Alexander Kristoff
Introduction '''Alexander Kristoff''' (born 5 July 1987) is a Norwegian professional road bicycle racer, who currently rides for UCI ProTeam . His biggest victories have been the 2014 Milan–San Remo and the 2015 Tour of Flanders among many other successes.
Career ===Early career===At six, he moved from Oslo to Stavanger. His stepfather got him interested in cycling rather than football. He started riding for Stavanger SK. At 16 he won the Norwegian National Road Race Championships in the youth category, and finished fourth at the European Youth Summer Olympic Festival. He turned professional in 2006 for . In 2007, he won the Norwegian National Road Race Championships at 19, beating Thor Hushovd in a sprint of four riders.===Katusha (2012–2017)===He won a bronze medal in the road race at the 2012 London Olympic Games.====2014 season====Kristoff at the Tour des Fjords in 2014In 2014 Kristoff won Milan–San Remo beating Fabian Cancellara in the sprint. Later the same year Kristoff claimed two stage wins in the Tour de France making him runner-up behind Peter Sagan in the points classification. Later in the season Kristoff took another victory when he claimed first place in the Vattenfall Cyclassics, after a previous win on German soil in May at the Eschborn–Frankfurt – Rund um den Finanzplatz. In total Kristoff took 14 victories in the 2014 season ranking him eighth in points on the 2014 UCI World Tour season standings.====2015 season====Kristoff at the 2015 ScheldeprijsIn 2015, Kristoff had a very good start to his campaign by getting three stage victories at the Tour of Qatar, grabbing the points classification jersey in the process. He celebrated another stage victory soon afterward at the Tour of Oman. On 1 March, he was outsprinted by Mark Cavendish and finished in second position at Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne. He earned another sprint victory at Paris–Nice, while he was preparing himself for Milan–San Remo. He was looking for a repeat victory at that race, but John Degenkolb had the better of him in the sprint finish and he settled for second position. Still in the month of March, he went on to finish just shy of the podium in E3 Harelbeke, taking fourth place. He then participated in the Three Days of De Panne, where he was part of a six-man breakaway on the first stage and won the sprint of the small group, while being lead-out by his teammate Sven Erik Bystrøm. He repeated the next day, this time using a bunch sprint to propel himself to victory. Kristoff also won stage 3a, a bunch sprint where he very slightly edged André Greipel by 0.0003 seconds. With the bonus seconds awarded to him, he won the general classification too after finishing third on stage 3b, a short individual time trial.In April, Kristoff won the cobbled monument Tour of Flanders, the main goal of his spring season. With some  remaining, Niki Terpstra attacked and only Kristoff went with him. The duo got a lead of 30 seconds with the remains of the lead group unable to catch them. Kristoff beat Terpstra in the two-man sprint, to take his biggest win up to that point. Three days later Kristoff won the sprinters' semi-classic Scheldeprijs, becoming the first rider to win the Three Days of De Panne, the Tour of Flanders and Scheldeprijs in the same season. Kristoff came in tenth at Paris–Roubaix, and then took a break from racing. He came back at the Tour of Norway, where he finished eighth overall while taking two stage successes. Shortly after, he participated in the Tour des Fjords where he dominated the sprints again by amassing three stage victories, the points classification jersey and a ninth overall position. He also won the seventh stage of the Tour de Suisse ahead of Peter Sagan. Sagan got out of Kristoff's slipstream to try to out-sprint him in the closing stages, but to no avail.====2016 season====In 2016, he started his season with a hat-trick of stage wins at the flat Tour of Qatar, finishing in second position in the overall classification to Mark Cavendish.====2017 season====In August 2017, Kristoff won the men's road race at the UEC European Road Championships in Denmark.===UAE Team Emirates (2018–2021)===Later in August 2017, it was confirmed that Kristoff had signed an initial two-year deal with  starting from the 2018 season. He moved there with fellow Norwegian Sven Erik Bystrøm.====2018 season====Kristoff started his first season with his new team at the Dubai Tour. He followed this up with appearances at two more stage races in the Middle East. At the Tour of Oman, he won the sixth and final stage. His second win of the season came in the opening stage of the Abu Dhabi Tour. At the Tour de France, he won the last stage in a sprint on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.====2019 season====In June 2019, Kristoff extended his  contract by a further two years, to the end of the 2021 season.====2020 season====In August, Kristoff won the opening stage of the Tour de France, taking the yellow jersey as a result. The following day, he lost the jersey to Julian Alaphilippe on a high mountain stage.
Personal life Kristoff married Maren Kommedal at Stavanger Cathedral in October 2014, and the couple have four children.
Major results ;2005: 2nd Time trial, National Junior Road Championships: 10th Road race, UCI Juniors World Championships;2006: Grenland GP::1st Stages 1 & 2;2007 (1 pro win): 1st 20px Road race, National Road Championships: 5th Poreč Trophy: 6th Colliers Classic;2008: 1st 20px Criterium, National Road Championships: 1st Stage 4 Ringerike GP: 2nd Rogaland Grand Prix: 2nd Poreč Trophy;2009: 1st 20px Road race, National Under-23 Road Championships: 1st Stage 3 Ringerike GP: 2nd Road race, National Road Championships: 2nd Sandefjord Grand Prix: 5th Overall Tour de Bretagne: 5th La Côte Picarde: 7th Road race, UEC European Under-23 Road Championships: 7th Druivenkoers Overijse: 9th Poreč Trophy: 9th ZLM Tour: 10th Ronde Van Vlaanderen Beloften;2010: 3rd Philadelphia International Championship: 4th Vattenfall Cyclassics: 5th Grand Prix de Fourmies: 7th Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen: 8th Grote Prijs Jef Scherens: 9th Paris–Bruxelles: 10th Scheldeprijs: 10th Memorial Rik Van Steenbergen;2011 (1): 1st 20px Road race, National Road Championships: 2nd Grand Prix de Fourmies: 5th Grand Prix d'Isbergues: 7th Scheldeprijs: 7th Paris–Bruxelles: 7th London–Surrey Cycle Classic: 7th Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen;2012 (2): Three Days of De Panne::1st 20px Points classification::1st Stage 3a: 2nd Grand Prix de Fourmies: 3rd 15px Road race, Olympic Games: 3rd Road race, National Road Championships: 3rd Overall World Ports Classic::1st 20px Young rider classification: 4th Overall Danmark Rundt::1st 20px Points classification::1st Stage 4: 6th Eschborn–Frankfurt – Rund um den Finanzplatz: 9th Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne;2013 (6): Tour of Norway::1st Stages 1, 2 & 5: 1st Stage 5 Tour de Suisse: 2nd Road race, National Road Championships: 2nd Overall Three Days of De Panne::1st 20px Points classification::1st Stage 3a: 3rd Vattenfall Cyclassics: 4th Overall Tour des Fjords::1st 20px Points classification::1st Stages 2 & 3 (TTT): 4th Tour of Flanders: 4th Brussels Cycling Classic: 5th Scheldeprijs: 8th Milan–San Remo: 9th Paris–Roubaix;2014 (14): 1st 20px Overall Tour des Fjords::1st 20px Points classification::1st Stages 2, 4 & 5: 1st Milan–San Remo: 1st Eschborn–Frankfurt – Rund um den Finanzplatz: 1st Vattenfall Cyclassics: Tour of Norway::1st 20px Points classification::1st Stages 1 & 5: Tour de France::1st Stages 12 & 15: 1st Stage 2 Tour of Oman: 2nd Overall Arctic Race of Norway::1st 20px Points classification::1st Stages 2 & 4: 5th Tour of Flanders: 8th Road race, UCI Road World Championships: 8th UCI World Tour: 8th Overall Three Days of De Panne: 8th GP Ouest–France;2015 (20): 1st 20px Overall Three Days of De Panne::1st 20px Points classification::1st Stages 1, 2 & 3a: 1st Tour of Flanders: 1st GP Ouest–France: 1st Scheldeprijs: 1st Grand Prix of Aargau Canton: Arctic Race of Norway::1st 20px Points classification::1st Stage 1: 1st Stage 1 Paris–Nice: 1st Stage 7 Tour de Suisse: 1st Stage 3 Tour of Oman: 2nd Milan–San Remo: 2nd Vattenfall Cyclassics: 2nd Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne: 3rd Overall Tour of Qatar::1st 20px Points classification::1st Stages 2, 4 & 5: 3rd Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec: 4th UCI World Tour: 4th Road race, UCI Road World Championships: 4th E3 Harelbeke: 8th Overall Tour of Norway::1st 20px Points classification::1st Stages 1 & 2: 9th Overall Tour des Fjords::1st 20px Points classification::1st Stages 1, 2 & 3: 9th Gent–Wevelgem: 10th Paris–Roubaix;2016 (13): 1st 20px Overall Tour des Fjords::1st 20px Points classification::1st Stages 2, 3 & 5: 1st Eschborn–Frankfurt – Rund um den Finanzplatz: Tour of Oman::1st Stages 3 & 6: 1st Stage 1 Arctic Race of Norway: 1st Stage 7 Tour of California: 2nd Road race, National Road Championships: 2nd Overall Tour of Qatar::1st 20px Points classification::1st Stages 2, 4 & 5: 2nd Overall Three Days of De Panne::1st 20px Points classification::1st Stage 1: 2nd Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne: 3rd Bretagne Classic: 4th Tour of Flanders: 5th EuroEyes Cyclassics: 6th Milan–San Remo: 7th Road race, UCI Road World Championships;2017 (9): 1st 20px Road race, UEC European Road Championships: 1st Eschborn–Frankfurt – Rund um den Finanzplatz: 1st London–Surrey Classic: Tour of Oman::1st 20px Points classification::1st Stages 1, 4 & 6: Étoile de Bessèges::1st 20px Points classification::1st Stage 2: 1st 20px Points classification, Tour of Britain: 2nd 15px Road race, UCI Road World Championships: 2nd Bretagne Classic: 3rd Overall Three Days of De Panne::1st 20px Points classification::1st Stage 2: 4th Overall Arctic Race of Norway::1st Stage 2: 4th Milan–San Remo: 4th EuroEyes Cyclassics: 5th Tour of Flanders: 7th Münsterland Giro;2018 (5): 1st Eschborn–Frankfurt: 1st Grand Prix of Aargau Canton: 1st Stage 21 Tour de France: 1st Stage 1 Abu Dhabi Tour: 1st Stage 6 Tour of Oman: 3rd EuroEyes Cyclassics: 4th Milan–San Remo: 6th Grand Prix de Fourmies: 9th Overall Dubai Tour;2019 (7): 1st 20px Overall Tour of Norway::1st 20px Points classification::1st Stage 5: 1st Gent–Wevelgem: 1st Grand Prix of Aargau Canton: 1st Stage 1 Tour of Oman: 1st Stage 1a Okolo Slovenska: 1st Stage 2 Deutschland Tour: 3rd Tour of Flanders: 3rd Eschborn–Frankfurt: 4th Road race, UEC European Road Championships: 4th EuroEyes Cyclassics: 7th Road race, UCI Road World Championships: 7th London–Surrey Classic: 7th Brussels Cycling Classic;2020 (1): Tour de France::1st Stage 1::Held 20px after Stage 1::Held 20px after Stages 1 & 2: 2nd Clásica de Almería: 3rd Tour of Flanders: 3rd Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne;2021 (2): 1st 20px Points classification, Arctic Race of Norway: 2nd Trofeo Alcúdia–Port d'Alcúdia: 3rd Overall Deutschland Tour::1st Stages 2 & 4: 3rd Eschborn–Frankfurt: 5th Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana: 6th Dwars door Vlaanderen;2022 (5): 1st Scheldeprijs: 1st Clásica de Almería: 1st Circuit Franco-Belge: 1st Stage 2 Deutschland Tour: 1st Stage 6 Tour of Norway: 2nd Road race, National Road Championships: 2nd Grand Prix du Morbihan: 3rd Milano–Torino: 3rd Eschborn–Frankfurt: 4th Paris–Bourges: 6th Road race, UCI Road World Championships: 7th Gooikse Pijl: 8th Road race, UEC European Road Championships: 9th Brussels Cycling Classic: 10th Tour of Flanders: 10th Hamburg Cyclassics;2023 (2): 1st Stage 1 Volta ao Algarve: 1st Stage 3 Tour of Norway: 2nd Overall CRO Race::1st 20px Points classification: 2nd Egmont Cycling Race: 2nd Road race, National Road Championships: 4th Omloop Het Nieuwsblad: 4th Clásica de Almería: 4th Grand Prix de Fourmies: 7th Super 8 Classic: 7th Gooikse Pijl;2024 : 2nd Trofeo Palma: 10th Trofeo Ses Salines-Felanitx===Classics results timeline=== Monument 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Milan–San Remo — — 1318'''1''''''2'''644 14 83 89 26 — Tour of Flanders — — 1545'''1'''45 16'''3''''''3''' 1810 18 Paris–Roubaix DNF DNF 579 DNF10 48 DNF 57 56NH 14 12 15 Liège–Bastogne–LiègeHas not contested during his career Giro di Lombardia Classic 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad — — 101 138 77 11 101 DNF — — DNF 58 604 Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne DNF —9NH 11'''2''''''2''' 21 — —'''3''' 40 11 43 Dwars door Vlaanderen — 112 — 20 13 — — — 76 12NH6 31 27 E3 Harelbeke — — 94 — —4 53 27 40 21 66 — DNF Gent–Wevelgem DNF — 57 14 119 DNS 73 25'''1''' 19 28 11 69 Scheldeprijs107 175 15'''1''' 15 — — — 13 33'''1''' 88 Eschborn–Frankfurt — —6 —'''1'''NH'''1''''''1''''''1''''''3'''NH'''3''''''3''' 12 Hamburg Cyclassics4 14 11'''3''''''1''''''2'''54'''3'''4NH10  Bretagne Classic — — — DNF8'''1''''''3''''''2''' 11 — — — — ===Major championship results timeline=== 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 alt=Gold medal Olympic GamesNot held —Not held'''3'''Not held —Not held —Not held alt=Rainbow jersey World Championships — — — — 69 — — —847'''2''' —7 — 216  20px European ChampionshipsRace did not exist —'''1''' 114 DNF DNF8 alt=National jersey National Championships 21'''1'''5'''2''' —'''1''''''3''''''2''' 1610'''2''' 50 2776 DNF'''2''''''2'''===Grand Tour general classification results timeline=== 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Giro d'Italia 157 149 — — — — — — — — — — —Stages won 0 0 — — — — — — — — — — —Points classification 30 8 — — — — — — — — — — — Tour de France — — 147 125 130 149 130 114 139 132 — 102 134Stages won — — 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 — 0 0Points classification — — 5 2 10 5 4 2 18 11 — 24 28 Vuelta a EspañaHas not contested during his careerStages wonPoints classification
References
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