Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek) won Thursday at the end of the first stage of the Tour of Norway (2.Pro), 142 km long between Voss and Voss Resort. The Antwerp rider was 4 seconds ahead of the Norwegian Adne Holter (Uno-X Mobility) and the Frenchman Axel Laurance (Alpecin-Deceuninck), second and third respectively.
Wout Van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike), who made his comeback two months after his heavy fall in À Travers la Flanders on March 27, finished 60th at 2:52.
Nys takes the lead in the general classification with 8 seconds ahead of Holter and 10 seconds ahead of Laurance.
In the last kilometer of the stage, a 7.6% climb, Thibau Nys and his teammate, the Czech Mathias Vacek, left. Nys then sped off alone in the last 500 meters. Vacek ultimately finished fifth.
Thibau Nys wins the seventh victory of his career, the fourth this season. The 21-year-old rider won two stages of the Tour of Hungary as well as the final victory on May 10, 11 and 12.
On Friday, the second stage, the longest, will connect Odda and Gullingen over a route of 204.8 km. Several climbs will be on the program including the Hogganvikbakken, a third category pass 3.5 km long at an average of 5.3%, and the Gullingen which will serve as a finish in the form of a first category pass long 5.5 km at an average of 8.7%.
