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Cycling - 19. August 2017.

Jolien D’hoore Leads Tour Of Norway After Stage One Sprint Victory

Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling’s Jolien D’hoore sprinted to victory in the opening stage of the Ladies Tour of Norway, between Halden and Mysen. The Belgian Champion was perfectly placed at the head of the peloton by teammate, former Swedish Champion Emilia Fahlin, shortly before the final corner, then outpaced the rest of the sprinters in the uphill race to the line. Australian Gracie Elvin (Orica-Scott) took second place, with Luxembourg Champion Christine Majerus (Boels-Dolmans) third.

Time bonuses on the line meant that D’hoore, who finished eighth in the previous day’s prologue, also took the overall race leader’s Yellow Jersey.

“The last lap was quite dangerous, and you had to be in front the whole time,” D’hoore explained after the stage. “Together with the team I could do that. Luckily I was in a good position, and my teammate Emilia Fahlin - my Swedish teammate - she brought me into the perfect position coming into the last corner, and it was just great.

“This was the stage that I wanted. We were there the whole time, and the brought me in front, and that’s how I could win.”

The 115km stage’s rolling parcours meant that there were several attacks from riders, wanting to avoid a bunch sprint. A number of small groups managed to get a few seconds clear - including one that featured D’hoore that followed the second of the stage’s intermediate sprints - but none was able to build a meaningful lead.

The speed increased on the final finishing circuits in the countryside around Mysen, as the sprinters’ teams began to line up their fast-finishers. Into the final kilometres, however, D’hoore was expertly led to the front of the bunch by Fahlin, and the Belgian Champion was the class of the field on the uphill finishing straight.

“It was beautiful,” D’hoore said of the Norwegian course, that featured some spectacular lake a river views. “Once in a while I tried to look around me, at the landscape, and it was really beautiful. We were riding alongside the lake, and it was nice.

“I couldn’t see the landscape here in the last lap,” she laughed. “But I think it’s pretty nice!”

Ten seconds on the line for D’hoore, along with one second gained in an intermediate sprint, meant that the Belgian Champion leapt over the riders that finished ahead of her in Thursday’s prologue to take the Yellow Jersey.

Result
1. Jolien D’hoore (Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling)

2. Gracie Elvin (Orica-Scott)
3. Christine Majerus (Boels-Dolmans)

Photo Credit: Anton Vos

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