
- Talk is cheap! Next year barring crashes with a healthy team... all well be on track! Some need to talk to make a headline!mootman27-11-2024
- I do not see this event listed on HBO Max Sports Online? Can anyone confirm? Thanks!
MrYuck23-11-2024 - It seemed that he was focusing forward at the time of the crash, after seeing a quick video snippet. But one thing I think he should focus on more intently is breaking a bad habit he has, right now. And that is his constant looking over his shoulders. He does that so much, that I am very sure it is not good for him. Simply watch videos of the greats of CX and you will see very little of that constant looking over their shoulders. That is a behavior that betrays a bit of insecurity on his part. He shouldn't be so concerned, incessantly, about what is over his shoulder. He needn't worry they didn't all disappear. He neds to keep his focus more ahead of himself, and he needs to pay a bit more attention to himself, in a confident manner. It is very frustrating to watch, because it is apparent that he has a lot of potential, and is in much better shape thwan many of his competitors, but the mental game needs to be sharpened more, because that part of strategy plays a huge part in the final results
reemmo022-11-2024 - hahahaha love this shit! I didnt even watched the race, but reading all the gossip articles of how stupid this is!Zatoichi19-11-2024
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024