Alexander Kristoff sprints to victory at Ghent-Wevelgem 2019
John Degenkolb takes second behind Kristoff in reduced sprint finish
Alexander Kristoff
Nationality: Norwegian
Date of birth: July 5, 1987
Height: 181cm
Weight: 78kg
Team: UAE Team Emirates
With the pure sprinter starting to become a rare breed, Alexander Kristoff is a fast man with more to his repertoire than just a ferocious sprint.
Like John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo) and Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe), the Norwegian is as comfortable in the Classics as he is sprinting it out on the flat terrain in stage races.
While he took an impressive bronze medal at the Olympic Games road race in 2012, Kristoff’s real launch to prominence came in 2014, when he scored a first Monument win at the Milan-San Remo along with two stages at the Tour de France.
In the following years, things only seemed to be on the up. Second in San Remo in 2015 behind Degenkolb was swiftly followed with a second career Monument win at the Tour of Flanders in a season which saw him consistently podium in many of the races he entered.
The 2016 and 2017 seasons saw Kristoff consistently score stage wins in smaller stage races, and place in the top 10 of the Classics, although there would be no repeat of a Flanders or Milan-San Remo victory.
Kristoff moved to UAE Team Emirates from Katusha-Alpecin for the 2018 season, taking early stage victories in the Abu Dhabi Tour and Tour of Oman, but with the only highlights of the Classics season being fourth in Milan-San Remo.
Major results: Milan-San Remo 2014 | 2x stages Tour de France 2014 | Tour of Flanders 2015
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WEVELGEM, BELGIUM - MARCH 31: Arrival / Alexander Kristoff of Norway and UAE Team Emirates Celebration / John Degenkolb of Germany and Team Trek-Segafredo / during the 81st Gent-Wevelgem In Flanders Fields 2019 a 251,5km race from Deinze to Wevelgem / @Flandersclassics / on March 31, 2019 in Wevelgem, Belgium. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images) -
Alexander Kristoff suffered a major mechanical on stage four of the UAE Tour (Photo: Yuzuru SUNADA) 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
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AL BUSTAN, OMAN - FEBRUARY 17: Arrival / Alexey Lutsenko of Kazahkstan and Astana Pro Team / Celebration / during the 10th Tour of Oman 2019, Stage 2 a 156,5km stage from Royal Cavalry Oman to Al Bustan / TOO2019 / on February 17, 2019 in Al Bustan, Oman. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) Astana's Alexey Lutsenko powers to solo victory on stage two of the Tour of Oman
Kazakh moves into second overall as Kristoff retains race lead
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Alexander Kristoff of Norway and UAE - wins Team Emirates wins Stage 1 of the 2019 Tour of Oman in Sugar Corniche (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) Alexander Kristoff wins opening stage of Tour of Oman as predicted crosswinds fail to materialise
Norwegian extends his record streak taking his ninth win in Oman in 10 appearances
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Tour de France 2018 winner Great Britain's Geraint Thomas (C), wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, second-placed Netherlands' Tom Dumoulin (L) and third-placed Great Britain's Christopher Froome (R) celebrate on the podium after the 21st and last stage of the 105th edition of the Tour de France cycling race between Houilles and Paris Champs-Elysees, on July 29, 2018. (Photo by Philippe LOPEZ / AFP) (Photo credit should read PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images) Geraint Thomas wins the 2018 Tour de France as Alexander Kristoff takes final stage victory
Kristoff sprinted to victory on stage 21 ahead of John Degenkolb and Arnaud Démare as Geraint Thomas seals overall Tour de France victory
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Credit: LaPresse - Ferrari / Paolone Alexander Kristoff wins Abu Dhabi Tour stage one after Mark Cavendish crashes out
UAE Team Emirates' Alexander Kristoff won the opening stage of the Abu Dhabi Tour, out-sprinting Andrea Guardini and Caleb Ewan on a flat first day.
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UCI Norwegian rider Alexander Kristoff (L) of the United Arab Emirates races ahead of the pack team to reach the finish line of the sixth and last stage of the cycling Tour of Oman between Al Mouj Muscat and Matrah Corniche in Muscat on February 18, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Philippe LOPEZ (Photo credit should read PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images) Alexander Kristoff sprints to final stage victory at Tour of Oman as Lutsenko secures overall victory
For the third consecutive year Alexander Kristoff won the final stage at Tour of Oman on Sunday, in so doing taking his first victory since joining UAE Team Emirates this season.
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MORRO BAY, CA - MAY 16: Alexander Kristoff of Norway, riding for Team Katusha-Alpecin waits to sign in prior to stage 3 of the AMGEN Tour of California from Pimo Beach to Morro Bay on May 16, 2017 in Morro Bay, California. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Alexander Kristoff Alexander Kristoff says Tour of Britain frustrations sum up his season
Alexander Kristoff finished in the top-five on seven of the eight stages of the Tour of Britain
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Alexander Kristoff reveals new European champion's jersey
Alexander Kristoff will head to home roads at the Arctic Race of Norway resplendent in a new European champion's jersey which he revealed on Wednesday.
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Alexander Kristoff wins stage seven of the 2016 Tour of California UAE Team Emirates reach deal to sign Alexander Kristoff, although contract not yet signed
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RideLondon winner Alexander Kristoff falls just short of taking Box Hill Strava KOM
Norwegian Alexander Kristoff places fourth out of 81,887 riders who have logged a ride on Strava up Box Hill in Surrey
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Alexander Kristoff wins RideLondon-Surrey Classic
Norwegian Alexander Kristoff pays back his Katusha-Alpecin team's hard work with victory in London
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Tensions have brewed between Kristoff and Katusha after claims emerged that he was too heavy. Could he be on the move next year? Credit: Yuzuru Sunada Could Alexander Kristoff be heading to Astana for 2018?
Norwegian rider Alexander Kristoff is rumoured to be on the way out of Katusha-Alpecin at the end of the 2017 season
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Tensions have brewed between Kristoff and Katusha after claims emerged that he was too heavy. Could he be on the move next year? Credit: Yuzuru Sunada Watch: Alexander Kristoff takes first WorldTour win of season at Eschborn-Frankfurt (video)
Norwegian sprinter Alexander Kristoff leads home a one-two for Katusha-Alpecin at the end of gruelling one-day WorldTour race in Germany
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18 February 2016 8th Tour of Oman Stage 05 : Sama’il - Green Mountain 1st : HERMANS Ben (BEL) BMC Photo : Yuzuru SUNADA Team of the Week: Alejandro Valverde, Ben Hermans, Thibaut Pinot, and more
The last seven days have seen no fewer than three different top-level races to choose from, so we round up the best performers from this week's racing.
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Ben Hermans won two stages and the overall at the Tour of Oman Hermans wraps up Tour of Oman overall victory as Kristoff claims final stage
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Kristoff: naturally gifted fastman (Sunada) Alexander Kristoff sprints to Tour of Oman stage win as climbers' attacks prove futile
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Alexander Kristoff wins stage one of the 2017 Tour of Oman. Credit: Tim de Waele/Corbis via Getty Images Alexander Kristoff sprints to victory on Tour of Oman stage one
The Norwegian won the opening stage of the desert race as Tom Boonen crashed out of contention with 700m to go
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Riders forced to weave through traffic in chaotic Tour des Fjords (video)
Leigh Howard wins the first stage of the Tour des Fjords, but the day wasn't without its mishaps as organisational problems plagued the race
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John Degenkolb on stage four of the 2016 Critérium du Dauphiné John Degenkolb claims first top-three finish of 2016 in Arctic Tour of Norway (video)
German sprinter John Degenkolb finishes second behind Alexander Kristoff on stage one of Arctic Tour of Norway
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Riders on the Col du Tourmalet during Stage 18 of the 2014 Tour de France Band of brothers: How the sprinters survive in the Tour de France mountains
When the Tour de France hits the mountains, for some riders all they can do is survive
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Andre Greipel and Marcel Sieberg takes part in a training camp by the Lotto-Belisol team in 2013 Who's the funniest rider in the peloton? (video)
Cycling Weekly asked pro riders who makes them laugh the most in the peloton
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Alexander Kristoff, show us your scars Show us your scars #37: Alexander Kristoff (video)
Alexander Kristoff's scars aren't so visible nowadays, but his story about how he got them is excellent
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Alexander Kristoff narrowly avoids being hit by a car in final kilometre in De Panne (video)
A silver race support vehicle decides to pass Alexander Kristoff and two Astana riders as they battle for the win in the final kilometre of the Three Days of De Panne
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Ben Swift comes third at the 2014 Milan-San Remo (Watson) Milan San-Remo 2016: Alexander Kristoff is the bookies' favourite to regain his crown
