Team Sky’s Lars Petter Nordhaug has said that he focussed on finishing his first Grand Tour, and has put aside thoughts of getting in more breakaways.
The 27 year old is feeling the effects of a tough Giro, but is motivated by the thoughts of getting to Milan.
“I think I just have to take it day by day and see how the legs are,” he told VeloNation's Ben Atkins after Tuesday’s stage 16 time trial. “I paid pretty heavily for the breakaways there [earlier in the race], so I am not really tempted to try some more days.”
The team has been riding for Thomas Lovkvist in the Italian Tour, and has helped him to a solid-rather-than spectacular 22nd overall. That performance has been less than it had hoped for, but for Norhaug and others on the team, it has been a valuable learning experience nonetheless.
“It has been my first Grand Tour, so it is something special. There have been some downsides, but I enjoyed it,” he said.
He actually started the Vuelta a España last year, but the team withdrew after the death of its soigneur Txema González. Reaching Milan will have a special significance, so, and should help the 2009 Tour of Ireland runner-up progress further as a rider.