The young 21-year-old British runner Ben Tulett (Ineos) has been proclaimed winner of the 12th edition of the Tour of Norway once the third and final stage has been played with departure and arrival in Stavanger, with a route of 151.2 km, in which the Norwegian Alexander Kristoff (One X) won. Kristoff, 35, born in the town of the finish line, Stavanger, prevailed in a very tight sprint with a time of 3:19:17, an average of 45.5 km/h ahead of the Danish Tobias Andresen (DSM). and the Belgian Jordi Meeus (Bora Hansgrohe).
The British Ben Tulett (21 years old, Sevenoaks) entered the main group, who was proclaimed the final winner, already adding 3 victories to his record. He was accompanied on the podium by his American teammate from Ineos Magnus Sheffield and Belgian Thibaut Nys (Trek Segrafredo), second and third respectively.
The last stage had a 9-man breakaway with the Spaniard Joel Nicolau (revalidated his winning mountain classification) and his Ecuadorian teammate from Caja Rural Seguros RGA Jefferson Cepeda among the components. The escape was controlled by the peloton at all times, for the interest of the sprint and for the general, so Tulett’s Ineos assumed responsibility for the chase. 24 km from the finish line, the whole peloton joined, which remained in the ascent to the Grisabakken level (3rd, 0.7km at 6.6%), 5 behind goal, although there were attempts without effect.
The Alpecin tried to control the arrival, but on the finish line the fastest gathered, and among them a man from the town of Stavanger, the veteran Alexander Kristoff, stage winner. Ben Tulett succeeds the Belgian Remco Evenepol, winner in 2022, in the list of winners of the test.
Gerben Thijssen surprises Merlier and Ewan in Limburg
Belgian Gerben Thijssen (Intermarché Circus Wanty) won the Tour of Limburg (Netherlands), a one-day event between Hasselt and Tongeren, with a show of sprint force. of 203.9 km of route. Gerben Thijssen (Ghent, 24 years old) broke the forecast of the favorites and managed to prevail in a sprint largo with a time of 4:39:40, at an average of 43.7 km/h, ahead of the Australian Caleb Ewan (Lotto Dsnty) and the Belgian champion Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick Step).
A foreseeable outcome once the day’s breakaway carried out by seven men was cancelled, who were neutralized with 21 km to go, at which time the peloton did not allow any more adventures. The sprinter teams were taking positions as the goal approached, Especially active were the men from Soudal de Merlier and Lotto, who had to place Ewan in a final attack position.
The Australian had a mechanical failure that delayed him with 5 km to go, but the ‘pocket rocket’ he was able to get ahead and dispute the victory. Merlier took the lead on the finish line, answered the “aussie” runner, but Gerben Thijssen appeared by surprise to score the victory, the sixth in his record. Thijssen succeeds Belgian Arnau De Lie, winner in 2022, in the list of winners of the event
