The jury consequence was unanimous. After 170km within the breakaway, 140 of them on his personal, Uno-X’s Jonas Abrahamsen was awarded the prize for probably the most combative rider on stage eight of the Tour de France. Journalists nodded in settlement when the message got here by within the WhatsApp group. Who else, they figured, however the race’s solo Norwegian?
The lashing rain firstly 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 typical interest bike owner, to remain at dwelling and look forward to clearer skies. For Abrahamsen, it was one other probability to indicate off his polka-dot jersey.
“The plan was to go within the breakaway,” the 28-year-old mentioned afterwards. It has been the identical plan virtually day-after-day. “Within the begin it was fairly good, we had three sturdy guys, however they did not need to pull with me, so 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 truth, no rider has spent extra kilometres than him up the street – 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 saved the mountain jersey,” he grinned. “I am unable to consider it, it is so massive 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Born in Skien, an outdated seafaring metropolis within the south of Norway, Abrahamsen has solely ever ridden for groups from his dwelling nation.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 group in 2017, aged 21, and has remained loyal to the group ever since, profitable his first skilled race within the one-day Brussels Biking Basic final month.
Following his Tour debut final yr, 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 reworked 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 mentioned of his lone foray on Saturday. “I used to be attempting to suppose 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 aim of the group.”
Victory, ultimately, went to Biniam Girmay for the second time at this yr’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 the interview zone afterwards. It is a protocol he has turn out to be used to after per week of duties within the polka-dot jersey, a honour that no different Norwegian has skilled.
“I prefer to have ache within the legs, and I received that right now,” he mentioned, drawing a chuckle from the media. Can he hold his new jersey till Good? “I don’t suppose so. I am too heavy for that, however I’ll attempt. I will attempt to discover my mountain legs, my climbing legs. You will notice, I will attempt to hold 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 crimson spots, using away from the bunch.
