Emma Norsgaard

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Emma Norsgaard blog: Missing splits and taking risks

During the Belgian Classics, GCN is running an exclusive rider blog from 

, one of the most consistent riders in the peloton, a 

 stage winner, and a Classics specialist. Norsgaard started her Classics season with fifth in Omloop van het Hageland and seventh in Nokere Koerse, before an attacking display at 

 on Sunday. This week, she will race Dwars door Vlaanderen and the 

A few rides and several coffees later, I've recovered from a long day out at Gent-Wevelgem and I'm ready for this week's races. It was a strange race, but I'm happy with how I raced, making some attacks in the finale with 

 sprinted to sixth for us at the finish, so it was a good day overall.

At one point, we were caught the wrong side of the split when a group with Kopecky, Wiebes, Georgi, Longo Borghini and Pieterse went up the road, but none of our riders were in it. This is a situation that can happen a lot in races, and teams have to know how to react.

When it happens to us, we always try to stay calm and not do something crazy straight away, like counterattack or work too hard on the front too soon. That's what we did in Gent-Wevelgem, and then it became clear that dsm-firmenich PostNL and UAE Team ADQ were working really hard to get back, so we didn't have to do so much work.

Sometimes, you have to let the riders see the situation and think for themselves. At that time, our team car was telling us to immediately start pulling, but I could see that multiple teams were pulling full gas in the chase, so in situations like that the riders have to think about what they can see themselves and be smart about it. In situations like that, I feel like all you need is one good sprinter and one good sprint team in the second group, and you know they will bring it back.

We talked as a team and I said "stay calm, they will definitely bring us back," because the group was only 20 seconds ahead, we could still see them and we could tell they weren't working very well together. For me, I was never stressed that we wouldn't come back, especially in a long race like Gent-Wevelgem.

When you're in those situations, you also have to be careful about saving your energy. Use your efforts to make things easier, not stupidly. Even when there's you and some teammates, you have to make sure you don't do all the work for everyone else, and you have to make sure at least one rider is saving their legs for the sprint. We usually know before the race who will have to put the work in, and who will sprint, but it can change in the moment.

In Gent-Wevelgem, we brought it back, but there are also times when you don't close the gap, and that is really frustrating. As soon as you know it's not going to come back and you're in the wrong group to chase, your race is over and there's really nothing to do.

Gent-Wevelgem: Lorena Wiebes defeats Elisa Balsamo in photo-finish sprint

When it comes to closing down risky moves, the next part of the story is what happens after you bring them back. If someone like Lorena Wiebes is still in the peloton, then we know we have to try someone else, because we won't distance her on the climbs but we also know she is probably going to be the best in the sprint.

This meant that in Gent-Wevelgem, our next plan was to attack, with Floortje and me. I was pretty sure other teams would want to join, because surely they also know that they couldn't beat Wiebes, Balsamo or Consonni in a sprint – there's so many of us who are in this situation. So I was convinced that other teams would attack with us, but everyone was just sitting in the bunch and doing nothing, which was a bit disappointing.

I don't know exactly why teams don't want to be aggressive, but I think sometimes they are scared to try, or they don't want to risk getting dropped from the peloton before the finish. Sadly I think this is the mentality of a lot of riders: they'd rather be top 15 from the bunch, than try something and risk getting dropped. For me, though, I'm not satisfied with that, I want to feel like I've done something.

When you're trying those attacks in the finale, it's partly about talking to your teammates and making a plan, but it's also based on feeling. You know when is a good moment, or when you feel good. The other thing is, though, that you can also feel when it's not going to work. With one of my attacks in Gent-Wevelgem, I was up the road for quite a while, but I knew immediately it wasn't going to be anything, because I was alone. I really thought someone would come with me, but when I realised I was alone, I just thought "ah, shit" because I can't hold off the peloton on my own.

Lotte Kopecky attacks out of ‘boredom’ but SD Worx play it cool at Gent-Wevelgem

It's difficult in those situations where the group has worked so hard to bring things back, but then don't try anything in the finale, and just wait for a sprinter to win. I understand it, and I see why teams want to play it safe, but it's not how we want to race.

These Classics are difficult, and the tactics are complicated. You might find yourself in a position where you either let a group go, or bring it back for a sprint where you will also be beaten, so neither is perfect when you're up against teams like SD Worx-Protime and Lidl-Trek who have riders for everything. But at the end of it, you just have to make sure you're in the race, not just a part of the peloton, because on these long, hard days, anything can happen.

Spring Classics 2024: Essential guide to the races and riders

It's always so hard to predict Flanders, and we still have Dwars door Vlaanderen to get through, but I know Sunday is going to be so hard. It will almost be like an elimination race on the track – riders will be out on every climb. It will of course be difficult for anyone to beat SD Worx-Protime and Lotte Kopecky, but everyone is coming in really good shape, and the level is higher in every race.

For me, I wouldn't put all my money on SD Worx-Protime for Sunday, and I think I have a pretty good idea of who could challenge them: Marianne Vos – I think she's going to be really good, and Trek are super strong right now, so it's not going to be easy for SD Worx-Protime, that's for sure.

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Emma Norsgaard blog: My strategy for the Classics

During the Belgian Classics, GCN will be running an exclusive rider blog from Movistar’s 

After starting her season at the UAE Tour, Norsgaard returned to Europe for the Classics season, picking up fifth in Omloop van het Hageland and seventh in Nokere Koerse. This week, she will race 

I’ve raced four one-day Classics so far, and last week at 

 I felt like my best so far. It wasn't my best result of the season, but I was part of the race and it’s better for me to feel useful and like I made a difference. In the end, we didn't get the result we hoped for, but I was happy with my performance.

It's always difficult with the Classics because if I'm not on the podium I always feel super disappointed, but obviously, there is so much more to it than just being in the top three. In these races it's so hard mentally, so I should give myself a little bit more credit. At the moment I'm near the front, and in the right moves, which is something that I'm trying to be proud of and not knock myself for not having a top result yet. There are still so many Classics coming up, and my favourite ones are still ahead of us.

Even though they are my favourite races, there’s an element that I don’t enjoy with Gent-Wevelgem, Flanders and Roubaix. They’re so stressful and so much can happen. I've never been super happy after these races, I always feel disappointed because my expectations are so high and I feel like I can never live up to them, but when you are feeling good and have good legs, it's the best feeling.

Something that’s different for me this year is that I have more chances to race for myself since 

 retired. With Annemiek, we always had a safe card to play. For so many years, she was the one winning everything, so obviously we could not have a rider trying to go in an early breakaway or a late attack. I really enjoyed working with her, but I also think this is going to open up opportunities for me to seek victories or success in different ways.

I have the mentality of a winner, so it's really hard seeing 

 taking all the victories. It's frustrating, and it's something that's not super great for me, but it gives me fuel for my training – I know that I have to be better.

To beat SD Worx, we have to be smarter than them. They obviously have the strength, which is ahead of the rest of us at the moment, so we have to work with other teams and make it harder for them. A lot of the time I think we play into their hands, basically giving Wiebes the victory in almost every race.

SD Worx-Protime foiled in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad as Lidl-Trek, Vos play numbers game

I feel like the last two years have been almost a joke sometimes, how teams raced – us included, but we also had Anniemiek, so it was a bit easier for us just playing along because we knew Annemiek would finish it off in the end. But I think this year the mentality has changed, and I see that the tactics are against SD Worx. This is what we have to do because they are, at the moment, unbeatable otherwise.

Big dreams and learning to trust yourself

As for my goals in the next races, Gent-Wevelgem is hopefully going to be a nice chance for me, and I'm aiming at Paris-Roubaix, of course. In Roubaix, you need so much luck, and every time I do it I'm hoping for a nice result.

At Gent-Wevelgem, getting away in a smaller group would be ideal, but the problem is Lorena Wiebes is also going to be there. Being in a smaller group is also easier to anticipate, so it would be ideal for me to be able to eliminate SD Worx, Trek, and all these big teams so they don't have five riders who can sit on the front and close it down. At Movistar we also have Arlenis Sierra, who is so smart and so good in these races, and she'll be a really important card we can play.

There are four riders who I race with a lot during the Classics: Arlenis, Floortje Mackaij and Aude Biannic. I'm always with Aude in every race, and I have a similar thing with Floortje now after a year of being teammates. I fully trust them both, and it's easy to rely on them, because I know they will always be there for me, they'll always be in the front at the right moment. Me and Aude have been teammates for four years, and I trust her with my life. She's also one of my best friends, which makes it even easier to trust each other. It's a great team, and we have so much fun, which for me is really important because it means my head is happy too – happy head, fast legs.

Right now, this Classics block is the most important thing for me, but the Tour de France and the Olympics are really high up on my list for the rest of the year. I've had a taste of what it feels like to win the Tour, and I think it's unmatched. It's a feeling I've never experienced before, the joy we were all feeling in the team was unreal, so this is something I want to achieve again, whether it’s at the Tour or here in the Classics.

Emma Norsgaard is a Danish professional cyclist, currently riding for Movistar

GCN Presenter Hank

Emma Norsgaard is a Danish professional cyclist, currently riding for Movistar. As a rider, her specialism is hard to define, but that hasn't stopped the 24-year-old from finding success on the road. Having joined Cervélo-Bigla straight out of the junior ranks in 2018, Norsgaard started out as something of a sprinter, but in recent years has diversified her talents. She’s now a strong one-day racer and a Tour de France Femmes stage winner.

Norsgaard is also often found working as a domestique, previously for Annemiek van Vleuten and in 2024 for Movistar's other climbers. Owing to her strong engine, Norsgaard is a good time trialist and a two-time national champion in the discipline.

After a stint without a big win, Norsgaard took a huge victory on stage 6 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in 2023, just holding off the bunch to survive to the line and take an emotional stage win.

Emma Norsgaard

Latest articles from Emma

Emma Norsgaard blog: Missing splits and taking risks

Emma Norsgaard blog: My strategy for the Classics

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