Thor Hushovd facts for kids
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Hushovd at the 2011 Tour of California
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| Personal information | |||
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| Full name | Thor Hushovd | ||
| Nickname | The God of Thunder The Bull from Grimstad |
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| Born | 18 January 1978 Grimstad, Norway |
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| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Weight | 79 kg (174 lb) | ||
| Team information | |||
| Current team | Uno-X Mobility | ||
| Discipline | Road | ||
| Role | Rider (retired) General Manager |
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| Rider type | Sprinter Classic specialist |
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| Major wins | |||
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Thor Hushovd (born January 18, 1978) is a famous Norwegian former professional road bicycle racer. He was known for his amazing sprinting skills and his ability to race against the clock in time trials. Thor won the Norwegian national road race championship three times. He also won the World Road Race Championships in 2010. This made him the first person from Scandinavia to win this big title.
Thor Hushovd was also the first Norwegian cyclist to wear the yellow jersey, which means he led the Tour de France. He has won more stages in major cycling races (called Grand Tours) than any other Scandinavian rider. Many people think he is the best Norwegian cyclist of all time. He stopped racing professionally in September 2014.
Contents
Thor Hushovd's Cycling Journey
Early Career and First Wins
Thor Hushovd was born in Grimstad, Norway. Before he became a professional cyclist in 1998, he won several important races. He was the under-23 world champion in time trial. He also won the under-23 versions of famous races like Paris–Roubaix and Paris–Tours.
He became the Norwegian time trial champion in 2004 and 2005. He also won the Norwegian road race championship in 2004 and 2010.
Big Moments in the Tour de France
In 2006, Thor had a fantastic year. He won seven races in the UCI ProTour series. He also won two stages in the 2006 Tour de France. He won the very first part of the race, called the prologue, in Strasbourg. He even led the race after the first day, even though he had a cut arm! He kept racing with stitches and got the yellow jersey back after stage 2. He then won the very last stage of the Tour, beating another strong sprinter, Robbie McEwen. This made him the only cyclist ever to win both the first and last stages of the Tour de France in the same year.
Later in 2006, at the 2006 Vuelta a España (another big race), he won stage 6. He wore the golden jersey (for the overall leader) for three stages. He also won the points classification, which is like a prize for the best sprinter. In 2008, he won stage 2 of the 2008 Tour de France in a group sprint.
Winning the Green Jersey
In 2009, Thor Hushovd rode for the Cervélo TestTeam. He won stage 3 of the 2009 Tour of California. At the 2009 Tour de France, he won the green jersey for the points classification. This was his second time winning this jersey. He won it even though Mark Cavendish won more stages that year. Thor showed his strength by attacking alone on a mountain stage (stage 17). He won two smaller sprints during that tough stage.
World Champion Title
On May 9, 2010, Thor broke his collarbone during a training ride. But he recovered and continued to race. At the 2010 Tour de France, he won the third stage. This stage was special because it had 13 kilometers of rough cobblestone roads. He won a sprint against five other riders. He wore the green jersey for a while but later lost it.
On October 3, 2010, Thor Hushovd achieved a huge victory. He won the road world championship in Australia. He was the first Norwegian to ever win the famous rainbow jersey, which is worn by the world champion.
Leading the Tour de France in 2011
During the 2011 Tour de France, Thor Hushovd surprised many people. He took the lead in the overall race (the general classification). He managed to keep the yellow jersey through several hilly stages. These stages were not usually good for sprinters like him. He also showed his amazing bike handling skills on stage 13. He was one of the first riders over a very tough mountain climb. Then, he used his fast descending skills to catch and pass the leaders, winning the stage. He did it again on stage 16, winning another stage after a fast descent.
Later Career and Retirement
In 2012, Thor Hushovd joined the BMC Racing Team. He faced some health issues that year and had to stop racing in the 2012 Giro d'Italia. He also missed the 2012 Tour de France and the Olympic road race. Doctors later found out he had a virus and muscle inflammation. He didn't have many big results that year.
In 2013, Thor started winning again. He won stage 1 of the Tour du Haut Var in February. He also won the overall title at the Arctic Race of Norway. He won two stages there and also the points classification. He continued to win stages in other races like the Tour de Pologne and the Tour of Austria. He also won the Norwegian national road race championship again in 2013.
In June 2014, Thor Hushovd announced that he would retire from professional cycling. He had been struggling with a long-term illness since 2012. His very last race was the GP Impanis-Van Petegem in September 2014.
After Retirement: A New Role
After retiring, Thor Hushovd stayed involved in cycling. He worked on a plan to create an all-Norwegian professional cycling team. While those plans were put on hold, he later helped the Norwegian team Uno-X get a special invitation to the 2023 Tour de France. In January 2024, Uno-X announced that Thor Hushovd became their new General Manager. This means he now helps lead the team from behind the scenes.
Personal Life
Thor Hushovd lives in Monte Carlo, Monaco, with his wife Susanne. They have a daughter named Isabel (born in 2009) and a son named Niklas (born in 2012). The Hushovds also have a home in Grimstad, Norway, where they spend time when it's not racing season.
Images for kids
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Hushovd at the 2011 Tour of California
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Hushovd (in yellow) at the 2011 Tour de France. Hushovd held the overall lead of the race from the second to the ninth stage of the race.
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Hushovd at the 2006 Tour de France; his win in the prologue was one of two stage wins during the race.
See also
In Spanish: Thor Hushovd para niños
