WorldTour
Maxim Van Gils claims second victory of the season in Norway
Maxim Van Gils was able to keep his rivals at bay on the final climb, which was longer than the day before and therefore suited the Belgium better.
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It was a stage finish tailor-made for Maxim Van Gils: on the explosive final climb to Heia, the Belgian rider played to his strengths and sprinted to victory. On stage 3 of the Tour of Norway, the Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe rider crossed the line with his arms aloft – celebrating his second win of the season.
The team had clearly marked this short but challenging 142-kilometre stage as a key opportunity. After a narrow defeat to race leader Matthew Brennan on stage 2, Van Gils came back with a vengeance – and turned the tables today. From the start, Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe committed fully to setting up a finale on the decisive climb. The favourites quickly emerged on the steep slopes. Van Gils stayed sharp, covered every move, and remained perfectly positioned. On the final 250 metres, a thrilling battle unfolded with Brennan and Jan Christen. Brennan launched the sprint early, but Van Gils timed his move perfectly, kicking 50 metres from the line to take a confident and commanding victory.
Maxim Van Gils celebrates his stage win in Norway.
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Plan perfectly executed
Maxim Van Gils: "My full focus was on today’s stage, and I’m really happy I could take the win. After everything that’s happened recently, I was determined to come here to the Tour of Norway and show what I’m capable of. Yesterday already gave me confidence, so I was highly motivated to finish the job today – and it feels great that it all came together."
Shane Archbold, DS: “It went exactly as we had planned. The guys made the race tough because we knew it would suit Maxim even more. It's great that he was able to finish the job like this. But it's a shame that he's not at the front of the overall standings due to the crash on the first day.”
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