Ha vent’anni, tanto talento e un futuro in maglia Intermarché – Wanty. Il suo nome è Halvor Dolven, si è laureato campione nazionale norvegese U23 su strada e la formazione belga lo ha annunciato tra gli stagisti della propria formazione World Tour.
Non solo, dalla stagione 2025 Dolven sarà tesserato per la Wanty-ReUz-Technord, formazione Continental in cui attualmente milita anche il nostro Alessio Delle Vedove.
Vincitore del Tour des 100 Communes davanti a Steffen De Schuyteneer e Andrea Raccagni Noviero, Dolven ha dichiarato: «Sono lieto di far parte della Intermarché-Wanty, un team con un'ottima reputazione in Norvegia. Alexander Kristoff, Odd Eiking e Sven Erik Bystrøm hanno già raggiunto il successo in questa squadra in passato e spero di seguire le loro orme. È una fantastica opportunità per la mia carriera, in quanto posso crescere in un ambiente professionale con una visione chiara per il mio futuro. Ho un profilo versatile, ma la mia forza sta soprattutto nella lettura della gara. Ecco perché penso di poter crescere bene qui come atleta. Sono anche felice di poter lavorare con il mio connazionale Felix Ørn-Kristoff e spero che possiamo fare grandi cose insieme nel 2025 con Wanty-ReUz-Technord».
Aike Visbeek, responsabile delle prestazioni della Intermarché – Wanty, elogia il giovane corridore norvegese e assicura: «Insieme ai tecnici Kévin van Melsen e Christophe Prémont, svilupperemo un piano per la stagione 2025, come abbiamo fatto in precedenza con Francesco Busatto, Roel van Sintmaartensdijk e Huub Artz. Il programma di Dolven consisterà in una combinazione di gare con Wanty-ReUz-Technord e i professionisti del World Team».
Il Direttore Sportivo van Melsen aggiunge:« Halvor Dolven è una parte molto importante del nostro progetto di sviluppo. Dopo la promozione di Huub Artz nel nostro Intermarché-Wanty World Team, cercavamo un profilo simile, corridore con un grande motore e un temperamento da attaccante, che fosse altrettanto capace di puntare alla vittoria quando ne ha l'occasione. L'anno prossimo avremo un certo numero di giovani corridori provenienti dalle classifiche junior e sono convinto che Halvor possa guidarli. Ha una certa esperienza con varie gare professionistiche alle spalle. Dolven giocherà un ruolo importante anche nel treno sprint che vogliamo allestire per Felix Ørn-Kristoff, con le sue qualità fisiche e le sue capacità di lettura della gara».
Press release english version
Halvor Dolven – The Norwegian U23 Champion Joins Intermarché-Wanty
Norwegian U23 champion Halvor Dolven is joining Intermarché-Wanty as a World Team trainee in August. From 2025 onwards, he will be part of Wanty-ReUz-Technord, the continental development team.
At just 20 years old, Dolven has already achieved a lot since the start of the 2024 season. The talented Norwegian has only been fully focused on cycling for one year, after several years as a cross-country skier, which explains his physical abilities as a powerful endurance rider.
After participating in the Tour of Antalya with the pros in February, he won the Tour des 100 Communes, his first UCI Classic of the season, among the strongest riders in challenging conditions. His national title followed in May, after participating in the most prestigious U23 classics such as Paris-Roubaix, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and Gent-Wevelgem.
Dolven joins the development team of Intermarché-Wanty. Initially, he will be a trainee with the World Team from August, before becoming part of Wanty-ReUz-Technord, the continental development team led by Kévin Van Melsen, where he will ride alongside his compatriot Felix Ørn-Kristoff.
Halvor Dolven:
"I am delighted to be part of Intermarché-Wanty, a team with a very good reputation in Norway. Alexander Kristoff, Odd Eiking, and Sven Erik Bystrøm have already achieved success here in the past and I hope to follow in their footsteps. It is a fantastic opportunity for my career, as I can grow in a professional environment with a clear vision for my future. I have a versatile profile, but my strength lies mainly in reading the race. That's why I think I can develop well as a classics rider, races that require a lot of concentration and good racecraft. I'm also happy to be able to work with my compatriot Felix Ørn-Kristoff and I hope we can achieve great things together in 2025 with Wanty-ReUz-Technord."
Aike Visbeek (Performance Manager):
"Halvor is one of the up-and-coming talents who has made the most impression among the under-23 riders this spring. His victory in the Tour des 100 Communes and his national championship title reflect his qualities at just 20 years old. He has only been fully focused on cycling for a short time, which shows a clear potential that we want to exploit. From August, he will join our team as a trainee, giving him the opportunity to grow further, gain experience, and become familiar with our organization. Together with Kévin van Melsen and Christophe Prémont, we will develop a plan for the 2025 season, as we have done previously with Francesco Busatto, Roel van Sintmaartensdijk, and Huub Artz. His program will consist of a combination of races with Wanty-ReUz-Technord and the World Team pros."
Kévin van Melsen (Sports Director):
"Halvor Dolven is a very important part of our development project. After the promotion of Huub Artz to our Intermarché-Wanty World Team, we were looking for a similar profile, a rider with a big engine and an attacking temperament, who is just as capable of finishing the job when he gets the chance. Next year, we will have a number of young riders from the junior ranks and I am convinced that Halvor can guide them. He has a certain amount of experience with various professional races under his belt. Dolven will also play an important role in the sprint train that we want to set up for Felix Ørn-Kristoff, with his physical qualities and his race reading skills. I look forward to seeing him join our team in August, where he can get a good foundation with the pros. Our goal is to help him develop into a classics rider who can also be useful in many different types of races. Halvor has a very sought-after profile and we are delighted to work with him on the future of our team."
