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2025 Arctic Race of Norway (2.Pro), Norway

12th edition: August 7 - 10, 2025

Arctic Race of Norway podium history | Start list | 2024 edition
Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage 4

Map of the 2025 Arctic Race of Norway

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Sunday, August 10: 4th & Final Stage, Tromsø - Tromsø, 135.3 km

Stage 4 map & profile

Frederik Dversnes wins the final stage.

Les Woodland's book Cycling Heroes: The Golden Years is available in the print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Weather at the start/finish city of Tromsø at 2:10 PM, local time: 18C (66F), fair, with the wind from the south-southwest at 18 km/hr (11 mph). There is a 46% chance of rain, dropping to 10% at 4:00 PM.

The race: Here's the race organizer's stage four summary.

The 2025 Arctic Race of Norway was drawn to a close this Sunday with an exciting final stage in the streets of Tromsø. The many attacks by the likes of Tom Pidcock (Q36.5), Kevin Vermaerke (Picnic-PostNL) or Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X) were not enough to dethrone Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech) from the overall lead, and the Kiwi rider managed to still top the standings ahead of Pidcock and XDS-Astana’s Christian Scaroni after finishing second in the last stage to Uno-X’s Frederik Dversnes, who was the quickest in the final sprint.

This is the first time that a rider from New Zealand wins the Arctic Race of Norway, making it the 10th nation to win the northernmost road cycling race in just 12 editions running. Besides the Midnight Sun jersey, Strong also took home the Points and the Young Rider classifications, as well as his victory in the first stage. As for the northern lights jersey for the winner of the KOM classification, it was claimed by Norwegian youngster Storm Ingebrigtsen (Coop-Repsol).

Another view of the finish.

The race:
At 14:44, 105 riders took the start in the 4th and final stage of the 2025 Arctic Race of Norway. It was entirely held in the city of Tromsø over a course that consisted of eight laps to an urban circuit that included the sharp hill of Prestvannet (Cat 2), to total 135,3 kilometers of intense racing. An early intermediate sprint (km 7,9) saw Riley Sheehan (Israel-Premier Tech) claim three bonus seconds, while Christian Scaroni (XDS-Astana) and Felix Engelhardt (Jayco-AlUla) took two and one respectively. The first climb to Prestvannet (Cat 2, km 14,9) was first crested by Intermarché-Wanty’s Lorenzo Rota as attacks happened left and right and a slight rain turned the road wet and slippery, provoking crashes that forced riders like Equipo Kern Pharma’s Pau Miquel to withdraw from the race.

It was at around kilometer 22 that Ådne Holter (Uno-X Mobility), Davide Ballerini (XDS-Astana), Asbjørn Hellemose (Jayco-AlUla), Mattéo Vercher (TotalEnergies), Jonas Geens (Flanders-Baloise) and Diego Uriarte (Equipo Kern Pharma) managed to go clear. Two more riders joined them in the second climb to Prestvannet (Cat 2, km 31): Bjorn Koerdt (Picnic-PostNL) and Ulrik Tvedt (Lillehammer CK). None of the men up the road was in the mix for the KOM classification, and that granted Storm Ingebrigtsen (Coop-Repsol) an easy ride to secure the northern lights jersey.

Moves by Vermaerke, Pidcock and Leknessund
Israel-Premier Tech duly committed to defend Corbin Strong’s Midnight Sun jersey, and kept the eight men at the front under a tight leash. The gap never went beyond the 1’30” timed atop the third climb to Prestvannet (Cat 2, km 47,1). It was on the fifth lap, under grey skies that didn’t threaten with rain anymore, that Picnic-PostNL hit the afterburners up Prestvannet (Cat 2, km 79,3) setting up an attack by Kevin Vermaerke. Although the American rider failed to jump clear, his move opened up the race for other riders high up in GC like Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) or Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X) to go on the offensive. Both would eventually join the head of the race at the sixth passage up Prestvannet (Cat 2, km 95,4), only for Israel-Premier Tech to quickly shut the breakaway down. A canny, well-timed attack made Ryan Gal (Picnic-PostNL) net three bonus seconds at the second intermediate sprint (km 104,5), with Strong and Pidcock taking two and one in a closely contested sprint to the line.

Dversnes claims a home win for Uno-X
Stefano Oldani (Cofidis) and Hugo de la Calle (Burgos BH) powered away from an already reduced peloton in the seventh climb to Prestvannet (Cat 2, km 111,5). They get overtaken by Mattéo Vercher (TotalEnergies) in view of the last intermediate sprint (km 127,6), where the Frenchman claims three bonus seconds before being reeled back in. Marcel Camprubí (Q36.5) tries his luck to be brought back with 7 kilometers to go. Riders like Dylan Teuns (Cofidis) also attacked, for a similar outcome. 30 riders rolled together under the red flag, preparing for the sprint that would settle the 2025 Arctic Race of Norway. The excellent lead-out from Israel-Premier Tech and Picnic-PostNL was upset by Uno-X’s Frederik Dversnes, who took the stage win with a powerful, 250-meter long kick that nobody could match.

Complete results:

135.3 kilometers raced at an average speed of 43.028 km/hr

1	Fredrik Dversnes	Uno-X Mobility	3hr 8min 40sec
2	Corbin Strong	Israel-Premier Tech	s.t.
3	Davide Ballerini	XDS Astana Team	s.t.
4	Rick Pluimers	Tudor Pro Cycling Team	s.t.
5	Sakarias Koller Løland	Uno-X Mobility	s.t.
6	Tom Pidcock	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	s.t.
7	Mats Wenzel	Equipo Kern Pharma	s.t.
8	Martin Tjøtta	Arkea-B&B Hotels	s.t.
9	Stefano Oldani	Cofidis	s.t.
10	Sven Erik Bystrøm	Norwegian Team	s.t.
11	Hugo de la Calle	Burgos Burpellet BH	s.t.
12	Kevin Vermaerke	Team Picnic PostNL	s.t.
13	Alan Hatherly	Team Jayco-AlUla	s.t.
14	Jonas Geens	Team Flanders-Baloise	s.t.
15	Mattéo Vercher	Team TotalEnergies	s.t.
16	Joris Delbove	Team TotalEnergies	s.t.
17	Lorenzo Rota	Intermarché-Wanty	s.t.
18	Felix Engelhardt	Team Jayco-AlUla	s.t.
19	Andreas Leknessund	Uno-X Mobility	s.t.
20	Clément Champoussin	XDS Astana Team	s.t.
21	Christian Scaroni	XDS Astana Team	s.t.
22	Eivind Broholt Fougner	Team Coop-Repsol	s.t.
23	Marcel Camprubí	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	s.t.
24	Dylan Teuns	Cofidis	s.t.
25	Anthon Charmig	XDS Astana Team	s.t.
26	Mark Donovan	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	s.t.
27	Ådne Holter	Uno-X Mobility	s.t.
28	Riley Sheehan	Israel-Premier Tech	s.t.
29	Edward Dunbar	Team Jayco-AlUla	s.t.
30	Bjoern Koerdt	Team Picnic PostNL	@ 8sec
31	Arne Marit	Intermarché-Wanty	1:13
32	Rasmus Tiller	Uno-X Mobility	s.t.
33	Cees Bol	XDS Astana Team	s.t.
34	Daniel Årnes	Norwegian Team	s.t.
35	Jules Hesters	Team Flanders-Baloise	s.t.
36	Jenthe Biermans	Arkea-B&B Hotels	s.t.
37	Felix Ørn-Kristoff	Intermarché-Wanty	s.t.
38	Antonio Angulo	Burgos Burpellet BH	s.t.
39	Samuel Leroux	Team TotalEnergies	s.t.
40	Even Thorvaldsen	Lillehammer CK Continental	s.t.
41	Sam Maisonobe	Cofidis	s.t.
42	Nicolas Milesi	Arkea-B&B Hotels	s.t.
43	Romain Combaud	Team Picnic PostNL	s.t.
44	Clément Alleno	Burgos Burpellet BH	s.t.
45	Jonathan Lastra	Cofidis	s.t.
46	Ryan Gal	Team Picnic PostNL	s.t.
47	Toralf Rydningen Martinsen	Lillehammer CK Continental	s.t.
48	Vetle Eskedal	Norwegian Team	s.t.
49	Anton Stensby	Team Coop-Repsol	s.t.
50	Merhawi Kudus	Burgos Burpellet BH	s.t.
51	Cedrik Bakke Christophersen	Unibet Tietema Rockets	s.t.
52	Florian Stork	Tudor Pro Cycling Team	s.t.
53	Mikel Retegi	Equipo Kern Pharma	s.t.
54	Dion Smith	Intermarché-Wanty	s.t.
55	Josh Burnett	Burgos Burpellet BH	s.t.
56	Simon Guglielmi	Arkea-B&B Hotels	s.t.
57	Sinuhé Fernandez	Burgos Burpellet BH	s.t.
58	Nick Schultz	Israel-Premier Tech	s.t.
59	Elias Maris	Team Flanders-Baloise	s.t.
60	Hugo Houle	Israel-Premier Tech	s.t.
61	Storm Ingebrigtsen	Team Coop-Repsol	s.t.
62	Asbjørn Hellemose	Team Jayco-AlUla	s.t.
63	Aaron Gate	XDS Astana Team	s.t.
64	Luca Van Boven	Intermarché-Wanty	1:20
65	Sjoerd Bax	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	s.t.
66	Milan Vader	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	s.t.
67	Clement Izquierdo	Cofidis	s.t.
68	Lindsay De Vylder	Team Flanders-Baloise	1:39
69	Tord Gudmestad	Norwegian Team	3:00
70	Abram Stockman	Unibet Tietema Rockets	s.t.
71	Ludvik Holstad	Lillehammer CK Continental	4:36
72	Léandre Huck	Cofidis	6:35
73	Owen Geleijn	Unibet Tietema Rockets	s.t.
74	Timo de Jong	Team Picnic PostNL	8:09
75	Jelle Johannink	Unibet Tietema Rockets	s.t.
76	Davide De Pretto	Team Jayco-AlUla	s.t.
77	Floris Van Tricht	Israel-Premier Tech	8:39
78	Tom Van Asbroeck	Israel-Premier Tech	s.t.
79	Eirik Vang Aas	Team Coop-Repsol	s.t.
80	Ulrik Tvedt	Lillehammer CK Continental	s.t.
81	Michael Hepburn	Team Jayco-AlUla	10:23
82	Alexander Kristoff	Uno-X Mobility	s.t.
83	Petr Kelemen	Tudor Pro Cycling Team	s.t.
84	Sebastian Veslum	Norwegian Team	s.t.
85	Unai Iribar	Equipo Kern Pharma	s.t.
86	Kevin Inkelaar	Unibet Tietema Rockets	s.t.
87	Georg Rydningen Martinsen	Lillehammer CK Continental	s.t.
88	Joel Suter	Tudor Pro Cycling Team	s.t.
89	Nicola Marcerou	Team TotalEnergies	s.t.
90	Morthen Wang Baksaas	Norwegian Team	s.t.
91	Baptiste Poulard	Arkea-B&B Hotels	s.t.
92	Karsten Feldmann	Team Coop-Repsol	s.t.
93	Diego Uriarte	Equipo Kern Pharma	12:29

 

Final GC after stage 4:

• GC winner: Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech)
• Mountains classification winner: Storm Ingebrigtsen (Team Coop-Repsol)
• Points classification winner: Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech)
• Best young rider: Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech)
• Teams classification winner: XDS Astana

666.2 kilometers raced at an average speed of 42.118 km/hr

1	Corbin Strong	Israel-Premier Tech	15hr 49min 3sec
2	Tom Pidcock	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	@ 11sec
3	Christian Scaroni	XDS Astana Team	0:28
4	Riley Sheehan	Israel-Premier Tech	0:35
5	Clément Champoussin	XDS Astana Team	0:39
6	Kevin Vermaerke	Team Picnic PostNL	s.t.
7	Martin Tjøtta	Arkea-B&B Hotels	0:42
8	Felix Engelhardt	Team Jayco-AlUla	0:43
9	Sven Erik Bystrøm	Norwegian Team	0:44
10	Mats Wenzel	Equipo Kern Pharma	s.t.
11	Alan Hatherly	Team Jayco-AlUla	s.t.
12	Eivind Broholt Fougner	Team Coop-Repsol	0:49
13	Andreas Leknessund	Uno-X Mobility	s.t.
14	Lorenzo Rota	Intermarché-Wanty	0:52
15	Anthon Charmig	XDS Astana Team	0:55
16	Hugo de la Calle	Burgos Burpellet BH	s.t.
17	Fredrik Dversnes	Uno-X Mobility	0:59
18	Ådne Holter	Uno-X Mobility	1:03
19	Mattéo Vercher	Team TotalEnergies	1:06
20	Joris Delbove	Team TotalEnergies	1:09
21	Dylan Teuns	Cofidis	s.t.
22	Bjoern Koerdt	Team Picnic PostNL	1:14
23	Rick Pluimers	Tudor Pro Cycling Team	1:19
24	Stefano Oldani	Cofidis	1:22
25	Edward Dunbar	Team Jayco-AlUla	1:24
26	Sakarias Koller Løland	Uno-X Mobility	1:53
27	Hugo Houle	Israel-Premier Tech	1:57
28	Cedrik Bakke Christophersen	Unibet Tietema Rockets	2:02
29	Nick Schultz	Israel-Premier Tech	s.t.
30	Clement Izquierdo	Cofidis	2:09
31	Clément Alleno	Burgos Burpellet BH	2:11
32	Sam Maisonobe	Cofidis	s.t.
33	Mark Donovan	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	2:15
34	Florian Stork	Tudor Pro Cycling Team	2:18
35	Jonathan Lastra	Cofidis	2:22
36	Romain Combaud	Team Picnic PostNL	s.t.
37	Nicolas Milesi	Arkea-B&B Hotels	2:28
38	Josh Burnett	Burgos Burpellet BH	2:32
39	Anton Stensby	Team Coop-Repsol	2:42
40	Antonio Angulo	Burgos Burpellet BH	2:44
41	Dion Smith	Intermarché-Wanty	2:45
42	Vetle Eskedal	Norwegian Team	2:52
43	Toralf Rydningen Martinsen	Lillehammer CK Continental	s.t.
44	Merhawi Kudus	Burgos Burpellet BH	2:57
45	Luca Van Boven	Intermarché-Wanty	3:04
46	Elias Maris	Team Flanders-Baloise	3:06
47	Sinuhé Fernandez	Burgos Burpellet BH	3:10
48	Jenthe Biermans	Arkea-B&B Hotels	3:28
49	Jonas Geens	Team Flanders-Baloise	s.t.
50	Simon Guglielmi	Arkea-B&B Hotels	s.t.
51	Milan Vader	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	3:35
52	Arne Marit	Intermarché-Wanty	3:41
53	Ryan Gal	Team Picnic PostNL	3:43
54	Felix Ørn-Kristoff	Intermarché-Wanty	3:55
55	Samuel Leroux	Team TotalEnergies	4:19
56	Marcel Camprubí	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	4:43
57	Daniel Årnes	Norwegian Team	5:00
58	Davide Ballerini	XDS Astana Team	5:19
59	Abram Stockman	Unibet Tietema Rockets	5:49
60	Asbjørn Hellemose	Team Jayco-AlUla	6:03
61	Lindsay De Vylder	Team Flanders-Baloise	6:10
62	Aaron Gate	XDS Astana Team	6:36
63	Tord Gudmestad	Norwegian Team	6:47
64	Ludvik Holstad	Lillehammer CK Continental	7:18
65	Sjoerd Bax	Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team	7:56
66	Owen Geleijn	Unibet Tietema Rockets	8:33
67	Jules Hesters	Team Flanders-Baloise	8:55
68	Rasmus Tiller	Uno-X Mobility	9:11
69	Léandre Huck	Cofidis	9:14
70	Even Thorvaldsen	Lillehammer CK Continental	9:29
71	Jelle Johannink	Unibet Tietema Rockets	9:31
72	Cees Bol	XDS Astana Team	9:45
73	Davide De Pretto	Team Jayco-AlUla	9:49
74	Ulrik Tvedt	Lillehammer CK Continental	11:07
75	Unai Iribar	Equipo Kern Pharma	11:47
76	Mikel Retegi	Equipo Kern Pharma	12:21
77	Tom Van Asbroeck	Israel-Premier Tech	12:49
78	Baptiste Poulard	Arkea-B&B Hotels	13:14
79	Nicola Marcerou	Team TotalEnergies	13:14
80	Floris Van Tricht	Israel-Premier Tech	13:47
81	Karsten Feldmann	Team Coop-Repsol	14:46
82	Michael Hepburn	Team Jayco-AlUla	16:55
83	Kevin Inkelaar	Unibet Tietema Rockets	16:58
84	Petr Kelemen	Tudor Pro Cycling Team	16:59
85	Eirik Vang Aas	Team Coop-Repsol	17:11
86	Georg Rydningen Martinsen	Lillehammer CK Continental	17:19
87	Storm Ingebrigtsen	Team Coop-Repsol	17:41
88	Alexander Kristoff	Uno-X Mobility	18:15
89	Morthen Wang Baksaas	Norwegian Team	18:40
90	Timo de Jong	Team Picnic PostNL	19:09
91	Sebastian Veslum	Norwegian Team	19:24
92	Joel Suter	Tudor Pro Cycling Team	28:28
93	Diego Uriarte	Equipo Kern Pharma	32:28

 

Stage 4 map & profile:

Stage 4 map

Stage 4 profile

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Saturday, August 9: Stage 3, Husøy (Senja) - Målselv (Alpine village), 182.4 km

Stage 3 map & profile

Tom Pidcock beats Corbin Strong for the stage win.

Bill & Carol McGann’s book The Story of the 2023 Tour de France, 2023: The Viking Again Conquers the Tour is available in both Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Weather at the start city of Senja at 2:15 PM, local time: 17C (63F), fair, with the wind from the south-southwest at 11 km/hr (9 mph). No rain is forecast.

The race: Here's the race organizer's stage three report.

On the eve of the 2025 Arctic Race of Norway, Tom Pidcock said he believed this event was “a good opportunity to get my hands in the air.” The Q36.5 star rose to the occasion and conquered the slopes of Fjellandsby, a winter sports complex just outside Målselv, to claim his fifth victory of the season on the third stage of the world’s northernmost road cycling race.

He didn’t get the Midnight Sun jersey, though, as its holder Corbin Strong (Israel - Premier Tech) managed to keep up with the Englishman’s pace in order to stay in the lead of the general classification. Everything is set for an exciting finale this Sunday in Tromsø, where the course will consist of eight laps to an intense, 16-kilometre long circuit that includes two hills and will open up many opportunities for aggressive racing… and a potential shake-up in the overall standings.

Stage three gets started.

The race
106 riders took the start in the 3rd stage of the 2025 Arctic Race of Norway, held between Husøy and the winter sports complex of Fjellandsby, just outside Målselv, for a 182,4-kilometre course finishing with a climb of nearly four kilometres. The flag dropped at 13:40 for the riders to tackle the first categorized climb of the day, named Husøy summit (Cat 1, km 2,1) - a sharp hill atop which five KOM points and 100 kilos of salmon products offered by race sponsor Br. Karlsen were at stake. Morthen Wang Baksaas (Norwegian National Team) claimed both prizes by defeating Storm Ingebrigtsen (Coop - Repsol), Georg Rydningen Martinsen (Lillehammer CK) and Sebastian Veslum (Norwegian National Team) on a ferocious sprint. All four Norwegian riders then undertook to form the breakaway of the day.

Insatiable Baksaas
Double Olympic MTB champion Tom Pidcock was the main favorite for the win at Fjellandsby, and Q36.5 consequently took the lion’s share of the work to control the gap of the front group over the peloton, that peaked at 5’20” atop Bergsbotn summit (Cat 2, km 55,9). Baksaas was first there as well as in Gangskarberget summit (Cat 2, km 69,1), coming just one point shy of taking the northern lights jersey away from fellow escapee Ingebrigtsen. He also claimed maximum points at the intermediate sprints in Mefjordbotneidet (IS, km 16,2) and Finnsnes (IS, km 102,4). At the latter, the advantage of the break had been reduced to 3’00” by the restless effort of expert Belgian domestique Frederik Frison (Q36.5).

Exciting duel in Fjellandsby
The peloton came closer to the breakaway as it approached the final climb. With 17 kilometers to go, Veslum took off on his own while the rest of the attackers were reeled back in. The rider of the Norwegian National Team managed to be first across the intermediate sprint at Målselv River (IS, km 171,1), where Karsten Larsen Feldmann (Coop - Repsol) and Christian Scaroni (XDS - Astana) claimed two and one bonus seconds. Once Veslum was caught, the road started to rise and XDS - Astana began setting the pace. Q36.5 took over, with Milan Vader upping the rhythm for Tom Pidcock with 2,5 kilometers to go. The Briton launched his first attack 1,2 kilometers from home, and Midnight Sun jersey wearer Corbin Strong (Israel - Premier Tech) jumped on his wheel. The Kiwi sprinter kept up with Pidcock’s second acceleration with 500 meters to go, and even matched his sprint until the very finish line where the Q36.5 rider raised his arms in victory. Scaroni, 3rd and 12” in arrears, was the best of the rest.

Complete results:

182.4 kilometers raced at an average speed of 38.635 km/hr

GC after stage 3:

• GC leader: Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech)
• Mountains classification leader: Storm Ingebrigtsen (Team Coop-Repsol)
• Points classification leader: Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech)
• Best young rider: Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech)
• Teams classification leader: Israel-Premier Tech

530.9 kilometers raced so far at an average speed of 41.886 km/hr

Stage 3 map & profile:

Stage 3 map

Stage 3 profile

Friday, August 8: Stage 2, Tennevoll (Lavangen) - Sørreisa, 166.5 km

Stage 2 map & profile

Though set to retire at the end of this season, stage winner Alexander Kristoff is not going to go gentle into that good night.

Bill and Carol McGann's book The Story of the Tour de France, Vol 2: 1976 - 2018 is available in print, Kindle eBook & Audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Weather at the finish city of Sørreisa at 2:10 PM, local time: 20C (68F), partly cloudy, with the wind from the south-southeast at 11 km/hr (6 mph). There is an 8% chance of rain, rising to 22% at 4:00 PM.

The race: Here's the race organizer's stage 2 summary:

A living legend in the Norwegian cycling books, Alexander Kristoff is about to take a bow out of racing as he intends to hang up his wheels at the end of the current season. The 2025 Arctic Race of Norway is his last race in home soil, and he has duly obliged the occasion by netting his eighth stage win in this event at Sorreisø, finish town of the 2nd stage of this 12th edition of the world’s northernmost road cycling race. The Uno-X rider honored the great work from his teammates all day long, and their excellent final lead-out, and defeated Tom Van Asbroeck (Israel - Premier Tech) and Karsten Larsen Feldmann (Coop - Repsol) by several bike lengths in the deciding sprint. Israel’s Corbin Strong kept the Midnight Sun jersey as Kristoff raised his arms in victory, rejoicing in his ride into the iconic midnight sunset that characterizes summer in Northern Norway. The GC battle will heat up this Saturday with the summit finish atop Målselv.

The race:
106 riders took the start in the 2nd stage of the 2025 Arctic Race of Norway, held between Tennevoll and Sørreisa over a 166,5-kilometre course, lumpy on its first half and rather flat on its second. As the flag dropped at 14.12, three Norwegian riders went on the offensive: Georg Rydningen Martinsen (Lillehammer CK), Morthen Wang Baksaas (Norwegian National Team) and northern lights jersey holder Storm Ingebrigtsen (Coop - Repsol). Three more riders set off in pursuit shortly after: Jelle Johannink (Unibet Tietema Rockets), Josh Burnett (Burgos Burpellet BH) and Yentl Vandevelde (Flanders - Baloise). The latter got distanced midway through the climb to Lapphaugen summit (Cat 1, km 13,2), atop which Johannink and Burnett managed to bridge back with the front group as Baksaas defeated Ingebritsen to take full points for the KOM classification. The bunch was 3’00” adrift at this point, driven by the Israel-Premier Tech team of the Midnight Sun jersey wearer Corbin Strong. Later on, Uno-X Mobility would cooperate with them.

Ingebrigtsen and Baksaas battle for the northern lights jersey
Johannink got dropped on the ascent to the summit of Gratangsbotn (Cat 1, km 35,7), where Baksaas gave Ingebrigtsen a run for his money and came out victorious yet again. The tables turned later, though, as the Coop-Repsol powerhouse defeated the Norwegian National Team rider atop the last climb of the day, Lavangsedeit summit (Cat 2, km 63,3), to extend his tenure of the northern lights jersey sponsored by Aibel. Baksaas would later be first across the intermediate sprint in Sjøvegan (IS, km 73,5), where the pack was 1’30” in arrears of the four men at the head of the race. Several riders tried to move away from the peloton on a hill at kilometre 89, with Eirik Vang Aas (Coop - Repsol) managing to go clear and join the breakaway with an impressive, punchy effort.

Late, unsuccessful attack by Kevin Vermaerke
Three laps to a 13,7-kilometre circuit that included a gravel sector awaited the riders at Sorreisø. At its entrance (km 125,6), the five-man unit at the front of the race held a 1’15” gap over the bunch. Baksaas took maximum bonus seconds at the first passage through the intermediate sprint in Sorreisø (IS, km 136,5), and got distanced from the break shortly after. The remaining four escapees kept 30” on the peloton 22 kilometers from home, yet were caught after riding again through Sorreisø (IS, km 150,2), this time led by Vang Aas.

Abram Stockman (Unibet Tietema Rockets) then tried to break away on his own, yet he was quickly overtaken by Kevin Vermaerke (Picnic-PostNL), who was alone in the lead at the exit of the last passage through the gravel sector. The American rider held a 10” gap with 5 to go, yet was brought back by an excited peloton. With the finish line in sight, a crash affecting Equipo Kern Pharma’s Pau Miquel derailed the efforts of the best part of the bunch. Uno-X, though, was already hitting the afterburners and had no issue to deliver Alexander Kristoff in the best possible position to the home straight for him to net the victory.

Complete results:

166.5 kilometers raced at an average speed of 42.487 km/hr

GC after stage 2:

• GC leader: Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech)
• Mountains classification leader: Storm Ingebrigtsen (Team Coop-Repsol)
• Points classification leader: Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech)
• Best young rider: Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech)
• Teams classification leader: XDS-Astana

348.5 kilometers raced so far at an average speed of 43.806 km/hr

Stage 2 map & profile:

Stage 2 map

Stage 2 profile

Thursday, August 7: Stage 1, Borkenes (Kvæfjord) - Harstad, 182 km

Stage 1 map & profile

Corbin Strong wins the stage while his Team Israel-Premier Tech teammate Riley Sheehan is second. ASO photo

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Weather at the finish city of Harstad at 2:15 PM, local time: 15C (59F), rain, with the wind from the south-southwest at 15 mph. Occasional rain is forecast to continue through the afternoon.

The race: Here's the race organizer's stage one report.

Corbin Strong became the first leader of the 2025 Arctic Race of Norway after winning the opening stage in Harstad, decided in a punchy, uphill sprint that saw a mix of sprinters and classic specialists battle for the win. The New Zealander and his fellow Israel-Premier Tech rider Riley Sheehan delivered a one-two at the finish to reward the tenacious work of their teammates throughout the stage and frustrate the efforts of Uno-X’s Rasmus Tiller, who was third across the line.

The stage got a wet start.

It was a cold, rainy day in Northern Norway that saw Storm Ingebrigtsen (Coop-Repsol) take the northern lights jersey as leader of the KOM classification and Fredrik Dversnes (Uno-X Mobility) claim six bonus seconds that may be instrumental later in the week. Powerhouses and fast men will have a new chance to score a good result and claim the Midnight Sun jersey this Friday in Sørreisa, finish town of a second stage which features a final circuit that includes a gravel sector.

The race:
107 riders took the start in the 12th edition of the Arctic Race of Norway, which began at 13:50 with a 182-kilometre stage between Borkenes (in the municipality of Kvæfjord) and Harstad. Despite some attacks, the peloton crested the first climb of the week to the Storjorda summit (Cat 2, km 13,4) tight together under the pouring rain, and led by Kevin Inkelaar (Unibet Tietema Rockets).

It was on the approach to the first passage at the finish line in Harstad (IS, km 43,2) that Romain Combaud (Picnic-PostNL), Abram Stockman (Unibet Tietema Rockets), Vetle Torin Eskedal (Norwegian National Team) and Storm Ingebrigtsen (Coop-Repsol) managed to break away from the peloton, with the latter coming first in the Intermediate Sprint. Shortly after, Fredrik Dversnes (Uno-X Mobility) and Georg Rydningen Martinsen (Lillehammer CK) jumped from the peloton to bridge back with the men at the front and establish a six-strong breakaway that enjoyed a 1’15” advantage on the peloton 49 kilometers into the course, as the rain stopped and the clouds made way for the sun to shine over the cyclists.

Dversnes claims six bonus seconds
Marcel Camprubí (Q36.5) and Floris Van Tricht (Israel-Premier Tech) were tasked by their teams with controlling the breakaway’s lead, helping the chances of their respective leaders Tom Pidcock and Corbin Strong of succeeding in the final straight, which was slightly uphill and well suited to their qualities. Dversnes was first across Borkenes (IS, km 75,6), where the break’s advantage was clocked at 1’45”, while Ingebrigtsen led the way through the second passage across the Storjorda summit (Cat 2, km 93,1). XDS-Astana put Anthon Charmig to work at the head of the peloton on behalf of their fast men Davide Ballerini and Cees Bol, and the gap got consequently reduced down to 50” at the second passage through the finish line in Harstad (IS, km 122,9), led again by Dversnes in his bonus seconds hunt. At this point, Robbie Dhont (Picnic-PostNL) pulled out from the race and the rain started falling again.

Ingebritsen takes the northern lights jersey by storm
Storm Ingebrigtsen claimed full points atop both the Sollia summit (Cat 2, km 130,8) and the third and final passage through the Storjorda summit (Cat 2, km 152), thus securing the northern lights jersey as leader of the KOM classification. Equipo Kern Pharma took the helm of the peloton during the latter climb, neutralizing the breakaway right at its summit, and kept setting the pace in the descent.

The Spanish team launched Mats Wenzel on a lone attack 18 kilometers from the finish that turned out fruitless, as did another attempt by Yentl Vandevelde (Flanders-Baloise), Sven Erik Bystrøm (Norwegian National Team) and Eirik Vang Aas (Coop-Repsol) with 6 to go. The scenario was then set for a showdown between the punchiest, fastest men of the race at the final slopes in Harstad. Israel-Premier Tech led the bunch into the last kilometer, granting the best possible opportunity for Corbin Strong and Riley Sheehan to deliver an excellent result.

Complete Results:

182 kilometers raced at an average speed of 45.056 km/hr

GC after stage one:

• GC leader: Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech)
• Mountains classification leader: Storm Ingebrigtsen (Team Coop-Repsol)
• Points classification leader: Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech)
• Berst young rider: Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech)
• Teams classification leader: XDS Astana

Stage 1 map & profile:

Stage 1 map

Stage 1 profile

Start list with back numbers, Aug 6, 2025: