Amund Grøndahl Jansen sprinted to seventh place in the first stage of the Tour des Fjords today. The stage to Førde was won by Belgian Dries van Gestel. He stayed in front of a sprinting peloton with three other leaders. Jansen placed third in the group sprint behind.

"We practiced the lead-out and the men did very well," said Jansen. "Unfortunately, I was still overtaken by two men, so it was not perfect for me."

The initial phase was chaotic. Many riders tried to get away, and on behalf of Team LottoNL-Jumbo Belgian Gijs Van Hoecke attacked a number of times.

"It took a long time before the breakaway could drive away and the race was fast. There was little control in the peloton. The four riders from the breakaway were never caught, so we sprinted for a fifth place."

After the Tour of Norway, this is again a home race for Jansen. "It's nice to ride in my country on behalf of team LottoNL-Jumbo. I enjoy showing my country to my team-mates. And during this race, we also see some regions that I have never been to before."

The Tour of Fjords continues this week and ends with a stage to Stavanger on Sunday, May 28th.