Alexander Kristoff prepares to pass on baton to his little brother after the season: "If I teach him too much already, he'll beat me!"
Cycling
While the era of Alexander Kristoff is slowly coming to an end with his final professional season, the name Kristoff will not entirely disappear from roads. That's because Alexander's half-brother, 19-year-old Felix Orn-Kristoff is going to turn pro with Intermarché - Wanty in 2026. Before passing on the baton, Alexander has one big goal - to reach 100 professional victories.
And it didn't take him long to prove his talent in the elite category with stage win at Tour de Bretagne. "It was nice to see my little brother take the win," the Norwegian said to Cyclingnews. Interestingly, it's a race where Kristoff was never able to triumph himself despite six podiums in 2008 and 2009. "I try not to teach him too much yet because I still ride but I'll teach him more next year after I stop. If I teach him too much already, he'll beat me!"
Should we look forward to another powerful sprinter in Kristoff family? "He's an all-rounder," his elder borther replied. "He's got a good sprint but he's not a pure sprinter, he's maybe more of a puncher. He's strong, so I believe that in the future the classics will suit him. He's a bit less of a sprinter than me and a bit more of a rider for the classics, more powerful for attacking, time trialling and stuff like this."
A question for stat geeks heading into 2025 was who would be the next rider to reach 100 pro wins? Sprinters Kristoff and Arnaud Démare currently tie for 97 and they're closely followed by Tadej Pogacar, who has 95 after seven triumphs already by the end of April.
"I was hoping to get one here in Turkey already," Kristoff said, "but the first two days didn't go as I hoped. On stage 1, I got caught behind a crash on the last corner while I was in a really good position in the top 5. On stage 2, the climbs were tougher than I expected, the pace was very high and it was above my level. Stages 5, 7 and 8 should be bunch sprints."
"It's a bit of an obsession to reach 100," he added. "I really want it but if I don't get it this year, I will not continue my career. I'll go till the end of the year even if I reach one hundred before. I've trained a lot for this season so I will not stop like that in the middle for no reason, but maybe I will not win anymore."
"It's not yet decided which one will be my last race, possibly the Singapore criterium, but I might need to go to Le Tour de Langkawi (28 September-5 October) if I'm still chasing more wins," he laughs.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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