The jury outcome was unanimous. After 170km within the breakaway, 140 of them on his personal, Uno-X’s Jonas Abrahamsen was awarded the prize for essentially the most combative rider on stage eight of the Tour de France. Journalists nodded in settlement when the message got here by means of within the WhatsApp group. Who else, they figured, however the race’s solo Norwegian?
The lashing rain in the beginning of the day pointed to a day of attrition. Followers lined the ending straight in Colombey-les-Deux-Églises with plastic ponchos and yellow umbrellas, in excessive spirits regardless of the downpours. It was a day, for the common interest bike owner, to remain at dwelling and anticipate clearer skies. For Abrahamsen, it was one other likelihood to point out off his polka-dot jersey.
“The plan was to go within the breakaway,” the 28-year-old stated afterwards. It has been the identical plan nearly every single day. “Within the begin it was fairly good, we had three robust guys, however they did not need to pull with me, in order that they went behind with the peloton, after which I went solo.”
Forward of the bunch is the place the Norwegian has discovered his place this season. In actual fact, no rider has spent extra kilometres than him up the highway – 1,383km in 48 race days. 5 hundred of them have come at this Tour de France alone. He is fairly merely a jersey sponsor’s dream.
“On the primary day, I took the mountain jersey. On the second day, I received second place, and the inexperienced jersey, and the mountain jersey. From the primary day, I’ve stored the mountain jersey,” he grinned. “I can not imagine it, it is so large for me.”
(Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
Born in Skien, an outdated seafaring metropolis within the south of Norway, Abrahamsen has solely ever ridden for groups from his dwelling nation. He joined Uno-X’s growth staff in 2017, aged 21, and has remained loyal to the staff ever since, successful his first skilled race within the one-day Brussels Biking Traditional final month.
Following his Tour debut final 12 months, Abrahamsen made headlines after he revealed he had gained 20kg to bulk up. The strategy got here as a refreshing one in a sport dominated by weight-cutting, and has paid dividends for the Norwegian, who remodeled from a light-weight climber, into a robust rouleur.
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“I believe I’ve by no means had as a lot energy in 4 hours earlier than,” he stated of his lone foray on Saturday. “I used to be attempting to assume optimistic. You by no means know if the peloton goes to cease behind after a crosswind. I simply tried to inspire [myself] to get a stage win, that was the primary objective of the staff.”
Victory, ultimately, went to Biniam Girmay for the second time at this 12 months’s race. Abrahamsen rolled dwelling 141st, veiled within the anonymity of the bunch, however simply identifiable from his red-spotted threads.
He smiled to the press as he walked by means of the interview zone afterwards. It is a protocol he has grow to be used to after every week of duties within the polka-dot jersey, a honour that no different Norwegian has skilled.
“I wish to have ache within the legs, and I received that as we speak,” he stated, drawing a chuckle from the media. Can he maintain his new jersey till Good? “I don’t assume so. I am too heavy for that, however I’ll attempt. I am going to attempt to discover my mountain legs, my climbing legs. You will notice, I am going to attempt to maintain it so long as potential.”
It is a promise that, whether or not somebody joins him or not, extra breakaways will come. For as unpredictable as this Tour has been, one sight has been fixed: that of Abrahamsen, head to toe in purple spots, driving away from the bunch.
