After a successful stint at Tour of Norway resulting in the overall victory, Tinkoff-Saxo looks to continue to create top results at Tour des Fjords. The majority of the team has stayed in Norway, while Jesper Hansen, last week's overall winner, and Evgeny Petrov will be replaced by Michael Valgren and Michael Kolar, who will lead the team in the Norwegian fjords. 
 
Elaborating on the team’s ambitions, Tinkoff-Saxo sports director Nicki Sørensen tells that the squad continues to aim high.
 
“We will target both stage wins as well as the general classification. It will naturally be a difficult task, like in all races, but we will give it our best. We are up against a rider like Kristoff, but it will not deter us from trying. We got Michael Kolar for the sprints backed by the likes of Trusov and Brutt. For the GC we have Michael Valgren, who will also keep an eye on the possibility to take a stage win on the tough stages”, says Nicki Sørensen and adds:
 
“Kolar proved in Turkey that he is fast in the sprints and he will receive full support on the stages that suits him. Tour des Fjords doesn’t have the same long climbs as in Tour of Norway, so if Valgren has the legs, he will be competitive in the GC”.
 
Tinkoff-Saxo lines up Michael Valgren, Michael Kolar, Nikolay Trusov, Chris Anker Sørensen, Juraj Sagan and Pavel Brutt.

Tour des Fjords takes the riders 911km in undulating terrain along the fjords of Western Norway. While there isn’t a definitive queen stage, Nicki Sørensen underlines that all days can prove decisive according to how the stages are raced.
 
“I wouldn’t say that the GC will be decided on a specific stage. Rather, there are many sections during the race that could prove decisive. It depends on several factors including the tactical situation. An important part of our squad is Chris Anker, who will once again play the part as road captain. It’s a role that he handled really well in Tour of Norway, where he did not take his responsibilities lightly”, comments Nicki Sørensen.
 
“Chris Anker is also able to assist Valgren in the critical situations, where a dangerous breakaway has to be brought back in during the last part of the stage. But most important is the fact that the team is motivated and starts the race with a desire to create results, as they did in Tour of Norway, where they executed the team plans very well”, finishes Nicki Sørensen.
 
Tour des Fjords begins Wednesday, May 27 and finishes Sunday, May 31.