Despite chasing all day with Karsten Kroon, Tinkoff-Saxo failed to play a role in the bunch sprint on the first stage of the Tour of Norway. The team hope that Daniele Bennati and Mark Kump will make amends in the next sprint stages while Jesper Hansen and Edward Beltran target the GC.

The 152 kilometer long first stage of Tour of Norway in and around Larvik was dominated by a breakaway of seven riders that lasted until a very few kilometers from the finish line. However, the sprinter teams joined forces and reeled them back to prepare the inevitable bunch sprint.

In the bunch gallop, it was home ground favorite, Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) who took a convincing win and took the leader’s jersey as well.

DS, Tristan Hoffman says:

“It was a rainy day in Norway where a break was caught 5 kilometers from the finish line. The finale was a climb over 1 kilometer and our GC riders, Jesper Hansen and Edward Beltran both finished in the first group. Other than that we have two riders for the sprints, Marko Kump and Daniele Bennati and besides a good overall result, we’re targeting a stage win,” Hoffman concluded.