Three years ago, Ole Forfang won the Tour de Normandie, without knowing that he would be the title holder for several years. “It’s funny because every year, at the end of March, my friends remind me that I am always the last winner of the event”laughs the Norwegian, who retired from sport at the end of the 2019 season.
“I haven’t had any offers from professional teams at the end of this season, which was my last under contract with the Joker team. I said to myself that if, despite my victory in the Tour of Normandy, no one wanted me, there was no point in continuing in cycling”
The decision to retire from sport, at only 24 years old, is ultimately not as hard as one might think. “I am realistic, my level had stagnated for several years. I could see that I couldn’t turn a corner and that it would be difficult to turn professional“.
From cycling to law school
In retrospect, Forfang realizes that he was not mistaken in stopping his career. “With the Covid-19 pandemic arriving a few months later, it was clearly the right time to quit. Of course, when I got into cycling, my dream was to participate in the biggest events, the Tour de France, the biggest classics… But honestly, with the Covid, it would have been even harder to break through, so I have no regrets”.
Especially since his team at the time, Joker Fuel of Norway, did not resist the pandemic. Today, the winner of the TDN 2019 is a fulfilled man, who studies Law at the University of Oslo.
“I have always been drawn to the humanities, and law has interested me for a long time. I’m in my second year of college and it suits me very well. I do not regret this choice in any way. My goal is to get a PHD to probably become a law professor”. Or maybe a lawyer, or even a judge, the Norwegian does not forbid himself anything, he has his life ahead of him and intends to make the most of it.
– Tour of Normandy
By Jeep along the Landing beaches
From his life before, led by pedal, he keeps Normandy his fondest memory. He carefully stored his yellow winner’s and white best young rider’s jerseys in a cupboard, and in his head the memories of a week of fun in the region.
I remember the 90 km breakaway and the victory at argentan, but even more of the landing beaches. “Before departure, at _Courseulles-sur-Mer_, we had driven World War II Jeeps. And then, on the last leg, I remember we drove along the shore to landing (Omaha Beach, editor’s note). It was truly a highlight that I will never forget.”.
In addition to Normandy and its triumph in the regional event, he remembers his Tower of the Future, in 2016 that he had run alongside Gaudu, final winner, but also Bernal, Hindley, Geoghegan Hart, Madouas, Storer or even Sivakov. In his memory drawer, the U23 world championship of the same year, in Qatar, won by his compatriot Chrsitoffer Halvorsen.
This Sunday marks the last day ofOle Forfang, outgoing winner of the Tour of Normandy. He will follow from afar, but with attention, the undecided final to know who will succeed his name in the winners of the Normandy event. s