2021 Men's Tour of Norway, 2.Pro - 19th to 22nd August

[RedheadDane]

Scandinavian racing continues with the men's Tour of Norway.

Provisional startlist

As you can see, there are a bunch of interesting names on this startlist. Defending Champion, Kristoff. Former champion, Hansen. Harper and the guys who's most definitely not Harper. Both Hayter brothers. Both Hoelgaard brothers, but - somewhat disappointedly - not Hulgaard, which means that Uno-X is (once again) missing out on having Hoelgaard, Hoelgaard, and Hulgaard in the same lineup. A guy with the name of a former planet, but not the guy whose name is 'Planet'. And lastly the lineups of ColoQuick and Coop are sort of "inversions" of each other.

Race will be shown on ES Player - and I pressume GCN - between 16:00 and 18:15 each day, hopefully live.

 

[RedheadDane]

Stage 1 » Egersund › Sokndal (Kroheia) (150.8km)

 

[RedheadDane]

Stage 2 » Sirdal (Tjørhomfjellet) › Sirdal (Fidjeland) (185.3km)

 

[RedheadDane]

Stage 3 » Jørpeland › Jørpeland (159.9km)

 

[RedheadDane]

Stage 4 » Hinna Park › Stavanger (156.5km)

 

[Danskebjerge]

This race is just a little bit too flat to make Vingegaard the top favourite and just a little bit too mountaineous to make Mads Pedersen the top favourite.

 

[Velolover2]

This is Ethan Hayter's race to lose. The parcours couldn't be better for him.

The climbs are not long enough for Vingegaard to drop him and Hayter has a great sprint.

 

[SafeBet]

The 27% part on Jossingsfjord is hard but this descending section leading straight into a ravine might be trickier.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Looks like LFR took the course on the life and works of MC Escher in the sport of cycling that Demi Vollering was running.

 

[RedheadDane]

Uhm... @Red Rick? Aren't you forgetting something...?

 

[RedheadDane]

Today's stage starts in Egersund. Back in 2018 a stage in Tour des Fjords finished in the same town, and look who won.

 

[sir fly]

Nice nature.

 

[RedheadDane]

Chris Harper in front of the peloton.
The actual Chris Harper.

 

[RedheadDane]

And not-Chris Harper is dropped...

(Matt Stephens just called him "Not that young". He's 24!!!)

 

[roundabout]

They say black is slimming, but Ganna looks to be about twice as wide as Skjelmose

 

[tobydawq]

Intelligent riding by Schelling there.

Ok, he might have been focused on GC, otherwise it was something else.

 

[tobydawq]

They say black is slimming, but Ganna looks to be about twice as wide as Skjelmose

Imagine if he weren't wearing black then!

 

[RedheadDane]

E. Hayter easily.
Schelling didn't even try to get Hayter to help pulling.

 

[sir fly]

Cool racing in the finale.
Nice scenery.
Congrats to Hayter.

 

[tobydawq]

Ok, he says he knew Hayter was there, knew there was no way he (Schelling) could beat him and that he is going for GC. Then it actually was intelligent without a sarcastic shadow

 

[SafeBet]

Ok, he says he knew Hayter was there, knew there was no way he (Schelling) could beat him and that he is going for GC. Then it actually was intelligent without a sarcastic shadow

Yeah it's not that bad, although I don't see where he can drop Hayter on this route, especially with Ganna as a watchdog.
But I guess a second place in GC would be a good result for Schelling anyway.

 

[Danskebjerge]

While Cort is peaking, Vingegaard seems to have faded. But hey, there's still a month to Leuven.

 

[BlueRoads]

While Cort is peaking, Vingegaard seems to have faded. But hey, there's still a month to Leuven.

I don't see Vingegaard doing anything in Leuven, I think it should all be about Asgreen for the Danes.

 

[Danskebjerge]

I don't see Vingegaard doing anything in Leuven, I think it should all be about Asgreen for the Danes.

If it was Italy, this could become a real problem - with so many potential captains involved. Some of them will have to let go of their own chances of winning in order to help one or two others. I don't see Fuglsang as a particularly insisting domestique ...

 

[Red Rick]

Vingegaard is in holiday mode?

On this route and without a one day pedigree surely Denmark has 8 better riders they can find?