After three failures, local hero Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data) finally got the much awaited stage victory at the Tour of Norway when he came out on top in stage 4 of the race. Having made it into a small group on the late climb, he narrowly held off Sondre Holst Enger (Norway) in a close sprint while Pieter Weening (Roompot) retained the lead on the eve of the final stage.

 

We have gathered a several reactions.

 

Victorious Boasson Hagen: It’s good to show that Norwegians can ride their bikes

It was a great day for Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka as Edvald Boasson Hagen sprinted to the victory on stage 4 of the Tour of Norway. The Norwegian champion beat Sondre Holst Enger (Norway) and Paul Martens (LottoNL-Jumbo) to the line.

 

The African Team were always on the front foot during today’s 174km stage from Fla to Eggemoen as Reinardt Janse van Rensburg jumped into the early break of the day. With representation in the break, the other teams were forced to make a contribution to the race while the rest of the Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka riders could spend the day riding in the peloton.

 

The team looked after Boasson Hagen and were riding well as a unit, not even a stray dog that ran into the peloton and caused Youcef Reguigui to crash could disrupt the plans for the stage. Reguigui got up straightaway and chased backed to the peloton to support Boasson Hagen. When the race came onto the finishing circuit, Janse van Rensburg was still part of the 7 rider break but the peloton had brought the gap down from 5’00” to 45″ with just 10km to go.

 

The race came back together with 2.5km to go and Janse van Rensburg held his position in front to assist Boasson Hagen and Reguigui with their positioning. The race was in pieces though as the rain and wind had taken its toll on the riders. Reguigui did a good final turn before Boasson Hagen was left to take on the technical sprint finish with 11 other riders. At one point it looked like Boasson Hagen wasn’t going to get a gap to start his sprint but the Norwegian champ found a way, and crossed the line first. This would be Boasson Hagen’s 4th win of the season and the African Team’s 11th win of the year.

 

In the overall classification, Boasson Hagen remained in 3rd place but the gap to Pieter Weening’s leader’s jersey is now 43 seconds away from the Norwegian.

 

Edvald Boasson Hagen said:

 

“It was great teamwork today. We managed to get Reinie in the breakaway and then we could just sit in the group and relax, and save for the final. The rest of the team helped to keep me in a good position all day and also into the last climb.

 

“I managed to stay on the right wheel and took the sprint so I am really happy about the teamwork and for my victory of course. There was a lot of headwind in the sprint so I had to wait but I was also getting boxed in a bit so I was happy to get out and it’s great that I managed to take the win.

 

”This was really a pleasure. It was extra nice to take the win and show that we Norwegians can also ride our bikes,

 

“It was a close sprint the game and Sondre passed me but I'm glad it happened after the finish line. He took my wheel. It was luck that we did not crash.”

 

Sondre Holst Enger: I shoukd have won that stage

“I hate to lose when I know I can win. I'm so close every time, and therefore I am so frustrated, Holst Enger told TV2.

 

“I'm getting tired of 2nd places and 3rd place now. I should have won that sprint. But I hesitated in the finale and then Edvald came at full speed. I had to take his wheel and then it was too late to pass him

 

”It is not bad to be angry and disappointed sometimes. But I’ll take this and win tomorrow instead. I have to get that stage.”

 

Paul Martens back on the podium after difficult spring seasn

Team LottoNL-Jumbo’s Paul Martens finished third in the fourth stage of the Tour of Norway today. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data) won the stage and Peter Weening (Team Roompot) kept his overall lead. 

 

An early escape of seven men marked the 174-kilometer stage to Eggemoen. They gained more than seven minutes but saw their difference slowly whittled down over the tricky final circuit.

 

"The day started off nicely but ended up with rain," Sports Director Merijn Zeeman explained. "It was a classic stage that ended on a local circuit at an airport with a difficult climb. We had a go for Paul and worked for him in the final. The breakaway was very strong and the guys really had to work very hard. Only on the last climb, we caught up with them. Only six riders could manage the high pace on the final climb. Paul was with them. Boasson Hagen won the sprint and Paul took third. It was a nice reward for him and good for his confidence after a difficult spring."

 

"This is really good for me because I did not have the best spring season," said Martens. "I was far below my normal level. Then it is nice when you can once again sprint to victory. Well Boasson Hagen is faster, but I have a good mindset."

 

The race in Norway highlighted the strong local cyclists.

 

“There are many strong riders racing," Martens said. "It's not that you're here and just pick up a victory or pull away in a break. We don’t know the riders yet but we will. This race is the Tour de France for the Norwegians. They are all in shape. Today, everyone in the team contributed a bit to my podium. It feels good that they worked so hard for me."

 

Tomorrow is a flat sprinters’ stage in the Tour of Norway. Martens said the team would work for Tom Asbroeck.

 

Bora-Argon 18 German surprises in tough finale in Norway

In the very technical final with steep climbs, the race was frantic and hard. Bora – Argon 18’s goal was to protect its leader José Mendes. The team did a great job after Mendes  was involved in one of the crashes. In the end besides both he and Michale Schwarzamann was in the front group and fighting for the stage win. The latter sprinted to fourth.  José Mendes is now in 6th place in the general classification.

 

“I was on the wheel of Edvald when he launched his sprint, but got a swerve from the left. I lost contact there and had to go to the right. I don’t know if there was a chance to beat Edvald, but for sure a podium was possible,” Schwarzmann said.

 

“The team did again a great job today. Our goal was to protect José in the technical final, that worked out well, but also cost a lot of energy. Therefore, just Michi was with José in the first group fighting for the stage, but I have to admit that in this hard final it was a great effort from Michi to be there in the group. He would have deserved to be on the podium, but I am happy with his performance today and his shape at the moment,” sports director Christian Pömer said.

 

Mads Pedersen retains mountains jersey in Norway

Lennard Kämna was the first rider from Team Stölting Service Group over the finish line in 22nd at the end of a tough, up and down, 174km fourth stage of the Tour of Norway. The young German all-rounder finished in the second group, part of the front group that split in the final climb of the day.

 

The bunch sat just over a minute behind with 10km to race, but this soon melted and the catch was made in the final five kilometres. Kämna was holding strong in the front group, having been positioned by his teammates, but after his group split on the final climb of the day he finished in the second split, just seconds behind the stage winner Edvald Boassen Hagen (Dimension Data)

 

All the other riders finished in the largest group on the road today, coming over the line 11’37” behind the stage winner, with tomorrow offering a final chance at a second stage win after Mads Pedersen’s stunning victory yesterday.

 

Despite not scoring any points on today’s stage, Pedersen kept hold of his KOM jersey going into tomorrow’s final 163km stage from Drøbak to Sarpsborg, yet another rolling route with a few short climbs to tackle.

 

After the finish, team captain Fabian Wegmann said: “It was a tough day out there today, especially with the rain at the end as it was full gas on the finishing circuit with crashes. On my part, I didn’t have the legs today, and when the rain started they were a bit blocked. The main goal was to keep Mads in the jersey and we managed that.

 

“Tomorrow is more or less flat, with a tricky parcours at the end. It will be bad weather again but we will fight to keep the jersey and then if it’s a sprint to set up Mads. His win yesterday was super nice – we shared a good evening as a team last night to celebrate, it was a well deserved victory.”

 

ONE climber on the attack in Norway

For ONE Pro Cycling, Pete Williams and Richard Handley were both involved in the early moves but it was Handley who found himself in the official break of the day. The composition of the group was made up of seven riders who worked well together to quickly build up a maximum lead of 4 minutes 25 seconds, but this was short lived as the peloton felt comfortable to leave the break away at the 3.30 mark.

 

Roompot were the team in control at the head of the race ably assisted by the Norway National Team. As the race hit the finishing circuit there was a little bit of confusion in the peloton as riders kept trying to break clear to jump across to the leaders who now had an advantage of only 2 minutes.

 

Over the course of the next 2 laps with the constant changing of pace in the peloton, the breakaway fluctuated between 1 minute 30 and 1 minute until a lone rider jumped clear of the peloton and managed to solo across to the now five man breakaway. However the peloton were hot on the heels of the chaser and kept him pegged at 20 seconds allowing them to claw their way up to the breakaway swallowing them up with just under 3km remaining. A valiant effort from Handley and all involved to try and stay clear to the line.

 

Up the final climb with 2.8km to go it was now Williams who was the lead ONE Pro Cycling rider on the road who surged up the final climb as the race was splitting into several groups. As the scramble for the finish unfolded Pete crossed the line in 38th position finishing off a solid day for the team