Shaw Finishes Fifth In Norway

Nottingham’s 25-year-old pro cyclist, James Shaw, continued with his steady career this past weekend when adding a 5^th place GC finish in the Tour of Norway, to the 5^th he achieved earlier in the year in the Tour of Slovenia.

Those two, fifth place finishes, the Slovenia race coming in June, would see that of a Lancaster GP sandwiched between, Shaw, who rides for the Ribble Weldtite team, finish just outside of the top ten, a nice warm-up for the trip to Scandinavia.

In Norway meanwhile, a Tour that had originally been scheduled for May, and was twice rescheduled, as well as being shortened from six to four stages, finally got underway in Egersund, on 19 August.

Overall, of the four stages the riders were partaking, they would cycle some 653.5km, that first stage, between Egersund and Sokndal, a hilly run, the shortest of the four at just 150km; Shaw, he’d begin well enough, taking a fifth place finish behind Ineos Grenadiers rider, Ethan Hayter, and after having covered close to four hours in the saddle.

The following day, in Sirdal, and another 187km in the bag, would see Shaw finish in seventh, Hayter taking the stage, but consolidated his GC placing following a 1km drag to Sirdal, the result pushing him up to fourth in the rankings.

Jorpeland was next up for the riders, and a 160km ride; known as the Queen stage, it would see Shaw’s lowest finish of the Tour, coming in in eleventh place, mind, GC leader, Hayter, only managed fifth himself, Trek-Segafredo rider, Mads Perderson, of Denmark, taking the plaudits there.

Hayter though remained out if front, with Shaw dropping two to fourth in the GC following stage three’s ride before they headed to Stavanger for the final outing of the Tour.

Bora-Hansgrohe rider, Matthew Walls, would take the final stage, a 156.5 km ride with Shaw crossing in fourteenth place (Hayter 33^rd), the riders having overcome some four, challenging ascents with the overall finish making for another, impressive outing for Shaw, the highest placed rider with a Continental team, as he looks to continue his upward trajectory in the cycling pyramid.

Grand Classification Standings (Top Five)

Ethan Hayter (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers 15hr 15’ 00’
Ide Schelling (NED) Bora –Hansgrohe +15’
Mike Teunissen (NED) Team Jumbo-Visma +25’
Markus Hoelgaard (NOR) Uno-X +33’
James Shaw (GBR) Ribble Weldtite +33’

(Hoelgaard and Shaw, two of five riders to finish 33’ behind GC winner, Ethan Hayter)

Additional classifications saw Uno-X take the Team Classification by 16 seconds from Riwal; Shaw finished in eighth in the Points Classification with 27 and twenty behind the first-placed rider of Mike Teunissen (47), whilst the Dane, Anthon Charmig took the Mountains Classification.