Bystrom wins Norwegian Road Race C’ship

Sven Erik Bystrom took his first victory in UAE Team Emirates colours by winning the Norwegian National Road Race Championship. Bystrom took the win in an emphatic photo finish from Jonas Iversby Hvideberg (Uno-X) in a three-man sprint to the line.

Working together with his team-mate Alexander Kristoff, the former under-23 World Champion Bystrom built up a gap of over the chasing group behind, before beating his fellow escapees in the dash for the line. Kristoff led home a chasing group to claim 6th place, 1’22’’ behind.

Bystrom said: “For me it was a special win. I have been 2nd before and the difference from winning is huge. I’m really happy to be on the top of the podium again. Also I want to thank Alex Kristoff for the way he was riding. We shared the work and we were able to bring home another national champion jersey to our team.”

The 2019 Norwegian road race champion, Amund Grondahl Jansen, did not attempt to defend his title as he instead continues to train with his Jumbo-Visma team-mates in the French Alps for the coming weekend’s Tour de France, having become a late call-up for the squad to cover for Steven Kruijswijk, who fractured his shoulder in a crash at the Criterium du Dauphine.

Meanwhile, NTT rider Giacomo Nizzolo Sunday won the Italian road race title on Sunday for a second time as he outsprinted the other survivors of a 13-man breakaway.

Four years after his first victory, the 31-year-old edged Deceuninck-Quick Step’s Davide Ballerini and Bahrain-McLaren’s Sonny Colbrelli in the charge to the line at the end of a 253-kilometre race over 12 laps from Grapa to Cittadella.

Nizzolo has had injury problems since his first national title in 2016.

“After three very difficult years I managed to win back this jersey and I hope to enjoy it more than the first time,” he said.

Astana rider Luis Leon Sanchez was crowned Spanish road race champion on Sunday to add to his four national time trial titles.

The 36-year-old Sanchez, with four Tour de France stage victories to his name and winner of the 2009 Paris-Nice and the 2005 Tour Down Under, finished the 185km course between Ubeda and Baeza, in Andalusia, ahead of teammate Gorka Izagirre, with Vicente Garcia de Mateos (Aviludo-Louletano) rounding out the podium.

Last year’s winner Alejandro Valverde was unable to defend his title, focused instead on honing his preparations for the Aug.29-Sept.20 Tour de France.

Groupama-FDJ’s Arnaud Demare won the French national road race title for the third time.

Demare, already a champion in 2014 and 2017 as well as being a two-time Tour de France stage winner, reeled in Julian Alaphilippe before outstripping Bryan Coquard in a sprint finish in the 238km course in Brittany.

Demare, 28, missed on selection for his team’s squad for the Tour de France, which has been built around Thibaut Pinot.