Alexander Kristoff snaps seatstay clean in half during Hatta Dam sprint

The Norwegian was forced to push his way to the line of the brutal climb

Alexander Kristoff suffered a major mechanical on stage four of the UAE Tour (Photo: Yuzuru SUNADA)
(Image credit: Yuzuru SUNADA)

Alexander Kristoff was forced to walk the final portion of the Hatta Dam climb of the UAE Tour, after snapping the rear of his Colnago frame clean in half.

The Norwegian powerhouse walked up part of the brutal 400m climb on stage four, after a major mechanical took him out of contention.

It appears that the UAE Team Emirates rider’s derailleur broke during the dash for the line after he was caught in an earlier crash, and snapped his frame in the process.

>>> ‘UCI penalising the way we race with fines,’ says Alex Dowsett

In an Instagram post after the stage, Kristoff said: “A lot of sand on the road today in the UAE Tour.

“I was involved in a crash five or six kilometres from the finish, my bike got banged up a bit and in the finish climb it broke unfortunately.

A photo posted by on

“Anyone, I used a lot of energy to get back in the pack in the last 5km so would not have been able to beat Caleb Ewan.”

Pictures posted on social media after the stage show Kristoff’s frame snapped clean in half during the incident.

Kristoff rides a Colnago Concept, the Italian brand’s first ever aero race setup.

See more

The bike was designed using a wind tunnel to reduce the drag, making it a rapid machine for sprinters.

Team-mate Fernando Gaviria and Kristoff were involved in a crash in the closing stages, with the latter’s bike being hit from behind.

>>> Remco Evenepoel says motorbikes ‘should have more respect for the peloton’ after UAE Tour crash

His team said that Kristoff changed gears in the final, triggering a whip effect in the rear derailleur, which was out of alignment due to the earlier crash.

Kristoff is currently riding in the UAE Tour in support of his Colombian team-mate Gaviria.

But the stage four sprint to Hatta Dam, a short climb that hits gradients of 17 per cent, was Kristoff’s opportunity to fight for victory.

The the frame snap took him out of the battle, as Lotto-Soudal’s Caleb Ewan blasted past his rivals to take the win.

Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Alex Ballinger

Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers.  Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.