The day after he was ignored by his BMC Racing Team for its Tour de France selection Norwegian rider Thor Hushovd responded by taking the national road championship.

“It’s a great feeling,” Hushovd told Norwegian newspaper VG before disappearing into a tent to change jerseys.

The 35-year-old rode the final two laps in solitude and resisted late bursts of attack from the chasing pack. Even if he only won by a margin of a few metres, he was able to cross the finish line to be crowned Norwegian champion in his hometown of Grimstad.
 

“Today I demonstrated that I’m in excellent Tour de France form,” he said.
 

A breakaway group of 12 riders obtained a solid lead early on in the quest for the championship jersey. When their lead grew to alarming proportions, Hushovd was amongst the riders initiating a chase in the peloton. Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) and Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) joined Hushovd’s effort and the group was reeled back in to place the three pre-race favourites in outstanding positions to contest the national title.
 

If Boasson Hagen and Kristoff were looking forward to a sprint decision, however, they were sadly disappointed as Hushovd broke clear with two laps to go. To begin with he didn’t get much of a lead, but as his rivals in the peloton hesitated, he was soon able to expand and create and unbridgeable gap.

As he went into the final lap, Hushovd had a lead of about half a minute and he managed to stay clear even if the chase behind him had gained momentum.

“I was never sure that I would win,” Hushovd explained. “But of course I began entertaining some hope when they told me I had a 40-second lead. Then I was able to dig a little deeper.”

Alexander Kristoff finished as runner-up while Boasson Hagen completed the podium.