Cycling veteran Alexander Kristoff of Stavanger was once again rolling out from the starting line in the Tour de France on Saturday. Edvald Boasson Hagen of Lillehammer was too, along with 24-year-old Amund Grøndahl Jansen from Nes in Akersus, who’s making his debut in the world’s biggest bike race.
“It will be exhausting, but hopefully fun as well,” Jansen told news service NTB before it all began during the weekend. “It will be three fine weeks where everyone is trying to be best.”
Jansen cycles for the team Lotto NL-Jumbo of the Netherlands. In March he was told that he was among candidates for the Tour de France this summer, and then he won a coveted spot. “It’s always fun to be where things happen, and in the summer, everyone’s looking at the Tour de France,” Jansen told NTB.
Boasson Hagen, meanwhile, is cycling for Team Dimension Data and ranks as the its next-biggest star after Mark Cavendish. That means he’ll need to back up Cavendish but also have some laps where he’s free to try to win himself.
Kristoff finished fourth on the first race of Le tour on Saturday, cycling for UAE Team Emirates. He told newspaper Aftenposten before it all began that he felt “sharp” and ready to roll in the world’s most prestigious cycling race that runs until July 29.
newsinenglish.no staff
