Roosen holds on for dramatic solo stage 2 victory at Fjords

Dutchman Timo Roosen (LottoNL-Jumbo) poured every remaining ounce of energy into the pedals to cross the finish line ahead of a surging field of 17 riders and claim a solo victory in front of the iconic Steindalsfossen waterfall on the second stage of the Tour des Fjords in Norway on Thursday.

Roosen attacked off the third categorised climb descent with 35 kilometres to go and bravely held on to the line 3 seconds ahead of 15 riders, including Norwegian road and time trial champion Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data) in second and August Jensen (Team Coop), also of Norway, in third.

“I had to go full gas in the corners and not lose time, and maybe even win some time,” Roosen told Eurosport after the race. “I didn’t actually know the corners, so it was hard to predict the flow. I had to take some risks and it paid off — I had to take every second I could take.”

The victory marked the first pro win for the 24-year-old third year LottoNL-Jumbo rider, who claimed he was not certain of his triumph until after the finish.

“I didn’t look around so many times,” explained Roosen. “At some point I looked around at one kilometre. I knew I was coming closer and closer, and I knew I had to keep fighting.

“I kept giving everything and there was no moment that I thought I for sure made it, so I had to give everything and I did.”

With chilling rain pelting the 114 riders over three categorised climbs along the 185.1-kilometre route from Gulen to Norheimsund, it was no surprise that a splintered field crossed the line as much as 20 minutes back on the 24-year-old winner.

The only reprieve from the elements came when riders passed through 50 tunnels of varying lengths, depths and visibility.

“It was like a swimming race, to be fair,” claimed rain-soaked New Zealander Hamish Schreurs of the Israel Cycling Academy team. “It was a really good course, but with all the rain and the tunnels, it was a long, hard day on the bike.

“Most of the tunnels were fine, but there were maybe one or two that had no lights which made it a bit more interesting.”

A new race leader will start Friday’s third stage as opening stage winner Dries Van Gestel (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise) assumes the yellow leaders jersey from stage 1 runner-up and Schreurs’ ICA teammate Daniel Turek, who claimed the jersey due to time bonuses collected after winning two of the three intermediate sprints.

“Yesterday, I was first of all happy that I took the win, but when I came to the podium and they said I didn’t take the overall lead, I wasn’t disappointed because I won, but it was missing that one thing and today I took it fair enough,” explained Van Gestel, who won 24 hours earlier off the remnants of a 130km five-man break. “My teammates rode perfectly in the last 20km, so without them I wouldn’t have it.”

The 22-year-old Belgian now leads Roosen by 24 seconds and recent Tour of Norway winner Boasson Hagen at 31 seconds back in third. Turek fell to 20th (+2:15).

Tomorrow’s third stage could see yet a third breakaway succeed on the 180km route from Odda to Karmøy.