"My long-term goal is to win Paris-Roubaix": Per Strand Hagenes steps into the spotlight after Antwerp Port Epic triumph

Per Strand Hagenes is quickly asserting himself as the next crown prince of the cobblestones for Team Visma | Lease a Bike. The 22-year-old Norwegian powerhouse recently stormed to victory at the Antwerp Port Epic with a powerful final-kilometer attack, marking his first pro win in almost three years. It is a massive milestone for Hagenes, who missed over half of last season due to chronic sinus issues.

While Hagenes is currently flying high, his road to success in Antwerp was derailed by severe health problems last year. A persistent issue completely sidelined him for months, leaving both the rider and his team anxious about what his form would look like when he finally returned to the peloton.

"Last year was terrible," Hagenes said in a recent interview, looking back on his layoff. "From the Dauphiné in June, I started struggling with my sinuses. After that, I didn't race again until the Tour Down Under this year. That long absence created uncertainty. I think the team was also wondering: when he returns, what is his level going to be? It’s beautiful to see that I’m improving quickly as soon as I start racing again. I was surprised myself that I got back to level so fast."

Being part of a powerhouse squad like Visma | Lease a Bike means personal opportunities are hard to come by. Hagenes regularly shares the team bus with riders such as Jonas Vingegaard and Wout van Aert, but he sees that as an opportunity to learn from the best.

"That motivates me," Hagenes explained. "In any case, it’s fun to ride around with the best riders in the world and see them shine. It shows that the team is smart, innovative, and that the training is at a very high level."

Because the team is so loaded, the young Norwegian knows he has to make every single leadership opportunity count. He proved he could handle the pressure earlier this spring at the E3 Saxo Classic; with Van Aert sidelined, Hagenes took the opportunity and fought his way to a brilliant second-place finish behind Mathieu van der Poel.

"This season, there aren't many opportunities left for my type of rider," he noted. "But when you get a chance like that, it's really nice to grab it in Antwerp, even if it might not be the absolute biggest race. When you can ride onto the podium in a race like E3, you know you are completely back. That gave me a massive boost."

With a clean bill of health and the backing of his trainer, Hagenes is steadily evolving into the heavy-duty Classics rider Visma always hoped he would become. While the team is taking a patient, long-term approach with his development, the young rider isn't hiding his massive ambitions for the future.

"I make no secret of it that my long-term goal is to win Paris-Roubaix," Hagenes stated with total conviction. "If I succeed in that goal at some point in my career, it will be a massive success."