Arctic Race of Norway 2019 – Stage 4 [FULL STAGE]

August 18, 2019

Arctic Race of Norway 2019 – Stage 4 – Lodigen – Narvik : 165,5 km

In a busy week of racing, from America to Belgium and Spain, the Arctic Race of Norway takes us above the Arctic Circle for the northern-most race in professional cycling. It is surely among the most picturesque, too, and this year the headline act is the all-new summit finish on Storheia, which is being dubbed ‘the Norwegian Mont Ventoux’. At 3.5km in length, and 504m above sea level, it’s some way short of ‘The Giant of Provence’, but shares an exposed mountainside with panoramic views and a susceptibility to strong winds, not to mention a weather station tower at the top. With gradients that average 11.8 per cent, it will be decisive in terms of the race as a whole, appearing on the third of the four stages. In keeping with the traditional format, there is one other ‘hilly’ stage – replicating the 2017 stage in Narvik won by Dylan Teuns – along with two flatter days for the sprinters at the start of the race. In terms of location, the race returns to its roots for its seventh edition, with a return to the Lofoten archipelago that was used for the inaugural edition back in 2013. “This seventh edition of the Arctic Race of Norway will again be spectacular and undecided just until the last day in Narvik,” says race ambassador Thor Hushovd.

Alexey Lutsenko (Astana) snatched overall victory at the Arctic Race of Norway, sprinting to take third on the final stage in Narvik, and finishing one second ahead of race leader Warren Barguil (Arkea Samsic). Lutsenko started the stage three seconds behind the Frenchman but won the four-day stage race by a single second thanks to a better total of bonus seconds secured during the stage.

Local rider Markus Hoelgaard of the Uno-X Norwegian Development Team won the final stage in Narvik with a perfectly timed late attack in the final kilometre. Fellow Norwegian Amund Grøndahl Jansen (Jumbo-Visma) was second.

Lutsenko tried an attack with six kilometres to go on the hilly finishing circuit around Narvik but Barguil and other riders were able to close him down. Instead of trying again, he let Hoelgaard and then Grøndahl go and then fought for the final time bonus.

Barguil tried to chase after him but was unable to close him down and could only watch overall victory slip from his grasp. Krists Neilands (Israel Cycling Academy) finished third overall at 17 seconds.

“I fought all race for the GC and to win on the last stage is a big surprise,” Lutsenko said before pulling on the bright orange and yellow midnight sun leader’s jersey.

“I want to thank my team for all their work. I tried to win the intermediate time bonus and then again at the finish. In the end I won by just one second in the GC. I’m very happy.

“This is one step before the World Championship for me. It’s a good step, because the stages are like the parcours in Yorkshire, they’re up and down. It’s a really nice race. It’s my first time here and maybe I’ll come again next year.”

Racing above the Arctic circle

This year’s Arctic Tour of Norway has enjoyed warm and dry conditions despite being held above the Arctic circle.

Mathieu van der Poel (Corendon-Circus) won the opening stage, confirming his ability to switch from mountain biking to rad racing. Bryan Coquard Vital Concept – B&B Hotels) won stage 2 in the sprint, with Norway’s Odd Christian Eiking (Wanty Gobert) winning the Queen stage to the summit of Storheia on Saturday. He went on to win the king of the mountains jersey and so took home the special prize of 500kg of Norwegian salmon.

Sunday’s final 165.5km stage ended with three 10.5km circuits in Narvik. The important port sits on a hillside and so the twisting roads made for a testing final showdown.

Barguil’s hopes of overall success were boosted when he finished second in an early intermediate sprint, picking-up to bonus seconds. however there were two further intermediate sprints with 31km and then 10km to race on the finishing circuit.

Tom-Jelte Slagter (Dimension Data), Jonas Hvideberg (Uno-X Norwegian Development Team), Pascal Eenkhoorn (Jumbo-Visma), Andreas Vangstad (Joker Fuel of Norway) and Tom Van Asbroeck (Israel Cycling) eventually formed the early break of the day after 75km of fast racing but were pulled back as the three circuits began.

Lutsenko attacked with 11km to go and pick up a precious three-second time bonus but Barguil was with him and also picked up two seconds to keep hold of the lead.

Lutsenko then focused on the final sprint, with the final four-second time bonus and that one-second time gap at the line ensuring him overall victory.

Results :
1 Markus Hoelgaard (Nor) Uno-X Norwegian Development Team 3:35:32
2 Amund Grøndahl Jansen (Nor) Team Jumbo-Visma
3 Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:00:03
4 Warren Barguil (Fra) Arkéa Samsic 0:00:04
5 Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) Israel Cycling Academy
6 Lilian Calmejane (Fra) Total Direct Energie
7 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Dimension Data
8 Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin
9 Krists Neilands (Lat) Israel Cycling Academy
10 Sindre Skjøstad Lunke (Nor) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team
11 Hugo Houle (Can) Astana Pro Team 0:00:09
12 Stephen Cummings (GBr) Dimension Data 0:00:12
13 Dmitrii Strakhov (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin 0:00:20
14 Odd Christian Eiking (Nor) Wanty-Gobert
15 Benjamin Declercq (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
16 Floris De Tier (Bel) Team Jumbo-Visma
17 Dimitri Peyskens (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
18 Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Wanty-Gobert
19 Lucas Eriksson (Swe) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team
20 Kristian Aasvold (Nor) Team Coop 0:00:38
21 Jimmy Janssens (Bel) Corendon-Circus 0:00:53
22 Fabien Grellier (Fra) Total Direct Energie 0:01:16
23 Loic Chetout (Fra) Cofidis Solutions Credits 0:01:22
24 Quentin Pacher (Fra) Vital Concept-B&B Hotel
25 Trond Håkon Trondsen (Nor) Team Coop 0:01:38
26 Bjørn Tore Hoem (Nor) Joker Fuel of Norway 0:02:17
27 Nathan Haas (Aus) Katusha-Alpecin
28 Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Astana Pro Team
29 Aritz Bagues Kalparsoro (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias
30 Kim Magnusson (Swe) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team
31 Brandon McNulty (USA) Rally UHC Cycling
32 Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Corendon-Circus 0:02:57
33 Loïc Vliegen (Bel) Wanty-Gobert 0:03:08
34 August Jensen (Nor) Israel Cycling Academy
35 Øivind Lukkedal (Nor) Joker Fuel of Norway
36 Adam De Vos (Can) Rally UHC Cycling
37 Colin Joyce (USA) Rally UHC Cycling
38 Romain Combaud (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM
39 Alessandro Fedeli (Ita) Delko Marseille Provence KTM 0:04:51
40 Franck Bonnamour (Fra) Arkéa Samsic 0:05:00
41 Pit Leyder (Lux) Cofidis Solutions Credits
42 Simon Carr (GBr) Delko Marseille Provence KTM
43 Rein Taaramäe (Est) Total Direct Energie 0:05:17
44 Krister Hagen (Nor) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team 0:05:56
45 Frederik Backaert (Bel) Wanty-Gobert
46 Jordi Warlop (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
47 Mads Schmidt Würtz (Den) Katusha-Alpecin 0:06:32
48 Louis Bendixen (Den) Team Coop
49 Bryan Coquard (Fra) Vital Concept-B&B Hotel 0:06:35
50 Kevyn Ista (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
51 Erik Nordsaeter Resell (Nor) Uno-X Norwegian Development Team 0:06:48
52 Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Israel Cycling Academy 0:07:16
53 Tom Wirtgen (Lux) Wallonie Bruxelles
54 Emils Liepins (Lat) Wallonie Bruxelles
55 Yoann Offredo (Fra) Wanty-Gobert
56 Emmanuel Morin (Fra) Cofidis Solutions Credits
57 Christophe Noppe (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
58 Aksel Fischer Aasheim (Nor) Joker Fuel of Norway
59 Kenny Molly (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
60 Jonas Gregaard Wilsly (Den) Astana Pro Team
61 Bryan Nauleau (Fra) Total Direct Energie
62 Danilo Wyss (Swi) Dimension Data
63 Pavel Kochetkov (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin
64 Ander Barrenetxea Uriarte (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias
65 Kevin Ledanois (Fra) Arkéa Samsic
66 Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Total Direct Energie
67 Lasse Norman Hansen (Den) Corendon-Circus 0:08:36
68 Thimo Willems (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
69 Olav Hjemsæter (Nor) Team Coop
70 Ryan Anderson (Can) Rally UHC Cycling
71 Juri Hollmann (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin
72 Julien Mortier (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles
73 Kristoffer Skjerping (Nor) Uno-X Norwegian Development Team
74 Jonas Iversby Hvideberg (Nor) Uno-X Norwegian Development Team
75 Dries De Bondt (Bel) Corendon-Circus
76 Håkon Lunder Aalrust (Nor) Team Coop
77 Thomas Leezer (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma
78 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Corendon-Circus 0:10:28
79 Lars Saugstad (Nor) Uno-X Norwegian Development Team 0:11:13
80 Andreas Vangstad (Nor) Joker Fuel of Norway 0:11:40
81 Erlend Jordbrekk Blikra (Nor) Team Coop
82 Jay Thomson (RSA) Dimension Data 0:15:06
83 Tom-Jelte Slagter (Ned) Dimension Data
84 Rasmus Bøgh Wallin (Den) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team
85 Julen Irizar Laskurain (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias
86 Herman Dahl (Nor) Joker Fuel of Norway
87 Tobias Mørch Kongstad (Den) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team
88 Brenton Jones (Aus) Delko Marseille Provence KTM
89 Mathias Van Gompel (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
90 Patrick Müller (Swi) Vital Concept-B&B Hotel
91 Kevin Van Melsen (Bel) Wanty-Gobert
92 Enzo Bernard (Fra) Total Direct Energie
93 Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
94 Otto Vergaerde (Bel) Corendon-Circus
95 Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Cofidis Solutions Credits
96 Guy Sagiv (Isr) Israel Cycling Academy
97 Sondre Enger (Nor) Israel Cycling Academy
98 Przemyslaw Kasperkiewicz (Pol) Delko Marseille Provence KTM
99 Bert-Jan Lindeman (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma
100 Danny van Poppel (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma
101 Pascal Eenkhoorn (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma
102 Connor Swift (GBr) Arkéa Samsic
103 Daniil Fominykh (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
104 Yuriy Natarov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
105 Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis Solutions Credits
106 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Dimension Data
107 Svein Tuft (Can) Rally UHC Cycling
108 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis Solutions Credits
109 Kristian Kulset (Nor) Uno-X Norwegian Development Team

Final General Classification :
1 Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 14:59:27
2 Warren Barguil (Fra) Arkéa Samsic 0:00:01
3 Krists Neilands (Lat) Israel Cycling Academy 0:00:19
4 Lilian Calmejane (Fra) Total Direct Energie 0:00:23
5 Hugo Houle (Can) Astana Pro Team 0:00:40
6 Sindre Skjøstad Lunke (Nor) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team 0:00:42
7 Markus Hoelgaard (Nor) Uno-X Norwegian Development Team 0:00:43
8 Amund Grøndahl Jansen (Nor) Team Jumbo-Visma 0:00:51
9 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Dimension Data 0:00:53
10 Stephen Cummings (GBr) Dimension Data 0:01:12
11 Floris De Tier (Bel) Team Jumbo-Visma 0:01:15
12 Dimitri Peyskens (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles 0:01:20
13 Lucas Eriksson (Swe) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team
14 Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Wanty-Gobert 0:01:23
15 Benjamin Declercq (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:01:47
16 Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin 0:01:59
17 Quentin Pacher (Fra) Vital Concept-B&B Hotel 0:02:30
18 Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Astana Pro Team 0:02:53
19 Brandon McNulty (USA) Rally UHC Cycling 0:03:06
20 Aritz Bagues Kalparsoro (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 0:03:48
21 Kim Magnusson (Swe) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team 0:04:04
22 Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Corendon-Circus 0:04:05
23 Franck Bonnamour (Fra) Arkéa Samsic 0:06:31
24 Jordi Warlop (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:07:27
25 Loic Chetout (Fra) Cofidis Solutions Credits 0:08:38
26 Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Total Direct Energie 0:13:13
27 Rein Taaramäe (Est) Total Direct Energie 0:13:38
28 Pavel Kochetkov (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin 0:16:03
29 Odd Christian Eiking (Nor) Wanty-Gobert 0:16:56
30 Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:17:25
31 Kristian Aasvold (Nor) Team Coop 0:18:33
32 Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis Solutions Credits 0:18:47
33 Jimmy Janssens (Bel) Corendon-Circus 0:19:16
34 Bjørn Tore Hoem (Nor) Joker Fuel of Norway 0:20:32
35 Loïc Vliegen (Bel) Wanty-Gobert 0:21:56
36 Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) Israel Cycling Academy 0:22:10
37 Romain Combaud (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM 0:22:16
38 Simon Carr (GBr) Delko Marseille Provence KTM 0:22:22
39 August Jensen (Nor) Israel Cycling Academy 0:22:36
40 Colin Joyce (USA) Rally UHC Cycling 0:22:47
41 Adam De Vos (Can) Rally UHC Cycling 0:23:24
42 Fabien Grellier (Fra) Total Direct Energie 0:23:34
43 Pascal Eenkhoorn (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma 0:24:04
44 Pit Leyder (Lux) Cofidis Solutions Credits 0:24:08
45 Dmitrii Strakhov (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin 0:24:15
46 Øivind Lukkedal (Nor) Joker Fuel of Norway 0:24:26
47 Alessandro Fedeli (Ita) Delko Marseille Provence KTM 0:24:30
48 Nathan Haas (Aus) Katusha-Alpecin 0:24:42
49 Frederik Backaert (Bel) Wanty-Gobert 0:24:51
50 Jonas Gregaard Wilsly (Den) Astana Pro Team 0:25:39
51 Mads Schmidt Würtz (Den) Katusha-Alpecin 0:26:00
52 Louis Bendixen (Den) Team Coop 0:26:11
53 Danilo Wyss (Swi) Dimension Data 0:26:24
54 Yoann Offredo (Fra) Wanty-Gobert
55 Tom Wirtgen (Lux) Wallonie Bruxelles 0:27:19
56 Kevin Ledanois (Fra) Arkéa Samsic 0:27:24
57 Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Israel Cycling Academy 0:28:02
58 Krister Hagen (Nor) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team 0:28:04
59 Danny van Poppel (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma 0:28:48
60 Ryan Anderson (Can) Rally UHC Cycling 0:28:52
61 Kristoffer Skjerping (Nor) Uno-X Norwegian Development Team 0:29:15
62 Bryan Nauleau (Fra) Total Direct Energie 0:29:34
63 Christophe Noppe (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:29:38
64 Erik Nordsaeter Resell (Nor) Uno-X Norwegian Development Team 0:29:39
65 Ander Barrenetxea Uriarte (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 0:29:51
66 Trond Håkon Trondsen (Nor) Team Coop 0:29:53
67 Emils Liepins (Lat) Wallonie Bruxelles 0:30:08
68 Andreas Vangstad (Nor) Joker Fuel of Norway 0:30:15
69 Julien Mortier (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles 0:31:21
70 Kevyn Ista (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles 0:31:31
71 Lasse Norman Hansen (Den) Corendon-Circus 0:31:55
72 Dries De Bondt (Bel) Corendon-Circus 0:32:09
73 Emmanuel Morin (Fra) Cofidis Solutions Credits 0:32:12
74 Kenny Molly (Bel) Wallonie Bruxelles 0:32:15
75 Tom-Jelte Slagter (Ned) Dimension Data 0:32:24
76 Bryan Coquard (Fra) Vital Concept-B&B Hotel 0:32:39
77 Jonas Iversby Hvideberg (Nor) Uno-X Norwegian Development Team 0:32:47
78 Olav Hjemsæter (Nor) Team Coop 0:32:48
79 Julen Irizar Laskurain (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 0:34:03
80 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis Solutions Credits 0:34:36
81 Thomas Leezer (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma 0:34:48
82 Yuriy Natarov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:35:22
83 Connor Swift (GBr) Arkéa Samsic 0:35:57
84 Erlend Jordbrekk Blikra (Nor) Team Coop 0:36:15
85 Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Cofidis Solutions Credits 0:36:39
86 Thimo Willems (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:36:51
87 Aksel Fischer Aasheim (Nor) Joker Fuel of Norway
88 Håkon Lunder Aalrust (Nor) Team Coop
89 Juri Hollmann (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin 0:36:55
90 Herman Dahl (Nor) Joker Fuel of Norway 0:37:14
91 Enzo Bernard (Fra) Total Direct Energie 0:37:24
92 Mathias Van Gompel (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
93 Daniil Fominykh (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:37:28
94 Lars Saugstad (Nor) Uno-X Norwegian Development Team
95 Kevin Van Melsen (Bel) Wanty-Gobert 0:38:17
96 Patrick Müller (Swi) Vital Concept-B&B Hotel 0:38:29
97 Otto Vergaerde (Bel) Corendon-Circus 0:38:31
98 Guy Sagiv (Isr) Israel Cycling Academy 0:40:02
99 Brenton Jones (Aus) Delko Marseille Provence KTM 0:40:25
100 Sondre Enger (Nor) Israel Cycling Academy
101 Svein Tuft (Can) Rally UHC Cycling 0:41:05
102 Bert-Jan Lindeman (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma 0:41:37
103 Przemyslaw Kasperkiewicz (Pol) Delko Marseille Provence KTM 0:42:01
104 Tobias Mørch Kongstad (Den) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team 0:43:15
105 Kristian Kulset (Nor) Uno-X Norwegian Development Team 0:43:16
106 Rasmus Bøgh Wallin (Den) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team 0:43:21
107 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Dimension Data 0:43:25
108 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Corendon-Circus 0:44:12
109 Jay Thomson (RSA) Dimension Data 0:51:44