As the Giro d’Italia approaches its climax, the Intermarché-Wanty team is set to compete in two other stage races from Thursday to Sunday with the Boucles de la Mayenne and the Tour of Norway. This marks the first time in ten years that the Walloon team is participating in the French event, but for the Tour of Norway, it’s their fourth consecutive participation, having secured two stage victories in the last three editions thanks to Alexander Kristoff (2022) and Mike Teunissen (2023).
Having arrived in Norway this Tuesday, the team under the direction of Aike Visbeek did the recon of the third stage, considered the queen stage with its explosive finish in Heija (2.4 km at 7.8%) after five other steep climbs. This Thursday 29th of May, the race kicks off with a stage suited to sprinters around Solakrossen, followed by a second stage featuring an explosive finale towards Oltedal. The traditional final stage on Sunday 1st of June, around Stavanger, should crown a strong sprinter, with six local laps and as many ascents of the Grisabakken (500 meters at 9%).
On the occasion of their national tour, the young Halvor Dolven and the recent winner of the Tour de Bretagne, Felix Ørn-Kristoff, will be competing in their first stage race with the World Team. The two Norwegians from Wanty-NIPPO-ReUz will ride alongside Huub Artz, who distinguished himself brilliantly among the pros in the previous edition with an eleventh place in the final general classification. With Ørn-Kristoff and Artz, the World Team lines up with the reigning junior and U23 European champions in its ranks, alongside the experienced Alexander Kamp, a stage winner in 2018, and Lorenzo Rota, who is making his return after his crash in the Amstel Gold Race. Finally, the Belgian sprinter Arne Marit will be discovering the event, boosted by a recent podium finish at the Famenne Ardenne Classic.
"Last year, I experienced one of the highlights of my season on this very Tour of Norway with the World Team. I surprised myself by competing for the general classification against the pros while I was still an U23 rider. This year, I've prepared specifically for this event, so I'm curious to see the results. I followed a perfectly tailored race program, starting with the Tour de Romandie, my first World Tour stage race, with the aim of building up race volume and gaining confidence after my heavy crash at Bruges-La Panne. I then benefited from good efforts in several classics in Brittany and Cologne. I also prepared for this race in training with my coach Adriaan Helmantel. We analyzed last year's performance and meticulously studied the course of this edition to create race simulations. This morning, I did the recon of the queen stage with Alexander Kamp, Lorenzo Rota, and Aike Visbeek. It's the first time I've prepared for a race in this way with a training block, which marks a new step in my learning for my first season as a professional. Given the positive progress of the last few weeks, I'm confident that I can show some good things in the coming days."
“I am really excited to race my national tour. With the performance team we’ve had this planned since November, but after my Ghent-Wevelgem crash and concussion, I worried I’d miss it. Thankfully, I recovered and I’m here, just 15 minutes from my home. I’ve been here so many times as a spectator, also when my brother Alexander won for Intermarché-Wanty. Having friends and family along the course will be amazing, and my mother told me she would add my full name to her painting of “Kristoff” on the Grisebakken climb for the last stage in our backyard. I’m really looking forward to finally competing against Alexander. While I’m not the designated sprinter, I want to beat him at least in one stage. I am confident at the start, after my very first victory in a stage race in Brittany. It was a surprise, as I prepared mentally for the big step up from the juniors to the U23 category, with the support of my family, telling me to be patient. So far, it's going well, and I really enjoy racing with my Belgian team, that created a professional environment that allows me to progress at my own pace and where is a really good vibe.”
