Actually, it was all gone in the sink. Mathias Norsgaard was made a contract in view already in august, where both the Spanish large groups Movistar and the other World Tour teams had it out for him after the victory on the first stage of the Tour de l’avenir.
But even if there was indgydet hope and made promises, there was not anything concrete, and Norsgaard had therefore given up hope already next year to run at cycling’s highest level.
– But then in October called Movistar suddenly again. It came up behind me, for I had been disappointed so many times, says Mathias Norsgaard for the Extra Magazine.
– Many managers had called and expressed that I just was the one they were looking for, but then ceased contact suddenly, and then it was not for nothing.
– En Movistar then called on a Monday and would write the contract on Thursday, I thought that the song I had heard before. But this time was fortunately good enough, says Norsgaard.
He has signed a contract for two years with the team that has the veteran Alejandro Valverde as biggest name. The team is steeped in Spanish, and although Norsgaard have lived in Girona in northern Spain for a year, he faces a challenge with regard to the language.
Brent van Moer (silver), Mikkel Bjerg (gold) and Mathias Norsgaard (bronze) on the podium at the WORLD championships in the individual time trial for Under 23 riders in 2018. Mountain and Norsgaard is brothers, since the Mountain is the girlfriend of the Norsgaards little sister), and it is also roommates in Girona, where they share an apartment. Photo: Christian Bruna / Ritzau Scanpix.
– It goes superdårligt with the Spanish. We live in a parallel society in the city of Girona, where we are a bunch of danes, who train and live together and otherwise mainly with English-speaking riders, says Mathias Norsgaard.
– It is very up market, but it’s also hard to not have learned any Spanish, you will need it. It will be a project over the winter to have learned something more.
– Chief at Movistar, Eusebio Unzue, do not speak English, so if I want to talk with him, I must learn the language. I would also like to show respect for him and the team by learning Spanish, say Norsgaard.
Movistar is a distinctly etapeløbshold, which is largely invisible in the northern classics. Norsgaard, there is a big and strong pace rider on two feet, therefore consider it to be ‘most likely’ that he will get the chance to run, for example, Paris-Roubaix.
on the other hand, he is very difficult to get space in a Grand Tour, and he does not, therefore, the nose up after that run the Tour de France when the race begins in Copenhagen in 2021.
– the Chance that I can develop myself so much that I’m ready for the Tour in 2021, is very small. I will work hard for it, of course, but it is not very likely that I get a place, says Norsgaard.
– Tour in Denmark is a dream, but it is not a goal. I put me so high goal, I can almost only be disappointed, so I’d rather set myself realistic goals and be a happy professional, says Mathias Norsgaard, who will be the 21. Danish rider on the World Tour next year.
——— SPLIT ELEMENT ———
Rasmussen: Norsgaard to make its mark in the north
Michael Rasmussen is Ekstra fixed cykelsportskommentator. Photo: Claus Bonnerup / Ritzau Scanpix.
There is nothing to say that a young rider as Mathias Norsgaard thanks to run on a large groups as Movistar. The question is rather, what Movistar, who puts the most effort in stage races, with a big, heavy rider as Norsgaard.
Movistar has bought some horsepower, as on the flat course can protect some of the small Spanish, which easily blows away in the wind, says Michael Rasmussen, Ekstra cykelsportskommentator.
– They have Imanol Erviti and Nelson Oliveira, that can something of the same, but they lack often some big and strong people as Norsgaard.
– He can take some watts in flatter terrain, but he gets it hard in the terrain, where Movistar usually excels, namely, in the etapeløbene south.
– Norsgaard will get a chance to test themselves in the belgian race, where Movistar’t have much to offer beyond the millennium best cyclist, Alejandro Valverde, says Rasmussen.
– Here-and-now is the most important thing at all for Norsgaard, that he learns any Spanish. He would do themselves a great service by taking the intensive training in the next month’s time.
Or he risks quickly become quite lonely and feel outside of the team. Can he just a bit of Spanish, he stands well equipped for the next season, says Michael Rasmussen.
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