Written by Canadian Nippon at 13:57 10/6-2022
When a team states that they have goals for a tour no one expects them to kick-off the way that Canadian Nippon did in the first three stages going 3-3 in stage victories; lead both the General Classification and the Sprinters Classification. That should also change today as the teams head to the mountains for the first of two stages.
Stage 4 – Tour of Norway: Mosjøen-Trondheim
The riders get their first meeting with the Norwegian mountains in stage four. From Mosjøen the riders follow the large river Vefsna, which is going straight southwards. But as they reach the small village Trofors they have to face the mighty mountains named Vistfjellan. They will now soon leave Nordland and enter Trøndelag. After many hours in a rough mountain terrain the riders can once again fill their lungs with air from the salt sea as they reach Steinkjer, the biggest city in the county Nord-Trøndelag. Steinkjer lies in the end of Beitstadfjorden.
From Steinkjer the riders pass Stiklestad, a village known for the famous Battle of Stiklestad in 1030 where the Viking King Olaf Haraldsson better known as Saint Olaf or Olav the Holy died. Further on they pass Levanger and the Ådal forest before they finally reach Trondheim, the capital of Trøndelag and third biggest city of Norway. According to the sagas Trondheim was founded by Olaf Tryggvason, one of the most famous Viking Kings, in 995 and made capital of Norway about fifty years later. The city has been an important destination for pilgrims coming from all over Northern Europe because of the Nidaros Cathedral that is built over the burial site of Saint Olaf. After passing the Nidaros Cathedral and the main streets of Trondheim the riders meet a last tough climb up to Sverresborg. Those who want to do well in the General Classification will do their best to win this stage.
The stage kicked off early with a three rider breakaway and to everyone surprise Canadian Nippon had Abel Frint actually in the breakaway before disaster struck for the team. Mechanical failure as Abel Frint picked up a puncture and would wait on the side of the road until a team car could arrive but the damage was done.
“It was a bit checky of us to send two riders on the breakaway hunt today!!” grinned a smiling Canadian Nippon Manager Robert Bouchard. “We were surprised as any to hear that one of them had managed to bridge the gap and get into a breakaway. This is also disappointing as we could have podiumed if he was able to stay with the other two riders. In the end in some way it was for the best since we didn`t have a chance in the mountains anyways.”
The stage was won by Jarolím Samko, Lokomotíva Zvolen followed by his breakaway partner Emanuel Žilka, BVB leaving Canadian Nippon to wonder would could have been.
Canadian Nippon Stage Results:
108th – Conan Guillot
117th – Morris Tomasin
128th – Abel Frint
134th – Irving Watts
135th – Quentin Worthen
138th – Trevor Reis
Stage 5 – Tour of Norway: Trondheim-Ålesund
The terrain in Trondheim-Ålesund includes many hard climbs and has an average difficulty of downhills. The terrain hardly includes any hills and has an amount of average flat distances. The stage ends on a small and easy climb. The finishing climb never gets steep. The route doesn't demand much technique from the riders.
Really wait to say Canadian Nippon was in the peloton resting on the climb stage as they wouldn`t couldn`t factor during this stage. Yet once again the team sent two riders into a seven rider breakaway that managed to stay a head until the final climb and the climbers came to the forefront. In the end Kholadeth Ammouayphone would claim the stage.
Canadian Nippon Stage Results:
88th – Conan Guillot
94th – Abel Frint
105th – Morris Tomasin
129th – Irving Watts
130th – Trevor Reis
135th – Quentin Worthen
Stage 6 – Tour of Norway: Ålesund-Bergen
Sprinters come back to the forefront as the tour leaves the mountains behind for two stages starting with Ålesund-Bergen a 172km stage that include a few rolling hills before finish in the town of Bergen that invites for a hard sprinting test for the riders. This will be a Sprint Classification Day and Irving Watts will look to increase his lead in the green jersey; hopefully to maintain the jersey to the end of the tour after his two early wins. Could he threepeat and all but claim the jersey as his own?
All three of the big contenders for the Sprint Classification would be launched by the sprint trains as the teams entered the final km of the race. It was Marcin Pajak that would launch the sprint but wasn`t able to follow up when Irving Watts kicked off his back wheel and easily claimed victory raising his arms high as he crossed the finish line with Joey Halligan a full wheel length behind claiming second.
'm very happy for my win today. It means a lot to me, said Irving Watts and continued: I couldn't have done this without my team. I can't thank them enough
This now marks three straight sprint stages won by Irving Watts and all but confirms him as the Sprinter Classification winner but his manager would have none of it. “We still have the TT stage that we need to cover off the other sprinters using Abel Frint and Conan Guillot. Hopefully another stage victory for one of the two but the key is to have them finish ahead of Marcin Pajak and Joey Halligan.”
Canadian Nippon has now won all the non-mountain stages at the Tour of Norway with the TT stage later today and Final Stage needed for the clean sweep.
Sprinter Classification:
1st – Irving Watts
2nd – Marcin Pajak
3rd – Joey Halligan
4th – Josue Berlanga
5th – Jan Averdijk
Canadian Nippon Stage Results:
1st – Irving Watts
20th – Morris Tomasin
28th – Conan Guillot
38th – Quentin Worthen
42nd – Trevor Reis
79th – Abel Frint
Stage 7 – Tour of Norway: Bergen (ITT)
A day when the riders attack the road by themselves where they hope to gain time in the General Classification or points in the Sprint Classification. Staying in the town of Bergen the riders will a quick 35km course through the town that finish on the straight flat road of yesterday finish. This means the TT riders should come to the forefront but also expect General Classification and Sprint Classification riders to be battling for the stage win over short ITT.
The time to beat was set early as ALAITZ ATHLETIC TEAM's Frank Köln set an unbeatable tempo in the time trial race, Bergen (ITT) (Stage 7 of Norway Tour). Without hesitating or looking back, Frank Köln powered ahead on the flat roads. Fastest on all split times, he secured his victory with a good gap to the second on the stage, Conan Guillot from Canadian Nippon . Abel Frint (Canadian Nippon ) conquered the third place only a few seconds slower than Conan Guillot.
More importantly on a day that see Captain Irving Watts suffer two mechanical failure and play no part in the final standing of the Bergen (ITT) the team was able to take sprint points away from Marcin Pajak; who would finish the stage 4th.
“It was a big result for the team today that Conan Guillot and Abel Frint were able to finish second and third but also protect Irving Watts green jersey in the process.” Commented the team manager Robert Bouchard at the stage. Someone walk near by states,” Congrats on the Sprinter Classification!!” The team manager doesn`t look impressed,” It not over yet until we actually finish the tour until then we will continue to race hard otherwise something might take the jersey off our shoulders. We have a fifty-five point lead with sixty-five points still available in the last two stages. Is it unlikely that Joey Halligan or Marcin Pajak grab points in the mountain tomorrow and win the final stage? No, But we have already lost a tour due to a breakaway in a final stage and had to settle for taking home the youth jersey rather than both jersey as expected. Until the mountain stage is completed and we head into the final stage with more then fifty point lead then we will final celebrate yet still try to win the final stage.”
You think Irving Watts can win the final stage? “He would have a chance but due to the technique aspect of the stage we think he should be placed will within the top ten but if we have the jersey secure then we might send another rider better fit for the stage to the lead. It would be a nice way to repay the rider for all his services as a lead-out rider.” commented the team manger when asked the question.
Stage 7 Results:
1st - Frank Köln, ALAITZ ATHLETIC TEAM
2nd – Conan Guillot, Canadian Nippon
3rd – Abel Frint, Canadian Nippon
4th – Marcin Pajak, Kremer
5th – Emanuel Zilka, BVB
Canadian Nippon Results:
2nd – Conan Guillot
3rd – Abel Frint
38th – Irving Watts
50th – Quentin Worthen
54th – Morris Tomasin
62nd – Trever Reis
Two stages remain with the General Classification still very tight and the King stage looms large at the teams head back to the mountain before completing the tour in the streets of Oslo in front of huge crowds where the sprinters will take flight one final time.
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Comments
Also on a side note I am now forced to change Captain for the final stage due to Irving Watts getting injured on the last Mountain stage while on practice-low.
Thanks Paceuts!! It has been more then I expected as I expected a few results with a chance at the SC but to win so many stages and win the SC has been unreal!!
Congrats on a great tour so far!
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