Winning Norwegians have their minds elsewhere: Wærenskjold glad a fan was saved, Traeen 'celebrates' with Mäder's mother

It was Norway on top on Wednesday, with stage victories in both the Tour of Switzerland and the Baloise Belgium Tour. Torstein Traeen triumphed from an early breakaway in the fourth stage in Switzerland, while Wærenskjold came out on top in the opening time trial of the Baloise Belgium Tour. Both gentlemen, who were teammates at Uno-X Pro Cycling last season, were understandably happy, but their thoughts were also elsewhere.

In Switzerland, the 28-year-old Traeen managed to fend off the favorites in an uphill finish. "Honestly, I can't quite believe it yet," opened the climber from Bahrain Victorious in the flash interview. "Just yesterday our team doctor asked me how I was feeling. I told him I was okay, but that I just didn't have the legs. Then, to suddenly manage to win, it's obviously extra special."

The Norwegian was honored on the podium for his stage victory and was joined by the mother of Gino Mäder. It was an emotional moment, as Mäder had passed away a year earlier after a crash in the Tour of Switzerland. At that time, Traeen was not yet a rider for Bahrain Victorious, but was understandably emotional. "This is a victory for him. It's his mountain that I won on," he referred immediately after to Mäder's stage victory in 2021, which also passed through the Gotthard Pass climb.

"This means so incredibly much to me. We all miss him," he concluded. "Winning in this team makes it even more beautiful. We always want to race with him in our thoughts and thus for him. Today his mother was also present, so it makes it even more special."

Continue reading below the photo.

Wærenskjold was the strongest in a notable opening time trial in Belgium, just as he was a year ago. The specialist had to wait a bit longer, as the last 24 riders were delayed by more than half an hour due to an incident on the course where a man became unwell. "The interruption did have some impact, but I'm glad they were able to save the man on the side," said the day's winner.

Regarding his time trial, the Norwegian could only be satisfied. "I felt good, but I couldn't really get into my rhythm because of the distance. It was shorter than last year, but I tried to conserve some energy in the sharp turns and find the best possible rhythm. The last five kilometers were easier, but due to the headwind, I didn't let myself be tempted to go harder. I think I never deviated five watts from my average."

The big question now is: can Wærenskjold defend his lead from the time trial for the rest of the week? "The fourth stage will be crucial, that's when it will become clear if I can keep up with the best. Last year went well, but the competition is stronger this year. I'm going to try to sprint the next two days."