The difference between glory and failure in sport is often a matter of inches. For Alexander Kristoff it was even closer than that, centimetres preventing him from becoming world champion in his native Norway four months ago.
It would have been a poignant and special win at the UCI Road World Championships in Bergen for the 30-year-old UAE Team Emirates rider – then with Katusha-Alpecin – last September, as he had to settle for silver behind slick Slovak Peter Sagan.
It was Sagan’s hat-trick triumph having won also in Doha a year earlier and Richmond, Virginia, in 2015. But even though he lost out on a “dream” win that would have seen him hold both European and world road race titles at the same time, Kristoff can comfort himself with the fact he gets to don winning white for most of 2018.
Although home happiness eluded him, success in Scandinavia didn’t. He just had to go a little further south for it and the European Championships, in Denmark, where victory was particularly sweet.
He beat Italy’s Elia Viviani to gold and usurped Sagan as champion. And Kristoff is content he can still wear his bright white European jersey until August.
“I didn’t lose by a lot, I missed out by a few centimeters and for sure I’m not happy about that,” Kristoff told reporters about his loss to Sagan at the worlds as he and the rest of the six-man UAE Team Emirates squad spoke to school children at Abu Dhabi’s GEMS American Academy on Sunday ahead of the Dubai Tour which begins on Tuesday.
“I’ve seen the videos. But there’s nothing I can do about it now. I try not to think too much about it. I still have the European jersey and that’s a nice one. So I have at least half a year more with a nice-looking jersey.”
Kristoff will be joined for the fifth staging of the Dubai Tour by local hero Yousif Mirza, as well as Morocco’s Anass Ait El Abdia and Italian trio Matteo Bono, Simone Consonni and Filippo Ganna – the latter claiming the team’s first podium position of 2018 with third place at the Vuelta a San Juan in Argentina at the end of January.
Alexander Kristoff (3rd r) joined UAE Team Emirates and staff at GEMS American Academy on Sunday
Continuing to reflect on his 2017, Kristoff added: “As always, I tried to do my best and when you gave your best you don’t have regrets. The European title and the victory in the WorldTour race of Surrey London Classic were prestigious achievements and my season was enriched by other top results where I got onto the podium.
“The big goal was the World Championship in Norway, it would have been a dream to win it. I did my best and I was not so far from making this dream come true, unfortunately Sagan was stronger than me.”
Dreams are something Kristoff certainly hopes will come true after jumping off the Katusha saddle and onto the UAE one for 2018 after six years with the Swiss side, formed in Russia in 2009.
Despite severing ties with Katusha, Kristoff revealed it was the right time to make the move. He feels he stagnated over the last few years and insists he’s chose UAE Team Emirates because they can help him go to the next level.
“For me the reason to change was they give me good possibilities for the races I want to win,” said Kristoff, who has enjoyed huge success throughout his career in the one-day sprint and Classics series.
“I want to be able to fight in the sprints and Classics, they will back me up on this and this is my goal for the next few years, to participate in these races and have support, and I will get that support with the UAE.”
On his decision to leave Katusha in a bid to improve and earn more silverware, he added: “It was a tough decision, I’ve been in Katusha for many years, but I felt also like I didn’t get anywhere.
“I maybe grew only a little bit there and didn’t develop, so in my mind I thought it was time for a change to a new environment, new equipment, new people to work with.
“This is a big move for me since it is my only second change of team in my career. I had good time with my past teams, we achieved top results and it was an important chapter of my cycling career.
The UAE’s Yousif Mirza is part of the team competing at the Dubai Tour
“I’m happy that a talented rider such as Sven Erik Bystrom (another Norwegian who moved with Kristoff from Katusha), who’s a great cyclist and a very good friend, will be with me this season.
“I think this can help me get onto the next level and we will see if it works.”
Kristoff’s biggest wins to date were at Milan–San Remo in 2014 and the Tour of Flanders a year later. His 2015 was a stunning year littered with triumph, with Kristoff also claiming wins at GP Ouest–France, Scheldeprijs and the Grand Prix of Aargau Canton.
Glory has permeated his career, having been a champion at Eschborn-Frankfurt – Rund um den Finanzplatz three times (2014, 2016, 2017) as well as Norway’s National Road Race champion in 2007 and 2011, while last year came European Road race glory and victory at the London–Surrey Classic.
UAE Team Emirates enjoyed sporadic success in their debut on the UCI WorldTour. Rui Costa led them to Stage 3 and overall victory at one of their home events, the Abu Dhabi Tour, a year ago, while Jan Polanc won Stage 4 of the Giro d’Italia and Matej Mohoric Stage 7 on the Vuelta a Espana.
They finished 12th out of the 18 teams in their inaugural campaign, two places higher than another new and Middle East-based team in Bahrain-Merida, and just behind Kroistoff’s former Katusha team.
Italy’s Diego Ulissi, meanwhile, claimed 16th place in the individual standings, two behind new teammate Kristoff.
After a steady debut, the team has designs on improving this year. And they have made statement signings with Kristoff joining two-time Grand Tour winner Dan Martin (2011 Vuelta and 2013 Tour de France stage winner) and 2015 Vuelta champion Fabio Aru.
Kristoff added: “Last year was the first year and they looked like they did very well, were very professional. For a first year it was very good.
“They want to build on that start and have signed some big riders, with me, Dan Martin, Aru, so for sure the team is looking stronger.”
Time will tell if more medals and success follow Kristoff to the Emirates, but the Oslo sprinter is excited for what lies up ahead for both him, and his new team.
“It’s always a new challenge coming into a new team, working with new riders, and it will take time to get used to riding together,” he said.
“This is the first race so I don’t expect miracles but I think during the season we will work better together. I look forward to working with the new riders, for example Ganna was third overall in Argentina recently. For the future we have strong potential among the young riders.
“Our roster is full of very competitive riders and I feel we’ll be ready to race for top titles in all the most important races of the UCI WorldTour calendar.
“The core group of UAE Team Emirates has achieved many successes over the past 20 years, so the perception was that UAE Team Emirates was established on a very solid basis and have all the necessary qualities for setting a successful long-term project.”
Success for both team and rider would be very welcome in Dubai this week, which for the second year features five stages instead of four.
Kristoff (l) finishes second at the UCI Road World Championships to Peter Sagan
The Middle East is a region where Kristoff enjoyed spectacular success to kick off his 2017 campaign, winning three of six stages on the Tour of Oman as well as taking the overall Points title.
He hopes that success can translate to the UAE, where he not only lines up for the UAE this week but also at the end of the month at the Abu Dhabi Tour.
“I expect and hope for at least one stage win,” he said as he builds up both fitness and form heading into the Classics.
“Last year I had three in Oman so maybe that was too much luck. But if I get one stage win that would be great and I hope for more.
“It’s a first race and on home ground for us so the season’s start is perhaps more important for me this year.
“I have good impressions of the team before I came though and I hope I can come into the season fighting to be among the best riders in Dubai, but I know the level of sprinters is really high so it will be difficult. I feel good and my shape is OK so I’m looking forward to getting started.
“I could have been better if I’d started the season earlier like other riders Down Under or Argentina. But my main goal is not here, it’s the Classics coming up.
“I’m coming here to build for that. I raced in Oman last year and won, so hopefully again I can grab some wins before my main goals. I’m still not at my peak but getting closer and with these three races here I think it will be very good for me coming into the Classics.
“I’m focused on the first part on the season. I’m aware my new team counts on me for being a protagonist in these races and I want to fulfill their expectations.”
