"I want to watch the Winter Games more": How skiers in Milan inspire Uno-X in Oman
In temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius, Erlend Blikra won the fourth and penultimate stage of the Tour of Oman. This marked the first victory of the season for his Norwegian team, Uno-X Mobility. Afterwards, that win was not the only thing exciting for the team. With six medals, the Norwegians currently lead the medal table at the Winter Olympics in Milan, which also sparks interest among the riders.
The conditions for performing are anything but ideal for the Norwegians in the Middle East. "Most of the guys come from areas where it’s around -15 degrees Celsius right now," says team director Gabriel Rasch to WielerFlits. "But we know it comes with this kind of racing. It’s an adjustment, but after racing the Tour and other big races, we know how to handle it."
Blikra himself feels no problem at all: "Later this season, my big goal is the Vuelta, so I’d better get used to it. Soon I head to the UAE Tour. But having that first victory already gives confidence. I’ve shown I can do it, now I can relax more. Hopefully the whole team can too. We can focus on the races that suit us, without the stress of not having won."
Winter Olympics
Still, the Norwegians also follow their compatriots currently performing in much colder conditions. At the Winter Olympics in Milan, the Norwegians are racking up medals one after another. "You should see our riders in the evenings," a soigneur tells us. "Next to the massage table, we put up a screen with a livestream of the Winter Olympics, so the riders don’t miss a second. Some of the guys get pretty into it," he laughs.
Rasch: "During the stage, the riders are focused on the race. From the moment we get back to the hotel, they’re often immediately checking the results. And when they get home, they probably follow the livestream. I understand that. Skiing is our national sport and immensely popular. But we realize it means relatively little globally. Look at it this way: in your countries, the Netherlands and Belgium, you learn to cycle and swim as children. For us, you have to learn to ski. It’s not even a question asked; it feels very natural."
For winner Blikra, this is partly true. "I actually live in a part of the country where there’s no snow," he laughs. "But even I’m pretty sure how to stand on skis."
"I’m more of a watcher," says the Norwegian winner. "Like many riders on the team. Here in Oman, I haven’t been able to watch much yet, but I’d like to watch more. I especially enjoy following Cross Country skiing and biathlon. Johannes Klaebo is my favorite. Unfortunately, we’re not doing so well in biathlon right now, since the Bø brothers retired."
"Resell beat Klaebo"
According to Rasch, other riders have an even closer bond with the sport. "Erik Resell beat Klaebo when he was young. He was the best in the country but then switched to cycling. Makes sense, because there are quite a few similarities in training and how you live as an athlete. They’ve also been organizing altitude training camps in biathlon since the 1980s. On the other hand, in terms of nutrition and coaching, they’re still quite behind us."
