– They don’t bother to go broke, they don’t bother to organize bicycle races. There are millions of radio listeners sitting around biting their nails wondering who will win. What they are served is literally nothing for 155 kilometers. That’s what news’s commentator Ole Kristian Stoltenberg said during the sixth stage of the Tour de France on Thursday. It was very quiet in the main field without anyone making a whole-hearted attempt at a break. By “break” is meant that one or more riders turn up the pace and attempt to cycle from the main field. At one point, news’s Tour de France presenter Carl Andreas Wold commented that a close-up of an old bridge was more exciting than the cycling. – It is absolutely right. There is a greater chance that this bridge will topple than that the field will find something fun anyway, came from Stoltenberg. OVERALL: The field was almost all the way in until the entered sprint in Thursday’s stage. Photo: Reuters – You don’t win the lottery if you don’t play Sondre Sørtveit is news’s cycling expert and believes that more riders should take the chance to break. – For those riders who do not have a real chance of winning overall or the green jersey, this is their opportunity to try their hand at breaking and show themselves when they first start the Tour de France, says Sørtveit. At the same time, Sørtveit believes that several riders have received strict orders to stay in the main field. – I think the riders have great respect for the effort that awaits them later in the tour, and that they have received strict orders from the team managers that they must conserve energy or look after the captain. DAFT: Sondre Sørtveit and Ole Kristian Stoltenberg believe it has been daft in the first three flat stages. Photo: news Stoltenberg points out that some of the more hilly stages in the tour have been fast-paced and exciting, but that the flat stages have led to a decrease in entertainment value. – I cannot remember a duller start to the Tour de France after three flat stages, when it was possible to break. He wished some of the riders dared to make a wholehearted attempt at a break. – If you don’t take part in betting the lottery on Saturday, you won’t win either. The same applies to the riders, who must dare to break if they are to have any hope of achieving the big thing, says Stoltenberg. Disagree with Stoltenberg Former national team manager and current sports director at Uno-X, Stig Kristiansen, has no problems understanding that some of the stages have been excessively calm. – It could have been more fun for us too if there were more violations, but it is important to remember that it is not just us who work on the things that control this. It is those who tread who actually notice how insanely hard it is, says Kristiansen. – Do you agree that the riders “don’t bother to do cycle races”? – No, I don’t agree with that. Although it may not look like the riders put in any effort on those stages, what they do is quite demanding. On the third leg, they cycled 230 kilometres, which is longer than Oslo to Lillehammer. UNENIG: Sports director at Uno-X, Stig Kristiansen. Photo: NTB The sports director of Uno-X believes that shorter stages would have provided better entertainment. – If 230 kilometers becomes 160, it will perhaps create a bit more fun, but at the same time the entertainment is in those stages of the sprint, and how the moves are on the different teams, says Kristiansen and adds: – They add things here and there such as ground competitions and sprint competitions. At the same time, it is a bit like a 0-0 match in football. Occasionally you also see an unentertaining football match, but there is still something in the football match that is worth watching. Got a word from the boss But there have actually been a couple of Norwegians who have attempted a proper breach. On the third stage of the tour, the Norwegian Uno-X riders Jonas Abrahamsen and Johannes Kulset went into a two-man break. This caused the general manager of Uno-X, Thor Hushovd, to react. – That’s just nonsense. It was unnecessary. It’s just a vase. They probably sat and got bored, and it went slowly, and then they wanted to come up with some prank. Maybe that wasn’t the goal. That’s what happens. They won’t do that again, he told TV 2. STATEMENT: Managing director of Uno-X and former top cyclist Thor Hushovd. Photo: NTB But in contrast to Hushovd, this is exactly what news’s commentators want. – Very little has happened, and it is starting to become very tactical. Here the riders may have to wake up a bit, because this is where the entertainment value lies, says Stoltenberg. Increased the lead The first and only categorized climb in Thursday’s stage came already after 10 km, while the included sprint came after 31 km. Abrahamsen pulled away after 7.5 kilometers and took the only climbing point on Thursday’s stage. The Norwegian thus leads the Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar by six points in the overall climbing competition after six stages. HAPPY: Jonas Abrahamsen in the polka dot colored climbing shirt. Photo: AFP Dutch rider Dylan Groenewegen was fastest in the mass sprint and won the sixth stage of the Tour de France. Jasper Philipsen was initially second, but was disqualified after the finish line after he obstructed Wout Van Aert in the sprint. Biniam Girmay from Eritrea came second, and Fernando Gaviria third. Alexander Kristoff was the best Norwegian in eighth place. Published 05.07.2024, at 06.04
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– They don’t bother – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
