Tour of Norway

If there were a tour where you could eat one month’s worth of Salmon in one week, the Tour of Norway would be it!

Norway is world-renowned for its fishing and seafood. Many travelers associate Norway with salmon, pickled herring, and mackeral, which continue to be an important part of the cuisine, so throughout the tour, we had our fair share of fresh seafood.

The racing saw us travel through some beautiful coastal and mountainous landscapes, including racing over a snow covered mountain summit, then staying at an altitude of just over 1000m, in a ski resort surrounded by snow. There were many frozen lakes at that altitude as well, so driving home after the races gave us some time to get some nice photographs to post on social media. 

Besides the delicious Salmon and picturesque locations, we were there to race our bikes and challenge the strong competition.

The tour consisted of 888kms over five stages, with two GC climbing days, one sprint day and two intermediate days that finished in a reduced group.

Having been in the mix of many sprints this season, it was my time to assist my teammates and on stage one, the team helped young neo-pro Jason Lowndes to contest the sprint. Looking after him during the day where I could and being supportive in the final kilometers of the stage, a fast and messy run saw him place 9^th.

Unfortunately, the next day saw Lowndesy pull out of the race due to a slight chest infection, but he remained on tour with us for the week, either spending his time watching from the sidelines or seeing the action unfold from the team car.

Throughout the tour, we showed a lot of teamwork in every stage and I enjoyed playing my small part in that team effort.

Dropping back to the team car and stuffing my jersey with fresh drink bottles is something I don’t get to do that often, so it was nice to show my support to my teammates, as they’re the ones who are often looking after me. 

Teammate Jordan Kerby was a crucial asset from stage one, helping to bring back the break for a sprint, riding the front all day.  On the hilly stages, and when crashing riders weren’t taking him out, Kerbs was there to assist GC teammate Adam Phelan.

Along with Kerbs, Tom Scully played a supportive role and was instrumental in the overall teamwork all week, aiding in the lead-outs and general domestique duties.

My roommate Graeme Brown was at his best in the lead-out role he plays so much, helping Lowndesy on the first stage sprint and using his experience to navigate through the bunch at crucial times. It was good to share a few laughs with Brownie and as a team leader, have him pass on helpful advice both on and off the bike.

Our GC rider in Adam Phelan showed consistent performances on the difficult stages to finish 14^th overall. You can watch his popular video diary from the week’s racing here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7NWJGQiOUs

I’ve enjoyed my two months in Europe, visiting more countries for the first time and gaining valuable experience in new styles of racing. The lifestyle is what I’m passionate about, and being self-motivated through the ups and the downs is a key part in my overall progression.

I’ll be heading to the Tour of Korea after just one week at home in Australia. The racing block I’ve just accumulated will be a great for my goals at the next race.

Keep posted for our Tour of Korea performances, I’ll be hungry to see the podium.