Axel Laurance secures GC win at 2024 Tour of Norway as Alexander Kristoff delights home crowd with final stage win

Axel Laurance has secured himself overall victory at the 2024 Tour of Norway on a frantic final stage as Alexander Kristoff delighted the Norwegian crowd by taking the stage win.

After seven riders formed the day's breakaway, including notable names such as the INEOS Grenadiers Kim Heiduk and Lidl-Trek's Natnael Tesfatsion, the peloton were not at all willing to allow any sort of gap to form. As such, with over 31km still to go, the break were reeled in by the peloton.

With 20km to go, Team Visma | Lease a Bike's Norwegian star, Per Strand Hagenes attacked on his nation's home roads. Despite the big effort of Hagenes however, with 8 kilometres to go, he too had been caught by the peloton.

The next big attack came from Mathias Vacek in the Best Young Rider's jersey. Race leader Axel Laurance was fighting hard to get on the wheel of the Czech, as was Bart Lemmen as the fight for overall victory opened up on this final stage. Although the trio were dragging clear in the final few kilometres, neither Laurance or Lemmen were giving Vacek any turns.

As a result they caught in the final 2km by the remainder of the peloton. Uno-X Mobility, working for Alexander Kristoff were firmly in control heading into the sprint and the Norwegian would not be denied, taking the stage win ahead of Jordi Meeus and Wout van Aert.