Danish talent Nortoft dominates the opening stage of Peace Race
The 21-year-old was in the breakaway group that for almost eighty kilometres led the peloton from Krnov to Opava.
He is part of the Visma-Lease a Bike Development team, whose jersey he earned, among other things, by triumphing in the 2022 Orlen Nations Grand Prix.
"I am pretty happy, I would say. The hardest part was the first climb. If it started raining, I'd just be happier because that would have slowed down the peloton," said Nortoft after the successful finish in Opava.
The Danish rider did not plan any big celebrations. "I'm going first get a phone, I'll call my girlfriend and my manager. I will make sure to get my nutrition right and have a good night's sleep, tomorrow is another day," he added.
The opening kilometres of the Peace Race brought a parade of attacks. During the stage from Krnov to Opava, the young representatives of France, Belgium, Denmark, Poland, Great Britain and Israel were extremely active, but the peloton quickly quelled their efforts.
It was only after 47 kilometres that the quartet of Rudolf Remkhi (Kazakhstan), Nortoft (Denmark), Emry Faingezicht (Israel), and Marco Schrettl (Austria) escaped, followed by Cesare Chesini (Italy), Tom Schellekens (Netherlands) and Storm Ingebrigtsen (Norway). The trio in the second group quickly erased the 15-second deficit and a group of seven was formed at the front.
The escapees worked together in an exemplary manner and the peloton got into trouble. While Alberto Carlo Monti of the Czech Republic withdrew from the race after a crash, the riders at the front built up a lead of ninety seconds.
Although the main field worked with all their might, they managed to knock no more than thirty-five seconds off the gap to the leading riders, who, driven by the vision of success, took turns and gave their pursuers no hope of getting close.
Even before Kazakhstani Remkhi dropped out of the leading group thirty kilometres from the finish, the peloton was one minute and 45 seconds behind.
Though only six, the escapees fought on. But for the last 20 minutes, the peloton was on a wild chase. One by one, they cut one second from the gap to the leading group. With two kilometres to go, the gap was down to 10 seconds.
In the end, however, the fugitives' immense effort was rewarded. The peloton was a few seconds behind, and so the king of the opening act of the U23 Peace Race was decided between the breakaway six.
Nortoft, who is on the roster of the Visma-Lease a Bike Development team, was fastest in the sprint.
