Crash shatters Kristoff’s bid to reach 100 career stage wins

Alexander Kristoff crashed during the seventh stage of the LTdL, ending his career with that race.— MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star

ISKANDAR PUTERI: Alexander Kristoff’s (pic) bid to reach 100 career stage wins came to a painful end yesterday after a crash forced him to abandon Stage Seven of the Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL).

The 214.9km stage from Melaka to Medini began smoothly, but Kristoff, racing for Uno-X Mobility, suddenly struggled to control his bike while trying to avoid a pothole near Semerah, just a few kilometres past the feeding zone.

He collided with teammate Erlend Blikra, injuring his left arm and palm. Kristoff attempted to continue, but the pain from his hand injury forced him to make the difficult decision to withdraw, ending his hopes of a stage victory.

“I’m a bit disappointed. I was sick on Friday, but felt a bit better yesterday and was planning to do a sprint. We had tried to beat Arvid De Kleijn the day before, but it didn’t work with a normal lead-out.

“Yesterday, I was getting back to put in some effort, but suddenly hit a rough patch in the road — a fixed section with a hole — and lost my handlebar. I was riding with one hand and went down hard. Another sprinter, Erlend Blikra, crashed with me.

“Unfortunately, it’s so hot here in Malaysia. I was racing without gloves because I planned to wear them just for the final sprint. When I hit the ground, I badly injured my hands and couldn’t hold the handlebars, so I couldn’t continue,” said Kristoff, sounding disappointed.

The Norwegian rider made his debut at the Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) with high hopes of finishing in style, having accumulated 98 stage wins since first reaching the podium in 2014. The race also marked the final event of his professional career.

Although he fell short of retiring with 100 wins, Kristoff can look back proudly on nearly 20 years of achievements, including a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics and a runner-up finish at the 2017 World Championships in Bergen.

“Of course, I’m very happy with my career. I’ve achieved many big victories and made countless memories. It’s also thanks to all my teammates and staff who have supported me along the way, from my junior years until now.

“I’m very grateful for all the support I’ve received over the years, and of course, I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished,” he added.

With Kristoff out, the remaining Uno-X Mobility riders will carry the team’s hopes. Blikra will aim to retain the orange jersey as leader of the points classification, while Anders Johannessen looks to challenge for the green jersey as overall leader.