Hushovd convinced that more Tour cyclists want cancellation – VG

The former Norwegian pro tells VG a few hours before this year’s Tour starts in Nice.

Hushovd is still in close contact with cycling in southern Europe. Talk about the passengers who have appreciated more time with the family during the closing of the crown. But the 42-year-old has also spoken to riders who feel the pressure from the outgoing contracts.

And then mention a third group:

– Several drivers have struggled tremendously with motivation in the period in which the season has been suspended. While some really want to start over, there are others who are on the starting line hoping that the entire Tour de France will be canceled. I am convinced of that, he says.

– It is a completely wrong attitude, because then it will be heavy. On each long hill you will think that “this is heavy and exhausting, but maybe the race will stop soon”.

Hushovd usually lives in Monaco, a few kilometers east of the Riviera. Now he’s sitting in a beach cafe in Nice with VG. He also has a home here.

Hushovd will continue the career as a TV 2 expert for the third time. He himself believes that the Tour de France will go as planned and end in Paris in just over three weeks.

Others are much more skeptical after corona infection has remarkably flourished in France recently. Nice, where the Tour begins, is defined as a red area.

– If the race stops on the way, it will be a circus. It will be completely banana. They will then discuss whether to pick a winner or not, says Hushovd.

– Isn’t the Tour de France a bit typical?

– The bike contains so many locks and clay. And there is no great player who can say “that’s right”. That is why so many things are happening. Some may get kicked out because they asked in a dangerous way, and then you have the doping part … It’s a chaotic mess. But it has become part of the sport, without anyone wanting it that way.

It is mandatory to wear a mask when walking the streets of Nice. Most French people follow the rules, but everywhere you can also see people who don’t follow them.

The pedestrian street is full of people at night. Restaurants are full.

– If the authorities are going to take action, they can start there. In the Tour de France, you live in an isolated bubble, says Hushovd.

After 60 days in complete isolation this spring, where walking outdoors was prohibited, he and his family have spent the summer in Norway. You are now part of an unusually small TV 2 crew that will be touring France in the coming weeks.

– Has it been a difficult decision for you to travel here this year?

Hushovd begins by talking about how some on TV 2 have been as divided on questions as the running backs on the field:

– When you travel for a company like TV 2, there is an HR department that will have a voice and a direction that will evaluate if it is justifiable. But personally, I didn’t want anything more. I want the world to go on as before. I want to work, travel and bring a special edition of the Tour de France with me.

– So it wasn’t a difficult choice?

– No. But I respect the situation you are facing and take all precautions to avoid infection, he says.

– Why is it so important to complete the Tour de France?

– There are several factors. First of all, it is the best way to market tourism in France. Exactly, of course, you can live without that, but if this had been seen as a national risk, then you would think that the health authorities would have stopped everything, opens Hushovd.

– And then there is a private player (ASO) who is the organizer. They will implement it, as they will take care of their shareholders. Furthermore, the entire cycling world relies on a vulnerable model. They need the biggest showcase there is, he continues.

– Has cycling failed? Does the Tour de France depend on this “engine”?

– It’s both- and. Some teams do not depend on it. But it is the sponsors and owners who decide. Sunweb is a player in tourism, and it goes without saying that they rely on advertising and we are starting over. The owner of Team Ineos does it to spend his savings on something fun. So that team is still alive anyway, says Hushovd.

He will not be taking Dag Otto Lauritzen on a trip to France this summer. Commentators Christian Paasche and Johan Kaggestad are also in Oslo, where they will comment on the world’s largest cycle race in the coming weeks.

Thor Hushovd has set 2020 as a different year. Around the dinner table, 15-20 TV 2 employees usually sit during the Tour de France. They were only five years old on Thursday night.

– In any case, I am happy to be here and bring this special event with me. It will be special, whether we come to Paris or not, she tells VG.