Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X Mobility): “It’s fun to be part of such a strong team”

August 5 ^th 2024 - 19:28

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 around Fauske was actually quite fast with that intermediate sprint atop a sharp hill. I suffered a bit on that climb, as it was a bit too hard for me… yet Magnus did a great job to close every gap so I didn’t have to use too much of my own energy. I could recover quite fast after the effort to win the sprint. Had the finish been placed atop the hill, I would have struggled to score a result, but having a downhill section ahead of the final kilometer suited me quite well.

Tomorrow’s stage is up to some other guys in my team. I may even have to pull from the peloton! Defending the jersey would be a tough ask for me, but we have Andreas [Leknessund], Magnus and maybe Jonas, who all climb very well, to defend our team’s chances.