Schlagwort-Archive: Arctic Race of Norway

Arctic Race of Norway – 4. Etappe und Endstand:

Ergebnisse, Etappenrennen, , , , ,

Kvalsund – Nordkapp – 171Km

1 CHAMPOUSSIN Clément FRA Team Arkéa-Samsic 04:00:38
2 EIKING Odd Christian NOR Norway 00:00
3 GAZZOLI Michele ITA Astana Qazaqstan Team 00:00
4 JOHANNESSEN Tobias Halland NOR Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:00
5 DINHAM Matthew AUS Team dsm-firmenich 00:00
6 SCARONI Cristian ITA Astana Qazaqstan Team 00:00
7 BONNEU Kamiel BEL Team Flanders-Baloise 00:00
8 TEUNS Dylan BEL Israel-Premier Tech 00:00
9 VERMAERKE Kevin USA Team dsm-firmenich 00:00
10 WILLIAMS Stephen GBR Israel-Premier Tech 00:00
11 ADRIÁ Roger ESP Equipo Kern Pharma 00:00
12 MARTIN Guillaume FRA Cofidis 00:00
13 BARRÉ Louis FRA Team Arkéa-Samsic 00:00
14 CHRISTOPHERSEN Cedrik Bakke NOR Team Coop-Repsol 00:00
15 MARIS Elias BEL Team Flanders-Baloise 00:00

Endstand:

1 WILLIAMS Stephen GBR Israel-Premier Tech 15:38:06
2 SCARONI Cristian ITA Astana Qazaqstan Team 00:01
3 VERMAERKE Kevin USA Team dsm-firmenich 00:09
4 JOHANNESSEN Tobias Halland NOR Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:09
5 TEUNS Dylan BEL Israel-Premier Tech 00:11
6 DINHAM Matthew AUS Team dsm-firmenich 00:12
7 MARTIN Guillaume FRA Cofidis 00:12
8 ADRIÁ Roger ESP Equipo Kern Pharma 00:12
9 BONNEU Kamiel BEL Team Flanders-Baloise 00:19
10 CHRISTOPHERSEN Cedrik Bakke NOR Team Coop-Repsol 00:20
11 JOHNSTON Liam AUS Trinity Racing 00:23
12 LASTRA Jonathan ESP Cofidis 00:24
13 HELLEMOSE Asbjørn DEN Lidl-Trek 00:27
14 BARRÉ Louis FRA Team Arkéa-Samsic 00:28
15 MARIS Elias BEL Team Flanders-Baloise 00:31

Williams conquers the Arctic

Israel-Premier Tech’s Stephen Williams won the 2023 Arctic Race of Norway by only one second over Astana Qazaqstan’s Christian Scaroni, emulating the minimal gap that allowed Alexey Lutsenko to claim the 2019 title with Warren Barguil as the runner-up. Team dsm-firmenich’s Kevin Vermaerke stood third on the final podium, taking advantage of the bonus seconds he scored at the beginning of this beautiful final stage that finished in the breath-taking North Cape, one of the northernmost spots in Europe. Arkea-Samsic’s Clement Champoussin was the fastest in the uphill sprint that settled the day, defeating Norwegian National Team’s Odd Christian Eiking and Astana Qazaqstan’s Michele Gazzoli.

106 riders took the start in the fourth and final stage of the 2023 Arctic Race of Norway, held between Kvalsund and the North Cape over 171,4 kilometres, at 13:40. There was some fast racing to begin, as none of the attackers was able to go clear ahead of the Skaidi (IS, km 21,1) intermediate sprint on which Noah Hobbs (Groupama-FDJ Continental) took three bonus seconds ahead of Kevin Vermaerke (Team dsm-firmenich) and Dylan Teuns (Israel-Premier Tech), who in turn collected two and one. A few minutes later, Human Powered Health’s Sebastian Schonberger was first atop Skaidi Summit (KOM, km 23,4).

A big breakaway day

A 19-strong group tried to escape from the peloton after 31 kilometres, with Dylan Teuns (Israel-Premier Tech), Guillaume Martin (Cofidis), Igor Arrieta (Equipo Kern Pharma) or Andre Drege (Coop-Repsol) amongst many others. They were not given much leeway, though, and their attempt got shut down after an intense chase. 68 kilometres into the race, a group of 15 managed to really establish itself at the head of the race. Jonas Hvideberg (Team dsm-firmenich), Hugo Toumire (Cofidis), Ludvik Holstad, Iver Knotten (Norwegian National Team), August Jensen, Kristian Aasvold (Human Powered Health), Alessandro Verre (Arkea-Samsic), Walter Calzoni (Q36.5), Frederik Dversnes (Uno-X), Kevin Colleoni (Jayco-AlUla), Pablo Carrascosa (Equipo Kern Pharma), Lennert Teugels (Bingoal WB), Rodrigo Alvarez (Burgos BH), Tobias Nakken (Trinity Racing) and the aforementioned Hobbs were the ones to put some daylight between themselves and the peloton led by Israel-Premier Tech and Astana Qazaqstan, opening a gap that peaked at 2’45” with 70 kilometres left to race.

Hobbs claims all the intermediate sprints

Midnight Sun jersey wearer during stage 3 Noah Hobbs led the way through Hjelness (IS, km 109,1) as Nakken got dropped from the break. The Groupama-FDJ Continental rider was also first across Storbukt (IS, km 139,9), at which point the gap had dropped down to 1’45”. The riders thus entered the final thirty kilometres of the race, on which three classified climbs including the summit finish at the Nordkapp (the iconic North Cape) were to decide this 10th edition of the Arctic Race of Norway.

Calzoni nearly makes it

As soon as the peloton hit the first slopes of the climb to Skipsfjord Summit (KOM, km 150,2), Cofidis and Arkea-Samsic took the helm of the peloton, reducing it to 50 riders as the break was whittled down to just six members: Hvideberg, Calzoni, Knotten, Jensen, Dversnes and Teugels. The Human Powered Health rider was first across the summit, where the peloton trialled behind the front of the race by 1’20”. The race heated up during the climb to Vestfjlordfjellet Summit (KOM, km 165), with Calzoni cresting it first as he was the last of the men of the breakaway not to be reeled in by the main group. The Italian rider kept his solo effort and managed to reach the last kilometre with a slight gap over the favourites, who were attacking left and right behind. There was no happy ending for Calzoni, though, as he was caught in the final ramp with 200 meters to go. The Israel-Premier Tech team launched the sprint, yet Arkea-Samsic’s Clement Champoussin was quicker than the other contenders and managed to claim his first victory of the season. The Israeli team still had a reason to smile as their Stephen Williams kept the Midnight Sun jersey and was crowned as overall winner of the event.

Arctic Race of Norway – 3. Etappe:

Ergebnisse, Etappenrennen, , , ,

Hammerfest – Havøysund – 167 Km

1 WILLIAMS Stephen GBR Israel-Premier Tech 04:02:58
2 CHAMPOUSSIN Clément FRA Team Arkéa-Samsic 00:00
3 SCARONI Cristian ITA Astana Qazaqstan Team 00:00
4 JOHANNESSEN Tobias Halland NOR Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:00
5 TEUNS Dylan BEL Israel-Premier Tech 00:00
6 ADRIÁ Roger ESP Equipo Kern Pharma 00:00
7 DINHAM Matthew AUS Team dsm-firmenich 00:00
8 MARTIN Guillaume FRA Cofidis 00:00
9 VERMAERKE Kevin USA Team dsm-firmenich 00:00
10 BONNEU Kamiel BEL Team Flanders-Baloise 00:07
11 EIKING Odd Christian NOR Norway 00:08
12 CHRISTOPHERSEN Cedrik Bakke NOR Team Coop-Repsol 00:08
13 JOHNSTON Liam AUS Trinity Racing 00:11
14 HELLEMOSE Asbjørn DEN Lidl-Trek 00:16
15 BARRÉ Louis FRA Team Arkéa-Samsic 00:16

Gesamt:

1 WILLIAMS Stephen GBR Israel-Premier Tech 11:37:28
2 SCARONI Cristian ITA Astana Qazaqstan Team 00:01
3 JOHANNESSEN Tobias Halland NOR Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:09
4 VERMAERKE Kevin USA Team dsm-firmenich 00:11
5 TEUNS Dylan BEL Israel-Premier Tech 00:12
6 DINHAM Matthew AUS Team dsm-firmenich 00:12
7 MARTIN Guillaume FRA Cofidis 00:12
8 ADRIÁ Roger ESP Equipo Kern Pharma 00:12
9 CHRISTOPHERSEN Cedrik Bakke NOR Team Coop-Repsol 00:20
10 JOHNSTON Liam AUS Trinity Racing 00:23
11 LASTRA Jonathan ESP Cofidis 00:24
12 HELLEMOSE Asbjørn DEN Lidl-Trek 00:27
13 BARRÉ Louis FRA Team Arkéa-Samsic 00:28
14 MARIS Elias BEL Team Flanders-Baloise 00:31

Williams claims the win in Havoysund after ferocious race

The grueling weather conditions didn’t keep the peloton of the Arctic Race of Norway from putting quite a show on in the third stage of the 10th edition of this beautiful event. Several long-range attacks took place, with an excellent breakaway led by Peacock jersey wearer Vincent Van Hemelen (Flanders-Baloise) as the highlight. It all came down to an uphill sprint in the final climb to Havoysund, though. Great Britain’s Stephen Williams took both the stage win and the Midnight Sun jersey, overtaking Astana Qazaqstan’s Christian Scaroni (3rd at the finish line) in the provisional GC by just one second. Runner-up to Williams in the fight for the stage was Arkea-Samsic’s Clement Champoussin. The overall victory is still up for grabs in the fourth and last stage to Nordkapp – the iconic North Cape.

106 riders took the start in the third stage of the 2023 Arctic Race of Norway, held between Hammerfest and Havoysund over 167 kilometres, at 14:00. After a few attacks, six riders went clear 5 kilometres into the race: Ulrik Tvedt (Norwegian National Team), Paul Double (Human Powered Health), Michel Ries (Arkea-Samsic), KOM classification leader Vincent Van Hemelen (Flanders-Baloise), Karsten Larsen Feldmann and Anton Stensby (Coop-Repsol). At kilometre 28, they clocked an advantage of 4’00” over a peaceful bunch that rode at a steady pace, marshalled by Groupama-FDJ Continental.

Van Hemelen secures his Peacock jersey

Stensby led the way through both Skaidi (IS, km 52,5) and Lillefjord (IS, km 110,5), while Van Hemelen secured his Peacock jersey by being first atop Skaidi Summit (KOM, km 54,6). The advantage of the front group had increased up to 5’00” with 72 kilometres to go. With 65 remaining, Israel-Premier Tech, Astana Qazaqstan and Uno-X joined race leader Noah Hobbs’ teammates at the helm of the peloton and tried to launch echelons taking advantage of a crosswinds section. Their first efforts were fruitless, yet their second attempt with 40 kilometres to go did indeed whittle the main group down to 35 riders. Many of them unsuccessfully tried to power away from this reduced bunch in the following kilometres. Meanwhile, Double was dropped from the break as Van Hemelen passed first through Kirkedalen Summit (KOM, km 134,5), where the gap for the five remaining men at the front was down to just 1’35”.

Israel-Premier Tech went for it

An unfortunate crash with 28 to go took Astana Qazaqstan’s Gianmarco Garofoli out of contention while riding in the main group. Stensby was once again first in the last intermediate sprint of the day at Selvika (IS, km 148,4). The climb to Selvika Summit (KOM, km 153,1) left Van Hemelen alone in the lead with just 10” over the 30-strong favourites group. The Belgian rider was a caught at the base of the 2,2-kilometre race-defining climb to Havoysund by the chasing group, led by Israel-Premier Tech and Uno-X. Israel’s Dylan Teuns hit the afterburners with 350 meters to go, opening the sprint for his teammate Stephen Williams to power past everyone from the second row of the group and claim both his first victory of the season and the Midnight Sun jersey.

Arctic Race of Norway – 1. und 2. Etappe:

Ergebnisse, Etappenrennen, , , , , ,

Kautokeino – Alta – 171 Km

1 DAINESE Alberto ITA Team dsm-firmenich 04:06:07
2 HOBBS Noah GBR Groupama-FDJ Conti 00:00
3 CHAMPOUSSIN Clément FRA Arkéa-Samsic 00:00
4 BRUSTENGA Marc ESP Lidl-Trek 00:00
5 ANGULO Antonio ESP Burgos-BH 00:00
6 LEDANOIS Kevin FRA Arkéa-Samsic 00:00
7 JENSEN August NOR Human Powered Health 00:00
8 BUGGE Martin Urianstad NOR Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:00
9 TIZZA Marco ITA Bingoal WB 00:00
10 JOYCE Colin USA Human Powered Health 00:00
11 LASTRA Jonathan ESP Cofidis 00:00
12 TEUNS Dylan BEL Israel-Premier Tech 00:00
13 FRETIN Milan BEL Team Flanders-Baloise 00:00
14 FEDELI Alessandro ITA Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team 00:00
15 EIKING Odd Christian NOR Norway 00:00

2. Etappe: Alta – Hammerfest – 153 Km

1 GAZZOLI Michele ITA Astana Qazaqstan Team 03:28:35
2 SCARONI Christian ITA Astana Qazaqstan Team 00:00
3 LASTRA Jonathan ESP Cofidis 00:00
4 GRUEL Thibaud FRA Groupama-FDJ Conti 00:00
5 FRETIN Milan BEL Team Flanders-Baloise 00:00
6 VERMAERKE Kevin USA Team dsm-firmenich 00:00
7 MARIS Elias BEL Team Flanders-Baloise 00:00
8 JOHANNESSEN Tobias Halland NOR Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:00
9 TEUNS Dylan BEL Israel-Premier Tech 00:00
10 DREGE André NOR Team Coop-Repsol 00:00

Gesamt:

1 HOBBS Noah GBR Groupama-FDJ Conti 07:34:31
2 DAINESE Alberto ITA Team dsm-firmenich 00:01
3 GAZZOLI Michele ITA Astana Qazaqstan Team 00:01
4 BOWER Lewis NZL Groupama-FDJ Conti 00:03
5 SCARONI Christian ITA Astana Qazaqstan Team 00:04
6 LASTRA Jonathan ESP Cofidis 00:07
7 DREGE André NOR Team Coop-Repsol 00:08
8 JOHANNESSEN Tobias Halland NOR Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:08
9 WILLIAMS Stephen GBR Israel-Premier Tech 00:09
10 BROWNING Fergus AUS Trinity Racing 00:09
11 VERMAERKE Kevin USA Team dsm-firmenich 00:10
12 GAROFOLI Gianmarco ITA Astana Qazaqstan Team 00:10
13 HELLEMOSE Asbjørn DEN Lidl-Trek 00:10
14 FRETIN Milan BEL Team Flanders-Baloise 00:11
15 TEUNS Dylan BEL Israel-Premier Tech 00:11

Astana Qazaqstan’s festival in Hammerfest

Grim weather conditions, with bouts of rain and strong winds, were the main players in the second stage of the 10th edition of the Arctic Race of Norway. Uno-X Pro Cycling Team did its best to tear the race apart by launching echelons, yet the pack got back together with 40 kilometres to go and it all came down to an uphill sprint in Hammerfest. It was there that Astana Qazaqstan executed a perfectly timed sprint to score a one-two with Italian riders Michele Gazzoli and Christian Scaroni, while Cofidis’ Jonathan Lastra completed the stage podium. The Midnight Sun jersey that distinguishes the GC leader is now on the shoulders of Noah Hobbs (Groupama-FDJ Continental), who was fast and wise enough to claim five bonus seconds in the intermediate sprints spread over the stage in order to dethrone Team dsm-firmenich’s Alberto Dainese.

106 riders took the start in second stage of the 2023 Arctic Race of Norway, held between Alta and Hammerfest over 153,4 kilometres, at 14:25. As the red flag dropped, six riders went on the attack to create the day’s first breakaway: Peder Antoni Gravas (Norwegian National Team), Gianmarco Garofoli (Astana Qazaqstan), Johan Ravnoy (Team Coop-Repsol), Camilo Gomez (Trinity Racing Team), Ronan Augé (Groupama-FDJ Continental) and Vincent van Hemelen (Flanders-Baloise). The latter was sporting the Peacock jersey and immediately took on the duty of collecting points for the Mountains classification in order to keep it for another day, cresting in first position both the Raipas Summit (KOM, km 9,7) and the Sarves Summit (Super KOM, km 28,2). Meanwhile, Augé led the way through Milstrand (IS, km 19,7).

Wind creates chaos

Van Hemelen was second to Ravnoy atop the Stokkedalen Summit (KOM, km 42,4), where the breakaway recorded a gap of 4’10” on its favor over the peloton. Said gap would immediately drop down to nothing as racing sped up behind due to the possibility of echelons that did indeed materialize as the riders hit a long, straight stretch of road with 92 kilometres to go. A group of 30 riders went clear in a skirmish led by Uno-X and and echoed by Jayco-AlUla and Team dsm-firmenich, reeling in the break 10 kilometres later. A change of the direction of the course meant the sidewind turned into headwind, thus enabling several groups to bridge back to the head of the race with 40 kilometres left to race, just ahead of the intermediate sprint in Kvalsund (IS, km 118,2) on which Andre Drege (Coop-Repsol) took three bonus seconds ahead of Noah Hobbs (Groupama-FDJ Continental) and Kevin Vermaerke (Team dsm-firmenich), who in turn collected 2” and 1”.

Hobbs takes the Midnight Sun jersey

The peloton was held back by the wind in the final kilometres. Hobbs came first across Akkarfjord (IS, km 142,3), claiming three bonus seconds that would enable him to become GC leader after the stage, as most of the other riders bid their time waiting for the uphill finish in Hammerfest. The road started to rise with 1,7 kilometres to go. Groupama-FDJ Continental, Jayco-AlUla and Flanders-Baloise drove the run in to the finish before Astana Qazaqstan took the win by storm, with Christian Scaroni leading out Michele Gazzoli for an outstanding one-two.

Arctic Race of Norway 2023

Etappenrennen, Vorschau, ,

Key points:
• The Arctic Race of Norway is returning to the Arctic Circle for its decennial edition, which will build up to a nail-biting finish on North Cape.
• The 2022 champion, Andreas Leknessund, is ready to mount a title defence after a stint in the maglia rosa in the Giro d’Italia.
• Eight Tour de France teams will vie for victory from 17 to 20 August.

The tenth edition of the Arctic Race of Norway is going back to its roots with a route drawn entirely above the Arctic Circle and a finale on North Cape. After winning the event in 2022, the budding talent Andreas Leknessund is hell-bent on making it two in a row in the same epic venue where fellow Norwegian Lars Petter Nordhaug was crowned in 2014.

Six UCI WorldTeams are entering the race with a wide range of targets on their radar. Even without their French puncher Victor Lafay, who dazzled on the roads of Norway last year and recently stole the show in the Tour de France, Cofidis can rely on their leader Guillaume Martin, tenth in the last Grande Boucle. The Norwegian reigning champion, Andreas Leknessund, can tap the power of his reliable DSM–Firmenich team in his bid for glory on home turf. The Dutch squad’s roster also includes Matthew Dinham, the breakout performer of the Worlds in Glasgow, and Alberto Dainese, who clinched a sprint victory in the Giro d’Italia earlier this year. Australia-based Jayco AlUla will also be in the mix with the tough-as-nails Armund Jansen and the Italian climber Alessandro De Marchi, who has three Vuelta stage wins to his name. Lidl–Trek are expected to throw their weight behind the 2018 runner-up, Markus Hoelgaard, without forgetting the young Filippo Baroncini, U23 road world champion in 2021, in their first participation in the race.

The UCI ProTeams are determined to crash the party with their own famous riders. Israel–Premier Tech spells trouble for the rest of the peloton, with Dylan Teuns (winner of the 2017 Arctic Race of Norway) throwing his hat in the ring for GC. Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team are counting on fast men such as Kamil Małecki and the mountain maniac Carl Fredrik Hagen to make an impression in their race debut. The local Uno-X Pro Cycling Team is lining up with the big-engined two-time Norwegian champion Rasmus Tiller and with the danish Jonas Gregaard Wilsly, a climber who featured in several exciting breakaways in the Tour de France and win the polka-dot jersey at Paris-Nice earlier in the season. Norway will also be represented by its youthful national team, spearheaded by Odd Christian Eiking, who gallantly defended his red jersey in the Vuelta for seven days.

18 teams, main contenders

Australia
Team Jayco AlUla: De Marchi (ITA), Jansen (NOR), Quick (AUS) and Štybar (CZE)

Belgium
Bingoal–WB: Guerin (FRA)
Team Flanders–Baloise: Bonneu (BEL)

Spain
Burgos BH: Navarro (ESP) and Barthe (FRA)
Equipo Kern Pharma: Adrià and Arrieta (ESP)

United States
Human Powered Health: Aasvold, Jensen (NOR) and Double (GBR)
Lidl–Trek: Hoelgaard (NOR), Tolhoek (NED) and Baroncini (ITA)

France
Cofidis: Martin (FRA) and Geschke (GER)
Groupama–FDJ: Gruel (FRA)
Team Arkéa–Samsic: Champoussin (FRA) and Verre (ITA)

Israel
Israel–Premier Tech: Teuns (BEL) and Impey (RSA)

Kazakhstan
Astana Qazaqstan Team: Scaroni (ITA) and Zeits (KAZ)

Norway
Norwegian national team: Eiking (NOR)
Team Coop–Repsol: Christophersen (NOR)
Uno X-Pro Cycling Team: Dversnes, Tiller (NOR) and Wilsly (DEN)

Netherlands
Team DSM–Firmenich: Leknessund (NOR), Dainese (ITA), Dinham (AUS) and Vanhoucke (BEL)

United Kingdom
Trinity Racing: Johnston (AUS)

Switzerland:
Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team: Hagen (NOR) and Małecki (POL)

ARCTIC RACE OF NORWAY THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY IN NORTH CAPE

Etappenrennen, Vorschau, ,

Key points:
 For the tenth anniversary of the Arctic Race of Norway, which will take place from 17 to 20 August, the world’s most northerly cycling race is returning to the North Cape. The favourites will compete over four stages, all of which will be north of the Arctic Circle.
 From Kautokeino, a cultural centre of the Sami people and a town hosting the riders for the first time, the race will cross Troms og Finnmark over four days with a sumptuous fourth and final stage from Kvalsund, which hosted the start of the last day in 2018, to North Cape. With this iconic finish, the Arctic Race is reviving its history and celebrating ten years of existence.

The county of Troms og Finnmark will take centre stage in the 2023 edition of the Arctic Race of Norway, with all four stages traversing the region after starting in the Sami town of Kautokeino on 17 August and finishing in North Cape on 20 August. According to Thor Hushovd, ambassador of the race : “It could be a very open competition for the overall win this year. A sprinter with good climbing legs can win, but so can a typical explosive climber. This makes it difficult to predict a winner. The race will be open, and several riders will probably see an opportunity to pull this off. This increases the entertainment value because it often leads to an offensive ride with many attacks.”

Following a 2022 edition held entirely below the Arctic Circle, the Arctic Race of Norway returns to its roots by heading north. The route of the opening stage from Kautokeino to Alta could be one for the sprinters. Those in the know will remember that in 2018, a certain Mathieu Van der Poel easily won the stage. The plans of the fastest men could, nevertheless, be thwarted by daring riders in the new 15 km finishing circuit.

The pure sprinters will also appreciate stage two and its finish in Hammerfest, where, unlike in the 2014 and 2018 editions, they will have to climb a 1.7 km climb with a 4% gradient before the finish line. This climb will probably give ideas to the punchers who were left hungry after stage one. As the main partner of the Arctic Race of Norway, Equinor is linked closely to Hammerfest, where the Norwegian company has been developing Europe’s largest liquefied natural gas production site since 2007. The Nordic city will also host the start of stage three, which will delight its 10,000 residents.

The climbers will be in the spotlight on stage three, heading towards Havøysund for a new finish. The last hundred kilometres of this stage will follow a road parallel to the one of the North Cape in a breathtaking scenery typical of the Norwegian North. The riders will ride along several fjords before ascending two climbs listed in the mountain classification, the Kirkedalen summit (4.1 km at 5.2%) and the Selvika summit (2.6 km at 5.4%). These two passes will allow the mountain specialists to demonstrate their skills. An initial selection will come before the climb heading to the finish line and its 10% average gradient over 2.2 km. „Just outside the village, we found this climb that leads to the plateau hosting the finish. The typical Arctic landscape and the 360° panorama are breathtaking,“ describes Yannick Talabardon, the event’s technical director. „The passages of more than 10% will allow the fittest riders to show their strength after an undulating second half of the stage.“

As in 2014, Europe’s most northerly point and majestic setting will be part of this edition. That year, Norwegian rider Lars Petter Nordhaug won by attacking in the final three kilometres of the stage after a battle on the last climb with six kilometres to go. For its tenth anniversary, the Arctic Race returns to the symbolic site of the North Cape with the finish of the last stage. The two classified climbs in the last 25 kilometres and a windy final stretch, which are conducive to bordures promise a non-stop battle to the finish line for the stage win and the general classification.

Thor Hushovd predict an epic ending to this anniversary edition of the Arctic Race of Norway: “The last stage runs along some of the most beautiful Norway has to offer in terms of brutal and magnificent nature. However, the last 25 kilometers towards Nordkapp will be tough. Here, the best climbers will surely attack and give all that is left of their strength after four hard stages, and the overall race will certainly not be decided before the finish on the Nordkapp plateau.”

The stages of the 2023 Arctic Race of Norway:

 Thursday 17 August, Stage 1: Kautokeino – Alta (171km)
 Friday 18 August, Stage 2: Alta – Hammerfest (153km)
 Saturday 19 August, Stage 3: Hammerfest – Havøysund (167km)
 Sunday 20 August, Stage 4: Kvalsund – Cap Nord (171km)

© A.S.O.

Arctic Race of Norway Etappe 3+4

Ergebnisse, Etappenrennen, , , , , ,

3. Etappe: Namsos – Skallstuggu – 180 Km

1 LAFAY Victor FRA COFIDIS 04:09:29
2 VAUQUELIN Kévin FRA TEAM ARKÉA-SAMSIC 00:03
3 HOULE Hugo CAN ISRAEL-PREMIER TECH 00:03
4 BYSTRØM Sven Erik NOR INTERMARCHÉ-WANTY-GOBERT 00:03
5 HAGEN Carl Fredrik NOR ISRAEL-PREMIER TECH 00:03
6 HERMANS Quinten BEL INTERMARCHÉ-WANTY-GOBERT 00:03
7 OSBORNE Jason GER ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK 00:03
8 SCHULTZ Nick AUS TEAM BIKEEXCHANGE-JAYCO 00:03
9 CHZHAN Igor KAZ ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM 00:03
10 CONCI Nicola ITA ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK 00:09

4. Etappe: Trondheim – 160 Km

1 LEKNESSUND Andreas NOR TEAM DSM 03:30:26
2 CONCI Nicola ITA ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK 00:16
3 ZINGLE Axel FRA COFIDIS 00:18
4 POOLE Max GBR TEAM DSM 00:18
5 HOULE Hugo CAN ISRAEL-PREMIER TECH 00:20
6 HERMANS Quinten BEL INTERMARCHÉ-WANTY-GOBERT 00:35
7 BURGAUDEAU Mathieu FRA TOTALENERGIES 00:35
8 SBARAGLI Kristian ITA ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK 00:35
9 BAX Sjoerd NED ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK 00:35
10 KORETZKY Victor FRA B&B HOTELS-KTM 00:35

Endstand:

1 LEKNESSUND Andreas NOR TEAM DSM 16:11:32
2 HOULE Hugo CAN ISRAEL-PREMIER TECH 00:08
3 CONCI Nicola ITA ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK 00:09
4 ZINGLE Axel FRA COFIDIS 00:14
5 LAFAY Victor FRA COFIDIS 00:15
6 VAUQUELIN Kévin FRA TEAM ARKÉA-SAMSIC 00:22
7 POOLE Max GBR TEAM DSM 00:23
8 HERMANS Quinten BEL INTERMARCHÉ-WANTY-GOBERT 00:26
9 HAGEN Carl Fredrik NOR ISRAEL-PREMIER TECH 00:28
10 BAX Sjoerd NED ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK 00:35

Unforgettable victory in home soil for Andreas Leknessund

Team DSM’s Andreas Leknessund pulled off a masterpiece he will never forget to win the final stage and the GC of the 2022 Arctic Race of Norway. The Norwegian rider went clear from the peloton with a hundred kilometres to go and proved to be the strongest in the final circuit of Trondheim, holding off all the attempts to bring him back and landing a solo victory that subsequently awarded him the overall win ahead of Hugo Houle (Israel-PremierTech) and Nicola Conci (Alpecin-Deceuninck). It’s the first time a Norwegian rider triumphs in this event since the victory of Thor Hushovd on its first edition, back in 2013.
108 riders took the start on the 4th stage of the 2022 Arctic Race of Norway, which began and finished in Trondheim after covering 159,1 kilometres, at 14:20. One DNS: Intermarché-Wanty Gobert’s Sven Eryk Bystrøm, who fell ill overnight and sat out of the race giving up his hard-earned 4th position on the GC. It was a hectic start, with many moves as all of the event’s prizes and honors were undecided or straight away up for grabs, as the 400 liters of Mack Brewery products awarded to the winner of the first intermediate sprint in Spongdal (IS, km 26). Israel-Premier Tech led out, yet former GC leader Axel Zingle (Cofidis) proved the fastest of the contenders and took three important bonus seconds ahead of Quinten Hermans (Intermarché-Wanty Gobert) and Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-Samsic), who closed in to Midnight Sun jersey wearer Victor Lafay (Cofidis) by two and one seconds respectively.

Three-man breakaway up the road
Virtually every rider from every team wanted to break away, and that made for a thrilling first hour of racing until Andreas Leknessund (Team DSM), Fabian Greiller (TotalEnergies) and Alessandro Verre (Arkéa-Samsic) managed to jump clear 65 kilometres into the stage. The trio build a buffer that reached 2’15” atop Løvset (Cat 2, km 78,7), first crowned by Greiller. Cofidis drove the bunch to keep the gap steady as Leknessund led the way through Ståggån (Cat 2, km 101,9).

Leknessund takes off
It was with 37 kilometres to go that the riders entered the final circuit in Trondheim: a 8,1-kilometre loop with a steep climb to Tylhot Tower (1,4 km at 7,7%) to be crested 5,8 kilometres from the finish line. As soon as the road pitched upwards, Leknessund took off from his companions to reach the summit of Tylhot Tower (Cat 2, km 128,9) solo, holding a 1’10” gap on a bunch where attacks began to take place. A three-man group with Martin Urianstad (Uno-X), Embret Svestad-Bardseng (Team Coop) and Thomas Gloag (Trinity Racing) went clear atop the climb and caught up with Verre and Greiller after the second crossing of the finish line with 24 kilometres to go. They were quickly swept up by the pack when the race finally took shape.

Alpecin-Deceuninck comes close as Cofidis loses its lead
Nicola Conci (Alpecin-Deceuninck) unfurled a ferocious acceleration to pass the summit of the second climb to Tylhot Tower (Cat 2, km 137) second to Leknessund, who was still leading the race with a 45-second buffer. The Italian rider was joined from behind by teammates Jason Osborne and Kristian Sbaragli, as well as by Hugo Houle (Israel-Premier Tech), Dries de Potter (Intermarché-Wanty Gobert), Axel Zingle (Cofidis) and Max Poole (Team DSM). The Alpecin-Deceuninck squad kept a fast tempo as Leknessund collected KOM points in Tylhot Tower (Cat 2, km 145,2) and bonus seconds on the third and fourth crossing of the finish line. Conci took off again up the final climb to Tylhot Tower (Cat 2, km 137) in a furious pursuit of Leknessund, who managed to keep him at bay. Behind, Lafay, Vauquelin and Hermans took on a late chase with the Midnight Sun jersey in mind that turned out unfruitful as all of them finished off the podium for the benefit of Conci, Houle… and the outstanding overall winner Leknessund.

Arctic Race of Norway Etappe 2

Ergebnisse, Etappenrennen, , , , , ,

Mosjøen – Brønnøysund – 155 Km

1 GROENEWEGEN Dylan NED TEAM BIKEEXCHANGE-JAYCO 03:41:17
2 CAPIOT Amaury BEL TEAM ARKÉA-SAMSIC 00:00
3 BOASSON-HAGEN Edvald NOR TOTALENERGIES 00:00
4 QUICK Blake AUS TRINITY RACING 00:00
5 MALUCELLI Matteo ITA CHINA GLORY CYCLING TEAM 00:00
6 DAUPHIN Florian FRA B&B HOTELS-KTM 00:00
7 NEILANDS Krists LAT ISRAEL-PREMIER TECH 00:00
8 GIBSON Matthew GBR HUMAN POWERED HEALTH 00:00
9 URIANSTAD Martin NOR UNO-X PRO CYCLING TEAM 00:00
10 SYRITSA Gleb RUS ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM 00:00

Gesamt:

1 ZINGLE Axel FRA COFIDIS 08:31:14
2 BURGAUDEAU Mathieu FRA TOTALENERGIES 00:05
3 CAPIOT Amaury BEL TEAM ARKÉA-SAMSIC 00:07
4 SYRITSA Gleb RUS ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM 00:07
5 BOASSON-HAGEN Edvald NOR TOTALENERGIES 00:09
6 VAN ROOY Kenneth BEL SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOISE 00:10
7 AASVOLD Kristian NOR HUMAN POWERED HEALTH 00:10
8 BYSTRØM Sven Erik NOR INTERMARCHÉ-WANTY-GOBERT 00:10
9 JOHNSTON Liam AUS TRINITY RACING 00:10
10 BAX Sjoerd NED ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK 00:11

Groenewegen takes the sprint by storm

It isn’t easy to pull off an obvious victory, yet today the best sprinter in the field won the sprint stage of the Arctic Race of Norway. Dylan Groenewegen put on an excellent display of power to repay the work of his BikeExchange-Jayco teammates all over the 154,3-kilometre course. The Dutchman launched his sprint with 250 meters to go and kept at bay Amaury Capiot (Arkéa-Samsic) and Edvald Boasson Hagen (TotalEnergies) to score his seventh victory of the season. Cofidis’ Axel Zingle retained the Midnight Sun jersey and netted bonus seconds on an intermediate sprint to increase his lead over Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies) up to 5” ahead of tomorrow’s summit finish in Skallstuggu.

113 riders took the start on the 2nd stage of the 2022 Arctic Race of Norway, which covered 154,3 kilometres between Mosjøen and Brønnøysund, at 12:10. Peacock jersey wearer Stephen Bassett (Human Powered Health) went on the attack early on to create a 5-man breakaway with Iker Mintegi (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Aaron Van Poucke (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise), Johan Ravnøy (Team Coop) and Liam Johnstone (Trinity Racing). Atop the day’s first categorized climb, Laksforsen (Cat 2, km 21), the front group had a 3’40” gap on the bunch. Van Poucke, who had been Bassett’s main challenger for the KOM classification on the opening stage, beat the American on the summit to score the maximum points at stake.

Showdown between Bassett and Van Poucke for the Peacock jersey
Cofidis, defending the GC leadership of Axel Zingle, and BikeExchange-Jayco, favoring the options of its sprinter Dylan Groenewegen, drove the bunch for most of the day and prevented the break from building a gap that went above the four minutes threshold. Van Poucke got the best of Bassett again at both Tosen (Cat 2, km 69,9) and Lande (Cat 2, km 94,8), yet the American had a big enough advantage in the standings as to keep leading them. On the final kilometer of the latter climb, Mintegi got dropped back to the peloton, that was riding at a steady pace 2’00” behind. By the time the race reached Hommelstø (IS, km 121,2), with Johnstone in first position across the line, the gap of the front four had been reduced to 1’20”.

GC battle at the final intermediate sprint
The breakaway was brought back for good by the bunch during the climb to Torghatten (IS, km 141,8). The GC contenders sprinted for the bonus seconds, with Sven Eryk Bystrøm (Intermarché-Wanty Gobert) getting 3” ahead of Midnight Sun jersey wearer Axel Zingle and Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies), who netted 2” and 1” respectively. Israel Premier-Tech and Intermarché-Wanty Gobert took the helm in the final ten kilometres, preparing for a bunch sprint that was finally launched by Groenewegen with 250 meters to go. Despite the long range of his acceleration, no one was able to overtake him before the finish line.

Arctic Race of Norway Etappe 1

Ergebnisse, Etappenrennen, , , ,

Mo i Rana – 185 Km

1 ZINGLE Axel FRA COFIDIS 04:50:09 38,62
2 SYRITSA Gleb RUS ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM 00:01
3 BURGAUDEAU Mathieu FRA TOTALENERGIES 00:01
4 CAPIOT Amaury BEL TEAM ARKÉA-SAMSIC 00:01
5 SCHULTZ Nick AUS TEAM BIKEEXCHANGE-JAYCO 00:01
6 BALLERSTEDT Maurice GER ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK 00:01
7 AALRUST Håkon NOR TEAM COOP 00:01
8 STOKBRO Andreas DEN TEAM COOP 00:01
9 ANGULO Antonio ESP EUSKALTEL-EUSKADI 00:01
10 HERMANS Quinten BEL INTERMARCHÉ-WANTY-GOBERT 00:01

Gesamt:

1 ZINGLE Axel FRA COFIDIS 04:49:59
2 BURGAUDEAU Mathieu FRA TOTALENERGIES 00:04
3 SYRITSA Gleb RUS ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM 00:05
4 AASVOLD Kristian NOR HUMAN POWERED HEALTH 00:08
5 VAN ROOY Kenneth BEL SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOISE 00:08
6 BAX Sjoerd NED ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK 00:09
7 CAPIOT Amaury BEL TEAM ARKÉA-SAMSIC 00:11
8 SCHULTZ Nick AUS TEAM BIKEEXCHANGE-JAYCO 00:11
9 BALLERSTEDT Maurice GER ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK 00:11
10 AALRUST Håkon NOR TEAM COOP 00:11

Zingle singles himself out in Mo i Rana

Cofidis’ Axel Zingle won the first stage of the Arctic Race of Norway, a five-hour loop under the rain which started and finished in Mo i Rana. The French rider was the quickest up the definitive hill, putting some bike lengths on Gleb Syritsa (Astana Qazaqstan) and Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies), second and third over the line. It’s the second victory as a pro for the talented young Frenchman, who becomes the first wearer of the Midnight Sun jersey as a race leader with an advantage of four seconds over Burgaudeau and five over Syritsa. After a demanding opening day, the Arctic Race of Norway will continue tomorrow with a 154,3-kilometre flat stage between Mosjøen and Brønnøysund.

114 riders took the start on the 1st stage of the 2022 Arctic Race of Norway, which started and finished in Mo i Rana after covering 186,8 kilometres, at 11:20. Strong winds and mild rain accompanied the cyclists all day long. As soon as the race began, a group of five with Stephen Bassett (Human Powered Health), Luis Ángel Maté (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Aaron Van Poucke (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise), Eirik Lunder (Team Coop) and Sam Culverwell (Trinity Racing) went clear from the peloton. By kilometer 17, they had built a remarkable gap of 5’20”. Back in the bunch, Intermaché-Wanty Gobert, Uno-X and Israel-Premier Tech joined forces to control the breakaway as the route headed south-west.

Maiden Peacock jersey for Bassett
Bassett was the first rider atop Korgfjellet (Cat 1, km 46,9), where the front group had an advantage of 3’35” over the peloton. The gap was steady for the following hour of racing, as the American rider reached the summit of Elsfjord (Cat 2, km 95,3) in first position again. The vibe in the main group changed as it approached the second climb to Korgfjellet (Cat 1, km 107,9), with Intermarché’s Taco van der Hoorn and Dries de Potter taking the reins to up the pace and reduce the gap of the breakaway down to 1’30” on its summit. Meanwhile, Bassett secured the lead of the KOM classification and the maiden Peacock jersey by cresting the third and final categorized climb of the day in first position. After the subsequent descent, some attacks took place in the bunch, with Krists Neilands (Israel-Premier Tech) being particularly active at this segment of the race. No one was given leeway, though, and Uno-X and Intermarché-Wanty Gobert regained control of the operations, with BikeExchange-Jayco joining the chase for the benefit of its sprinter Dylan Groenewegen. The advantage of the break had increased to 2’20” as they went through Finneidfjord (IS, km 135) led by Culverwell.

A bunch cut by half
Uno-X sped things up at the cutting edge of the main group, shutting down the break with 24 kilometres to go and trimming the peloton before the first crossing of the finish line (IS, km 165,5), where Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies) accelerated to pass first in order to net some bonus seconds for the GC. A reduced bunch of 60 riders was left at the head of the race by the second crossing of the finish line (IS, km 176,2), led by Kristian Aasvold (Human Powered Health). Team DSM took over from Uno-X and managed to keep the front group together through the final lap around Mo i Rana despite several attacks. The final kilometer kicked slightly uphill. Axel Zingle (Cofidis) opened the sprint with 200 meters to go and nobody could match his powerful acceleration as he powered away to victory.
@ASO

ARCTIC RACE OF NORWAY 2022: NORWEGIAN ARMADA TO FIGHT THE ARCTIC CROWN BACK

Etappenrennen, Vorschau, ,

Key points:
• The Arctic Race of Norway is showcasing a strong contingent of home talents. Riders such as DSM’s Andreas Leknessund or Uno-X’s Tobias Halland Johannessen will aim to be first Norwegian GC winner of this race since Thor Hushovd achieved the overall victory on its maiden edition (2013).
• Reigning champions Israel-Premier Tech field a strong line-up with Latvia’s Krists Neilands, Norway’s Carl Hagen and the two recent stage winners on the Tour de France, Hugo Houle and Simon Clarke to defend the crown claimed by Ben Hermans last year.
• Tour de France stage winner Dylan Groenewegen will try and land a sprint victory for Team BikeExchange – Jayco on the Australian outfit’s debut in the world’s northernmost race.

The ninth edition of the Arctic Race of Norway is the first one that will be fully held below the Arctic Circle – but the heat of the competition will be as high as ever. Six UCI WorldTeams spearhead the team list with many different targets in sight. Israel-Premier Tech won’t enter defending champion Ben Hermans, yet fields a very strong squad of riders capable of delivering an outstanding result. After a resilient display on the Tour de France, Krists Neilands will try to improve his third place on the GC of the 2019 edition of this race while his teammate Patrick Bevin aims at netting his second UCI ProSeries stage race of the season after winning the Tour of Turkey in April. Along with these two leaders comes Norway’s Carl Fredrik Hagen, twice top10 finisher on the Arctic Race’s GC and the two recent stage winners on the Tour de France, Simon Clarke and Hugo Houle.

Hagen is not the sole local rider entering the Arctic Race of Norway with the ambition of triumphing in the overall classification, a feat that has not been replicated by a Norwegian rider since Thor Hushovd conquered the first edition of the event back in 2013. 22-year-old Tobias Halland Johannessen is one of the most exciting talents in the world of cycling after winning the 2021 Tour de l’Avenir and claiming the best young rider jersey on this year’s Critérium du Dauphiné. The uphill finish at Skallstuggu Summit, to be held on stage 3, should be the ideal hunting ground for Uno-X’s bright prospect. There he will face Andreas Leknessund, a cyclist who has already triumphed in Trondheim, host city of the lumpy final stage, as he claimed the ITT National Championship there as a junior five years ago. 7th on the final GC last year, Leknessund leads a well-rounded Team DSM squad on which Cees Bol will play for the sprint finishes expected in the two opening stages at Mo I Rana and Brønnøysund…

… As will do another renowned Norwegian rider, TotalEnergies’ Edvald Boasson Hagen, who is yet to win a stage in this race. The man to beat on this domain, though, is no one but Dylan Groenewegen. His team, BikeExchange-Jayco, is making its first appearance on the Arctic Race of Norway this very month of August, and is seemingly willing to do it in style. The Dutch rider will be supported by most of the train that led him out a stage of the Tour de France a few weeks ago in Sønderborg, and will try to keep his good vibe in Nordic roads while his teammate Amund Jansen enjoys racing in home soil and Australia’s Nick Schultz targets the GC.

Meant to upset the ambitions of the sprinters are powerhouses like Intermarché’s Quinten Hermans, who astounded the cycling world by landing a podium spot at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and intends to put his quality into display after missing the Tour de France. Rider who have already tasted victory on this event, Norway’s August Jensen, lead the charge from the USA’s Human Powered Health. Like Jensen, who were 2nd overall in 2017, Cofidis’ Victor Lafay has already podiumed on the GC as he was 3rd last year. One of the most celebrated additions to this Arctic Race’s team roster is China Glory Continental Cycling Team, who enters USA’s Sean Bennett as a designed leader and China’s Lyu Xianjing as a joker prepared to make waves in the Norwegian Sea.

The 19 teams of the 2022 Arctic Race of Norway

Australia
Team BikeExchange-Jayco : Groenewegen (Ned), Jansen (Nor), Schultz (Aus)

Belgium
Alpecin-Deceuninck : Gogl (Aut), Sbaragli (Ita)
Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB : Livyns (Bel), L. Wirtgen (Lux)
Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux : Bystrom (Nor), Hermans (Bel), Van der Hoorn (Ned)
Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise : Marit, Reynders (Bel)

China
China Glory Continental Cycling Team: Bennett (USA), Lyu (Chn)

France
B&B Hotels-KTM : Mozzato (Ita), Koretzky (Fra)
Cofidis : Lafay, Pérez (Fra)
Team Arkea-Samsic : Vauquelin (Fra), Verre (Ita)
TotalEnergies : Boasson Hagen (Nor), Burgaudeau (Fra)

Great Britain
Team Trinity Racing : Gloag (Gbr), Porter (Aus)

Israel
Israel-Premier Tech: Bevin (Nzl), Hagen (Nor), Neilands (Lat), Clarke (Aus), Houle (Can)

Kazakhstan
Astana Qazaqstan Team : Conti, Gazzoli (Ita)

Netherlands
Team DSM : Leknessund (Nor), Bol (Ned), Donovan (Gbr)

Norway
Team Coop : Stokbro (Den), Aalrust (Nor)
Uno X-Pro Cycling Team : T. Johannessen, Andersen (Nor)

Spain
Burgos-BH: Raïm (Est), Orts (Spa)
Euskaltel-Euskadi: Aristi, Maté (Spa)

USA
Human Powered Health : Aasvold, Jensen (Nor)

ARCTIC RACE OF NORWAY 2022

Etappenrennen, Vorschau, ,

CHINA AND AUSTRALIA TO MEET UP IN THE NORTHERNMOST PRO BIKE RACE

Key points:
• Six UCI WorldTeams to take part in the ninth Arctic Race of Norway, 11-14 August 2022.
• Team BikeExchange-Jayco, China Glory Continental Cycling and Trinity Racing to line up for the first time.
The ninth Arctic Race of Norway will be held from 11 to 14 August 2022 on the same 4-day format as in previous years but for the first time below and not above the Arctic Circle. The event will welcome a well-balanced field of 19 teams, 10 of which will also take part in the 2022 Tour de France.

Accustomed to hosting the only African formation (Qhubeka) which has faded from the highest professional level, the race will be contested by teams from all other continents this time around: Oceania with the first ever participation of Team BikeExchange-Jayco, America with the return after a two-year hiatus of Human Powered Health that won a stage with Colin Joyce under the name of Rally Cycling in 2018, Asia with the brand new China Glory Continental Cycling Team, and of course Europe which keeps composing the majority of the peloton.

Two of the selected squads are from the hosting country: Coop that hasn’t missed a single edition of the ARN and won the mountains classification last year with Fredrik Dversenes, and Uno-X, the current talent factory of Norwegian cycling that developed the past two winners of the Tour de l’Avenir, Tobias Foss in 2019 and Tobias Halland Johannessen in 2021. Four UCI WorldTeams have famous Norwegians in their ranks: Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux (Alexander Kristoff and Sven-Erik Bystrøm), Team BikeExchange-Jayco (Amund Grøndahl Jansen), Team DSM (Andreas Leknessund and Jonas Iversby Hvideberg), as well as Israel-Premier Tech (Carl Fredrik Hagen).

August Jensen, a stage winner and second overall in 2017, first world class cyclist from northern Norway before the coming of age of Leknessund, is now with Human Powered Health along with Kristian Aasvold who came fifth overall in the 2021 Arctic Race of Norway. TotalEnergies features the inexhaustible Edvald Boasson Hagen who hasn’t said his last word on a bike yet.

Norwegian fans on the road side love their home favourites but the event equally attracts attention all over the world. It’ll be the seventh participation of Astana Qazaqstan Team that already bagged three overall classifications: with Rein Taaramäe in 2015, Sergei Chernetski in 2018 and Alexey Lutsenko in 2019.

“We appreciate the great loyalty of the teams who have regularly participated in the event and renowned runners like Warren Barguil also ask to come back”, commented technical director Yannick Talabardon. “There is something new this year with the BikeExchange-Jayco Team, the China Glory Continental Cycling Team, which represents a very big project for the world of cycling, and Trinity Racing, which should allow to discover new talents of international scope. It’ll make it a very interesting start list.”

The teams of the 2022 Arctic Race of Norway:

UCI WorldTeams (6)
Astana Qazaqstan Team
Cofidis
Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
Team BikeExchange-Jayco
Team DSM
Israel-Premier Tech

UCI ProTeams (10)
Alpecin-Fenix
Team Arkea-Samsic
B&B Hotels-KTM
Bingoal-Pauwels Sauces-WB
Burgos-BH
Euskaltel-Euskadi
Human Powered Health
Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
Uno X-Pro Cycling Team
TotalEnergies

Continental Teams (3)
Team Coop
China Glory Continental Cycling Team
Trinity Racing

The stages of the 2022 Arctic Race of Norway

Thursday 11 August, Stage 1: Mo I Rana – Mo I Rana (185 km)
Friday 12 August, Stage 2: Mosjøen – Brønnøysund (155 km)
Saturday 13 August, Stage 3: Namsos – Skallstuggu summit (180 km)
Sunday 14 August, Stage 4: Trondheim – Trondheim (160 km)

Find more information about the Arctic Race of Norway on arctic-race.com

Arctic Race of Norway – Etappe 4

Ergebnisse, Etappenrennen, , , , ,

Gratangen – Harstad – 163,50 Km

1 WALSLEBEN Philipp GER ALPECIN-FENIX 03:41:40
2 TERPSTRA Niki NED TOTALENERGIES 00:00
3 DELETTRE Alexandre FRA DELKO 00:17
4 EIKING Odd Christian NOR INTERMARCHÉ – WANTY – GOBERT MATÉRIAUX 00:17
5 RESELL Erik Nordsaeter NOR UNO – X PRO CYCLING TEAM 00:19
6 BARGUIL Warren FRA TEAM ARKEA – SAMSIC 00:19
7 ZINGLE Axel FRA COFIDIS 00:19
8 COQUARD Bryan FRA B&B HOTELS P/B KTM 00:19
9 LAFAY Victor FRA COFIDIS 00:19
10 VAKOČ Petr CZE ALPECIN-FENIX 00:19

Endstand:

1 HERMANS Ben BEL ISRAEL START-UP NATION 15:04:02
2 EIKING Odd Christian NOR INTERMARCHÉ – WANTY – GOBERT MATÉRIAUX 00:02
3 LAFAY Victor FRA COFIDIS 00:06
4 BATTISTELLA Samuele ITA ASTANA – PREMIER TECH 00:20
5 AASVOLD Kristian NOR TEAM COOP 00:26
6 PRADES REVERTER Eduard ESP DELKO 00:29
7 LEKNESSUND Andreas NOR NORWAY 00:29
8 BARGUIL Warren FRA TEAM ARKEA – SAMSIC 00:32
9 ERIKSSON Jacob SWE TEAM COOP 00:36
10 TRÆEN Torstein NOR UNO – X PRO CYCLING TEAM 00:50

Ben Hermans caps it off

Ben Hermans controlled the last stage at perfection to take home the trophy of the Arctic Race of Norway he missed out six years ago. Odd Christian Eiking settled for second as he only gained two seconds, half of what he needed, over the race leader in the final uphill in Harstad where Philipp Walsleben outclassed Niki Terpstra for the stage win. Best young rider Victor Lafay rounded out the podium of the 8th edition of the northernmost bike race that showcased stunning landscapes once again.

Nine riders in the lead
106 riders took the start of the fourth and last stage of the 8th Arctic Race of Norway in Gratangen, for the grand finale in Harstad. 9 riders took off early: Erik Resell (Uno-X), Aimé De Gendt (Intermarché-Wanty Gobert), Niki Terpstra (TotalEnergies), Thomas Champion (Cofidis), Philipp Walsleben (Alpecin-Fenix), Alexandre Delettre and Michael Edouard Grosu (Delko), Ceriel Desal (Bingoal Pauwels Sauce WB) and Tore André Vabø (Team Coop). The standard gap allowed by Israel-Start Up-Nation at the helm was 2’30’’ – the time difference recorded at half way into the race.

Terpstra and Walsleben with 5km to go
The Euskaltel team was eager to bring the breakaway back as the peloton reached the finishing circuit in Harstad. The time difference was down to 1’ with 22km to go as Resell sped up the head of the race. Grosu got reeled in 20km before the finish, followed by Desal and Vabø. Champion lost contact with the front group with 14km to go. Walsleben upped the tempo with 10.5km remaining meanwhile Torjus Sleen (Uno-X) went in between and Israel-Start Up-Nation seized the reins of the bunch, after which the time difference went from 30’’ back to 1’. Henok Mulhubran (Qhubeka-NextHash) tried his luck with 6km to go. Terpstra and Walsleben formed a leading duo 5km before the end.

Eiking only two seconds ahead of Hermans
Terpstra and Walsleben had 25’’ lead with 2.5km to go and the final uphill yet to come. They managed to stay away and Walsleben, a former cyclo-cross rider, had what it takes to rush to the win up the hill against a Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix winner. Delettre managed to avoid the return of the peloton to finish third of stage 4. Eiking gave it all to finish with the same time as the Frenchman and two seconds ahead of the peloton that included his direct rivals Hermans and Lafay. In the end, the 35 year old from Belgium who already won stage races like the Tour of Oman and the Tour of Austria in the past concluded the Arctic Race of Norway with no hiccups, just as he wished after his victory in the queen stage to Målselv on Saturday.