Uno-X Mobility are thus far having a strong Tour de France with Soren Waerenskjold being a strong presence in the sprints and Tobias Johannessen coming out of a very explosive first four days of the race just outside the Top10. Team DS Thor Hushovd has commented on several topics after the finale in Rouen including the GC battle and also the increasing amount pf crashes that have been affecting the race.“Pogacar is clearly the favorite; he’s been very strong since the start of the season. But I also think Jonas Vingegaard is there, solid. He can beat him. It won’t be an easy victory for Pogacar,“ the former World Champion said in an interview with Cyclism’Actu.
The first major gaps in the overall classification between the two may open up this Wednesday with a pan-flat time-trial. Thus far, only 8 seconds separate the two, and these have merely been obtained in bonifications.
Hushovd, a sprinter and classics rider during his time as a pro, has also been asked about the increase in crashes in the peloton and the downward trend when it comes to safety during racing. The Norwegian believes there are several factors contributing to this:
„I don’t know if there are more crashes, but it’s true that we’re riding faster. There’s the technology, the equipment, but the first few weeks have always been nerve-wracking. It was already like that in my day, in the early 2000s“.
The real difference is that now, the whole team has to be around the leader. Before, there could be two or three of us; today, there are seven guys around one rider,“ he says. „It takes up space, and it increases the risk. Everyone wants to be in front, everyone takes more risks“. In this first week of the Tour there will be two more hilly stages and two pure sprint stages where it is likely that tensions will continue to be sky-high.