Team LottoNL-Jumbo and other pure-sprint teams could not compete for the win in the opening Tour of Norway stage today since the parcours were too difficult. The team’s Dylan Groenewegen managed 54th in the stage won by Edvald Boasson Hagen.

"The last two kilometres were uphill in the sprint,” Groenewegen said of the finish. "Tomorrow is better for me. Everything is up and down here, and we have to cross hills every day. Tomorrow it's a smoother arrival."

Early in the stage, a breakaway went and gained more than eight minutes. The peloton controlled it and caught it early. In the final, riders including Lars Boom tried to get away, but eventually a large group raced together to the finish line.

"Of course, you try to sprint, but we knew beforehand that this would be a difficult arrival," said Sport Director Nico Verhoeven.

"We saw some sprinters falling behind when Dylan was still there. Then we began to hope that he could have a chance to sprint. Unfortunately, the last two kilometres turned out to be too heavy for him."