Stage 1 of the 2025 Arctic Race of Norway kicked off with freezing rain, breakaway drama, and a brutal uphill sprint in Harstad. Sprinters and classics riders – including Tom Pidcock – fought hard for the first leader’s jersey in tough northern conditions.
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You’re one of the favorites. Yeah. Well, okay. That’s uh that’s some pressure, but okay. It still feels like my home race. Last stage in Trumsa where I grew up. It’s a race I always look forward to. I always want to have it on my schedule. Uh so, uh yeah, it’s a race. I really enjoy it. Of course, it’s home race for UNIMX Norway team. So, um, yeah, they’re not going to make it easy, that’s for sure. First race in a long time. I’m racing this year on the road. So, yeah, a bit little bit unknown, but yeah, we’ll see. I think I’ve done some good training. I’m in good shape. I think small pelon here, so a lot of teams will want to get something out of the next four days and uh I think it should be a good race. I think stage three is the day day the GC is decided. On the line, it’s going to be Ben Herman’s doubles up. Brilliant stuff from the Belgian. He wins again in Moscel. It’s my last year and it’s my last two months I would say. So uh it’s also my last race in Norway. Make you think about um yeah what you’ve done the last uh 20 years you know bit sad but also it’s a time for everything for me personally. I really hope I can uh yeah cross the line first at least one time. [Applause] [Music] Is this crazy? Yes. Not uh not something I’ve trained for. So uh it was more uh scary than expected. I don’t want to uh to hit the the deck here. The Arctic Race of Norway, the 12th edition of the great event getting underway today. Destination Hastad. Even the prime minister turned up to take it on. Well, he wanted to witness something very special and that’s precisely what we got. A mixed course with mountains out there to tempt the breakaway potentially and a beautiful backdrop as ever. Some rain, some sunshine popping out as well through the course of the day and it was to draw out some big ambitions from a breakaway. We had one as well. Took a while to establish itself, but ultimately we had four up the road including Freddy Devound who looked very, very strong indeed. He was looking for manage points and intermediate sprint bonuses as well. They duly came and went, but ultimately this was to be a winding by the pelatin. Good for Uno X to have implanted somebody up the road. Likewise, Picnic Poster now had Roman Cambo up front and I have to say there was the mountains jersey up for grabs and that was a big temptation for the likes of Storm Ingabiten. He making sure that he was always in the right place at the wet time and indeed came across the line throwing his bike at those mountain points and guaranteeing himself the Northern Lights jersey by the end of the day. Super work by him. That was his intention and he delivered. Well, the rain came down and of course with having two big loops and a toy to one at the end which would bring us to our final sprint, we crossed the line to hear the bell and everyone knew what was coming. Lots of rain, lots of unstable services and of course potentially a sprint finish. The breakaway had done its job of moderating the day. the sprint teams. Well, there was a few rolls of the dice from others that wanted to deny the fast men, but ultimately this was hard work done by absolutely everybody and the breakaway of course was destined to be disappointed. One last climb going the way of Ingaen for team co-op reps. Credit to them and credit as well to some of the teams like Kern Farmer that really did a lot of the chasing hoping to shake out the fast men. It didn’t happen. We were all bunched together as we came to Hastad our grand finale. Still there were some opportunities thought the likes of Yenti Vanderlddera but it wasn’t to be. He joined by two others but really this was all going to be about the sprinters. Would the favorites come through and deliver a grand stand finale. Alexander Kristoff waiting to launch. Can he get there? Starting to chug just a little bit. Has indeed he run out of power. And this is your big drag race as we start to just turn into the corner. Aston look like they’ve bags in this one but well you’ve got to be brave to go for it. And co go for it. Bidim goes. Corbin Strong still waiting in third man here. Is he going to have a dig? Waiting, waiting, waiting. Got company as well with Scari also in the frame here. They’re coming around the corner. Are they going to neutralize each other here? Running out of road. Running out of patience. Running out of time. Oh, running away from it. Brilliant work. Absolutely superb. I enjoy the pressure actually. I enjoy uh feeling the the pressure of uh yeah the guys uh really putting in their their best to help me. Um obviously everyone in the sports trains really really hard to so to see the work my teammates put in and and then uh the way they sacrifice for me on a in a in a race uh yeah really motivates me. Corbyn Strong delivering both he and Riley Sheen. Phenomenal performance. What a great win it was for the Kiwi. Taking his day’s prize beautifully. Russell making up today’s podium ahead of Rick Plumemers. Gentto Beerman’s rounding out the top five. They’ll all have another chance tomorrow. Corbyn Strong as stage winner with the bonuses of course leads overall and the Midnight Sun jersey belongs to him despite the shivers. You’ll love this. [Music]