And three for Remco Evenepoel! After winning Stage 1 and Stage 3, the Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl team phenom also bagged Stage 5 of the Tour of Norway.
And how! The Belgian won in a reduced committee sprint, an event for him who had become accustomed to winning the stages alone so far.
Leader of the event, Evenepoel did better than defending himself throughout the 181.7 km between Flekkefjord and Sandnes, a course favorable to punchers with ado not climb 800 meters at more than 10% on average.
In the final climb, ‘REV’ withstood the attacks of his opponents and launched himself in pursuit of the Irishman Ben Healy, the last survivor of the breakaway. Evenepoel returned to his wheel 500m from the goal and started his sprint in the lead.
He was thus able to choose his trajectory, no offense to Luke Plapp who made great gestures of displeasure before crossing the line in 3rd position behind Evenepoel and the Norwegian Tobias Johannessen.
At the end of this 5 stage, Remco Evenepoel has therefore consolidated his leader’s jersey. The 22-year-old Belgian now has a 56-second lead over Jay Vine (Alpecin-Fenix) and 1:30 on Luke Plapp (INEOS Grenadiers) the day before the finish).
On Sunday, the 6th and final 150 km long stage around the city of Stavanger in southwestern Norway is still cut out for punchers.
