Frankfurt: UAE Team Emirates’ Alexander Kristoff won his fourth consecutive Eschborn-Frankfurt race in Germany on Tuesday.
The European Champion from Norway has now won this 212-km one-day event more times than any other rider. It adds to his earlier stage wins in Oman and Abu Dhabi this season, since joining UAE Team Emirates from Team Katusha over the winter.
Despite a change in route designed to make it more difficult for sprinters, Kristoff battled through the climbs to put himself in a good position for the final 300-metre sprint. The victory adds to his earlier wins at this event in 2014, 2016 and 2017. The race wasn’t held in 2015 due to a terrorism threat.
“This is a race that is particularly adapted to me,” he said. “This edition had more climbing than normal and I knew it would be harder. In the second loop, I didn’t feel so strong and I was about to be dropped, but thanks to my team mates, Oliviero Troia and Filippo Ganna, I was able to hang in there.
“In the last two laps on the traditional circuit, my feelings changed and I began to believe I could win. The team worked very well from the start and I couldn’t have done this without them. It’s great to get back to winning ways after my last victory back in February and great to have made race history with a fourth consecutive win.”
UAE Team Emirates will now continue their season at the Giro d’Italia from May 4-27. For more information visit: UAETeamEmirates.com.
