Using the Presidential Tour of Turkey for the primary time on the age of 37, Alexander Kristoff rapidly swallowed his disappointment of not sprinting for the victory on the finish of stage 2 by watching the reside stream of the Tour de Bretagne, a race he took half in from 2007 to 2009.
“It was good to see my little brother take the win”, the Norwegian mentioned. “It seemed like a hard-fought victory. The Tudor man [Jackson Medway] was away and one way or the other he managed to come back again.”
Felix Ørn-Kristoff, 19, is the present European champion for highway racing within the under-19 class and leads the Tour de Bretagne with two phases to go. “He is an all-rounder”, his elder brother said. “He is received dash however he isn’t a pure sprinter, he is perhaps extra of a puncher. He is sturdy, so I consider that sooner or later the classics will go well with him. He is a bit much less of a sprinter than me and a bit extra of a rider for the classics, extra highly effective for attacking, time trialling and stuff like this.”
“I strive to not educate him an excessive amount of but as a result of I nonetheless trip however I am going to educate him extra subsequent 12 months after I cease. If I educate him an excessive amount of already, he’ll beat me! I had six high threes however by no means received a stage within the Tour de Bretagne and he already did.”
The younger Felix rides for Wanty-Nippo-ReUz, the feeder staff of Intermarché-Wanty, with whom Alexander rode in 2022 earlier than heading again house to finish his profession with Uno X-Mobility. Felix is contracted with the Belgian WorldTour staff for 2026 and 2027. “More durable races are nonetheless to come back for him”, Kristoff mentioned.
A query for 2025 was who can be the following rider to achieve 100 professional wins? Kristoff, already a stage winner at Vuelta a Andalucia in February, is presently at 97, as is Arnaud Démare who’s but to open his account for this season, and so they’re intently adopted by Tadej Pogacar, who has 95.
“I hoped to get one right here in Turkey already”, Kristoff mentioned, “however the first two days did not go as I hoped. On stage 1, I received caught behind a crash on the final nook whereas I used to be in a very good place within the high 5. On stage 2, the climbs have been more durable than I anticipated, the tempo was very excessive and it was above my stage. Levels 5, 7 and eight ought to be bunch sprints.
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“It’s kind of of an obsession to achieve 100,” he added. “I really need it but when I do not get it this 12 months, I cannot proceed my profession. I am going to go until the top of the 12 months even when I attain 100 earlier than. I’ve educated so much for this season so I cannot cease like that within the center for no purpose, however perhaps I cannot win anymore. It isn’t but determined which one can be my final race, probably the Singapore criterium, however I’d must go to Le Tour de Langkawi (28 September-5 October) if I am nonetheless chasing extra wins.”
And what after twenty years {of professional} biking that embody victories at Milan-San Remo (2014), Tour of Flanders (2015) Gent-Wevelgem (2019) and the yellow jersey for someday on the Tour de France along with 4 stage wins?
“I am going to take a while off for positive. I will not do a lot subsequent 12 months. I do not need to rush something. I’ve 4 youngsters so there’s nonetheless sufficient to do. I cannot be bored sooner or later. Possibly there will be some prospects to remain within the sport, I cannot make any hasty selections within the first 12 months.” And there can be Felix to take care of…
