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Lars-Petter Nordhaug
Lars-Petter Nordhaug is one of the hardest-working riders on the Team Sky roster and will play an integral domestique role again in 2012.
The Norwegian came to prominence as one of his country's top mountain bikers but made the switch to road racing in 2005 when he signed for Maxbo-Bianchi.
In his four seasons with his home-based team (which later became Joker Bianchi), Nordhaug scooped the national road race title and also earned several high-profile victories.
Those performances prompted Team Sky to snap him up for the 2010 season and he got off to the perfect start by forming part of triumphant team time trial squad at the Tour of Qatar.
Before the campaign was out, Nordhaug had claimed top-10 stage finishes at the Tours of Poland and Switzerland, and also made his first Grand Tour appearance at the Vuelta a Espana.
Nordhaug pushed on in 2011 and earned three top-10 placings at the Vuelta a Murcia, Critérium International and Coppa Sabatini, whilst also helping Davide Appollonio and Alex Dowsett to stage victories at the Tour du Poitou-Charentes.
He also formed a valuable part of the Ardennes Classics and Giro d’Italia squads, and was pleased to have been given those types of opportunities: "Last season I was given the chance to ride a lot of higher-profile races and I’ve learnt a lot as a result,” he explains. “I feel a much stronger rider now than I did 12 months ago and hopefully I will be able to keep getting better this season.
"I'm going to continue working hard for the team whilst at the same time trying to make the most of any other chances that come my way. I’ve had some good results over the last two seasons but it would be nice to get a win for the team.”
