Norwegian jewel in tears after solo winner:
– I’m fine. It was a nice day on the bike. Completely sick to be able to round off in this way here, says Leknessund to Danish TV 2.
With barely 20 kilometers left of the hilly stage in, the riders climbed over another category climb.
At the bottom of the hill, Leknessund and co. one and a half minutes to walk on to the main field.
Then the Tromsø resident moved away from the rest of the quarry.
The rivals had no qualms to follow. The main field first began to pick up seconds in the downhill towards goal.
– It’s a huge achievement. This is his clear breakthrough. In many ways, a lot did not go smoothly in his first year at DSM, but it is incredibly impressive how he has grown and taken the level anyway, says TV 2’s cycling expert Magnus Drivenes.
A second behind the youth jersey
Leknessund was only seven seconds away from taking over the leader jersey in Switzerland around, but believes that he did not have the seconds in him.
The youth jersey, on the other hand:
– One second to white. It may be on the celebration at the end of that jerk, but it’s also great to get a nice picture where you celebrate over the finish line. It is the stage winner who matters. I did not think so much about the other.
In the finish area, tears of joy flowed from the Norwegian cycling jewel.
– If there was any doubt at all that he was going to the Tour de France before traveling around Switzerland, then at least it is not now. He is going to the tour, and he will fight for stage victories, Drivenes thinks.
The main character confirms to Danish TV 2 that he is on a so-called «long list» for the Tour de France, which starts in Copenhagen on 1 July.
– I have done the best I can. It’s up to the team to see what they want in the Tour de France. At least I feel in good shape, says the 23-year-old with a sly smile.
The stage was the second in the prestige race and went to Aesch. On the way to the finish, a superb Leknessund smiled at the camera.
He says that in the beginning it was not even the plan to sit in the break.
– Because I lost 50 seconds yesterday. It was not a matter of course that I should be allowed to go, explains the stage winner.
– Then I ended up there, and then it was just to drive. Then, of course, it was exciting to see how far it was going to last, but suddenly we got quite a lot of time, and when I started hoping it could actually go, he continues.
Second place with mistake
The bike jewel finished 38 seconds ahead of the next rider on the results list.
Alberto Bettiol won the sprint in the main field. He had not realized that it was a man in the break and cheered as if he had won the stage.
– Tomorrow all my friends will know about it, but it is part of the game, says Bettiol, who no matter how proud to have beaten strong sprinters like Michael Matthews and Matteo Trentin.
Leknessund was brought to Team DSM from Norwegian Uno-X ahead of last season. TV 2’s cycling expert believes that the young boy has taken great strides recently.
– It is incredibly gratifying that such a sympathetic and hard-working rider gets paid for the effort. He has long been referred to as one of our greatest cycling talents, and after a somewhat sluggish start to his professional career, where it has been difficult at one level, he shows that he is both mature enough and strong enough for the top level, Drivenes states . .