Nordhagen predicts Norwegian cross-country skiers could take cycling peloton by a storm: "Many could be very good cyclists"
Cycling
Jorgen Nordhagen is currently regarded as one of cycling's most promising climbing talents. But before he became a professional cyclist, Nordhagen could've chosen a completely different career path - as a cross-country skier.
It's not hard to see why is Nordhagen so valued at Visma | Lease a Bike. Nordhagen stood out already as a junior at a time, when he'd still full-time practice cross-country skiing in the winter. And that he wasn't bad at the sport is documented by Nordhagen's junior world title in 20km mass start race.
But after that, he'd fully commited to road. "Of course, I miss it sometimes. It is a sport I have practiced from a very young age, so it is a part of me and will always remain so. But nowadays I am actually almost never in Norway anymore, which means I am confronted with it less," he tells WielerFlits.
At times, the feeling resurfaces. "When I watched the Olympic Games and saw guys there who were about my age, you start to think: what could have happened if I had continued cross-country skiing?"
However, Nordhagen does not regret his choice to switch from skis to wheels. "For me, it was mainly a question of what I really wanted to do. My greatest ambitions have always been in road cycling. So, ultimately, this was the right path for me."
The world title then came as a great way to close that chapter of his career. "That was actually a nice moment to stop as well. I had achieved a major goal that I had worked towards for the years before. After that, it was time to do something else," he says.
We can expect more Norwegian skiers in peloton
Nordhagen's path to road cycling still remains a rather atypical, although cyclists coming from various cycling non-related disciplines such as football, biathlon or even ski-jumping are not completely rare.
And Nordhagen believes that the country which dominates male cross-country skiing might produce even more cyclists with the same background as the 21-year-old. Because with quality, it also becomes increasingly hard to find place in the national "A" team in Norway.
Sepp Kuss and Jorgen Nordhagen crosses the line on Stage 20 of the 2026 Vuelta a Espana
"There are many skiers who could also be very good cyclists. In my opinion, we will see more and more Norwegian guys choosing cycling in the future." Glimpses are already there.
A second-year junior with skiing background Elias Dybing already made strides at national level, finished third at junior road Championships, and won a UCI stage.
And a member of Norwegian national team with several World Cup podiums Iver Tildheim Andersen made baby-steps on road this season with continental Ringerike CK, won two time trials at national level and podium a queen stage of Okolo Jiznich Cech (2.2).
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While these are no extraordinary results, it supports Nordhagen's claim that from the perspective of cycling, there is much untapped potential in the world of cross-country skiing. That not more skiers make the transition even comes as a bit of a surprise to Nordhagen. Especially as both sports have the same endurance-oriented approach mixed with some explosiveness.
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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