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With Norway’s three-quarters of the Arctic race over and the hilly final stage in Trondheim to go, Israel-Premier Tech will enjoy three men within striking distance of the race lead – not to mention the potentially very valuable UCI. Pull points.
After participating in Skalstuggu from the Queen’s stage on Saturday, Hugo Hull and Carl Friedrich Hagen took third and fifth places respectively, the pair are now third and seventh in the GC, while Krist Nylands is back in 12th place.
The team is currently part of a huge battle to break into the top 18 places in the UCI team rankings and secure a spot for the 2023 World Tour – or, failing that, to be among the top two pro teams next year. If they retain their GC spot on Sunday’s Arctic Race, the team looks set to make it a worthwhile 205-point trip.
“Everyone was good today,” team director Nicky Sorenson said after the stage as Israel-Premier Tech led the way up the final 5.4km climb.
“We made a plan last night and everyone did their part today,” said Col [Kessler] He was the first person to work before Sebastian. [Berwick] He managed to set a serious pace leading up the climb. Simon [Clarke] They did the last part and then our three G.C.
“The aim today was not only to go for a podium result, but to get three guys together for the GCC ahead of tomorrow’s stage, which could be tougher than today’s stage. We managed to do that and I’m really happy with the way everyone performed today. Great job all around!” “
Hawley was the best placed of the team’s three riders who entered the GC in 4th place, with the Canadian Tour de France winner 9 seconds behind stage 3 winner and race leader Victor Lafay (Cofidis).
He said earlier in the race that the team wanted to run aggressively, as he and Simon Clarke did at the Tour when they won a pair of stages rather than focus on UCI points.
He always said, “Everybody knows the situation. “It’s important that we work at our level, and I think we can’t change the way we run, we’re in the legs and that’s the most important thing.
“Of course we will see more coverage in the press, but for my part I will still focus on what I can do. The idea is to try to win the race and points will come with it.”
Hull, who will compete in GPS Quebec and Montreal as well as the European Classics to finish the season, said the team will look for success wherever they can to finish the season: the first year (2020) of the three-year phase has seen the team backtrack on its desire to stay on the World Tour.
“If we win a race, we will have points,” he said. “With a one-day event like the World Tour coming up, it’s important that we have success in the big races. I think we have the riders to be good.
We didn’t have the results we expected at the beginning of the season, we’re carrying that, and the team’s first year in the three-year tournament was not good, so that’s another thing. It will not be seen from this year, I am sure we will still do it, but we have to be good, we have to fight until the end. “
The team, which recently added Dylan Towns midway through the season, is confident it will continue long-term with support in the years to come, even though it is down for the 2023 World Tour, Hawley said.
“No matter what happens this year, this team is here for a long, long time. We’re fortunate to have a strong support behind us, joining Sylvan Adams and Premier Tech.
“So whatever the situation is, we have to give everything we can, but I think our team is in a very good position and no matter what, we will try to get back into the world’s top teams.”
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