Norwegian Alexander Kristoff has won the opening stage of the Tour of Norway.
Ruben Fernández of Caja Rural, Adrian Kurek, Davide Frattini, Oysten Laengen, Kirsten Hagen & Adrian Gjølberg were the first to successfully break on this 147.7km stage of a European Tour 2HC race which started and finished in Larvik on a rainy day.
Elliott Lietar of Topsport bridged as the gap went out to 4.25 which was down to 1.26 with 33.5kms to race.
Nine kilometres later, it was down to 44 seconds and down to 32 seconds with 19 kilometres remaining for Frattini, Kurek, Stake Laengen and Hagen who were still out in front.
The peloton started to have them in their sights and there was 6.2km left when their day on the front was ended.
CCC Polsat, then Katusha and then Belkin took over front running duties to set up the sprint which Alexander Kristoff of Katusha won, beating Holst Enger, Van Asbroeck, Nordhaug, Waeytens, Matysiak, Ciolek, Sprengers, Paterski and Ringheim.