Arctic Race of Norway 2021 – Stage 2 [FULL STAGE]

August 6, 2021

Arctic Race of Norway 2021 – Stage 2 – Nordkjosbotn – Kilpisjärvi : 177,6 km

After a year off the calendar due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Arctic Race of Norway returns on Thursday August 5 for four days of racing in the far north of the country. The eighth edition of the race, which heads into Finland for the first time, is run at 2.Pro level – a step below the WorldTour.

Martin Laas (Bora-Hansgrohe) won stage 2 of the Arctic Race of Norway, beating Alexander Kristoff (Norway) to the line in Kilpisjärvi, across the border in Finland.

Kristoff was the favourite to win the stage and he hit the front inside the final 150 metres but Laas closed rapidly to pip the Norwegian at the line and claim the honours. Danny van Poppel (Intermarché-Wanty Gobert) placed third ahead of Rudy Barbier (Israel Start-Up Nation), while Manuel Peñalver (Burgos-BH) took fifth.

Kristoff had the consolation of moving into the overall leader’s yellow jersey after picking up six bonus seconds for his second place finish. He is level on time with stage 1 winner Markus Hoelgaard (UNO-X Pro Cycling) but he moves ahead of his fellow countryman on the basis of their placings across the first two stages. Bryan Coquard (B&B Hotels) lies in third overall at eight seconds, with Kristian Aasvold (Team Coop) a further second back in fourth.

The combination of an interminable finishing straight and stiff headwind seemed to favour Kristoff’s power and nous, and he was tucked onto the wheel of his teammate Sven Erik Bystrøm in the final kilometre as Israel Start-Up Nation’s Rick Zabel led out the sprint on behalf of Barbier.

Kristoff surged to the front within sight of the line but Laas was moving up behind him and the Estonian delivered a well-timed effort to swoop past at the line to take the stage honours.

“It’s quite good and it’s close to my home. OK, from here it’s 1500 kilometres but Finland is a neighbouring country so it’s quite nice,” said Laas, who confessed to struggling with cramps in the run-in to the finish.

“It was really tough and there was also headwind and it was slightly downhill, so it was also a little bit of a tricky one. To be honest, with 5k to go I had cramps, and I wasn’t sure if I would be able to sprint or not. But in the end the team worked really well, and Rudiger [Selig] brought me to 300 metres to go. I followed some wheels from there and then in the last 150 metres I launched my sprint. I saw from the left side that I was faster than Kristoff and I was quite sure I was going to pass him – but in the end it was a close one.”

Kristoff hasn’t won a race since he landed the opening stage of the 2020 Tour de France last August. This was second successive second place after he was denied by the escapee Hoelgaard on Thursday.

“Two days in a row now with second place, I wish I managed to win one of them: that’s life, I haven’t won in a long time,” said Kristoff. “He came from quite far back and it was a slight headwind and that was maybe a smart approach. But at the end it was just my legs. I couldn’t hold him off. It’s a bit disappointing, but I’m getting closer.”

The stage was animated by a five-rider break comprising Jimmy Janssens (Alpecin-Fenix), Fredrik Dversnes (Team Coop), Oliver Naesen (AG2R-Citroën), Cerial Desal (Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB) and Cédric Beullens (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise). That quintet had two minutes in hand with 50km to go, before the rugged terrain began to whittle down the move.

Only Naesen, Dversnes and Janssens remained in front after the climb of Skibotndalen with 33km to go, while Uno-X and Israel Start-Up Nation led the chase in the peloton behind. Naesen dropped off the front in the final 20km, but Dversnes and Janssens continued to put up fierce resistance until they were eventually caught with 2km to go.

Results :
1 Martin Laas (Est) Bora-Hansgrohe 03:56:14
2 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Norwegian National Team
3 Danny van Poppel (Ned) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
4 Rudy Barbier (Fra) Israel Start-up Nation
5 Manuel Peñalver Aniorte (Spa) Burgos-BH
6 Arne Marit (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
7 Tom Devriendt (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
8 Bram Welten (Ned) Team Arkea-Samsic
9 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) TotalEnergies
10 Bryan Coquard (Fra) B&B Hotels p/b KTM
11 Tord Gudmestad (Nor) Team Coop
12 Lawrence Naesen (Bel) AG2R Citroën Team
13 Dries Van Gestel (Bel) TotalEnergies
14 Luca Coati (Ita) Qhubeka NextHash
15 Yevgeniy Gidich (Kaz) Astana-Premier Tech
16 Eduard-Michael Grosu (Rom) Delko
17 Christophe Noppe (Bel) Team Arkea-Samsic
18 Oscar Riesebeek (Ned) Alpecin-Fenix
19 Alex Colman (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
20 Axel Zingle (Fra) Cofidis
21 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) Cofidis
22 Marcel Meisen (Ger) Alpecin-Fenix
23 Harry Tanfield (GBr) Qhubeka NextHash
24 Eduard Prades Reverter (Spa) Delko
25 Søren Wærenskjold (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
26 Antonio Angulo Sampedro (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
27 Angel Fuentes Paniego (Spa) Burgos-BH
28 Dimitri Peyskens (Bel) Bingoal WB
29 Rodrigo Alvarez (Spa) Burgos-BH
30 Antonio Jesus Soto Guirao (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
31 Philipp Walsleben (Ger) Alpecin-Fenix
32 Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
33 Andreas Leknessund (Nor) Norwegian National Team
34 Lubomir Petrus (Cze) Alpecin-Fenix
35 Jens Reynders (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
36 Sven Erik Bystrøm (Nor) Norwegian National Team
37 Fabio Felline (Ita) Astana-Premier Tech
38 Alessandro Fedeli (Ita) Delko
39 Mathieu Burgaudeau (Fra) TotalEnergies
40 Julien Duval (Fra) AG2R Citroën Team
41 Samuele Battistella (Ita) Astana-Premier Tech
42 Rick Zabel (Ger) Israel Start-up Nation
43 Tore Andre Aase Vabø (Nor) Team Coop
44 Ward Vanhoof (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
45 Kristian Aasvold (Nor) Team Coop
46 Clement Venturini (Fra) AG2R Citroën Team
47 Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
48 Jacob Eriksson (Swe) Team Coop
49 Sean De Bie (Bel) Bingoal WB
50 Luc Wirtgen (Lux) Bingoal WB
51 Jesus Ezquerra Muela (Spa) Burgos-BH
52 Markus Hoelgaard (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
53 Julien Trarieux (Fra) Delko
54 Victor Lafay (Fra) Cofidis
55 Benjamin Perry (Can) Astana-Premier Tech
56 Alan Riou (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
57 Andre Drege (Nor) Norwegian National Team
58 Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Qhubeka NextHash
59 Stefan De Bod (RSA) Astana-Premier Tech
60 Ben Hermans (Bel) Israel Start-up Nation
61 Thomas Champion (Fra) Cofidis
62 Laurent Pichon (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
63 Guy Sagiv (Isr) Israel Start-up Nation
64 Aimé De Gendt (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
65 Remy Mertz (Bel) Bingoal WB
66 Odd Christian Eiking (Nor) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
67 Arjen Livyns (Bel) Bingoal WB
68 Pelayo Sanchez Mayo (Spa) Burgos-BH
69 Stan Dewulf (Bel) AG2R Citroën Team
70 Petr Vakoc (Cze) Alpecin-Fenix
71 Sander De Pestel (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
72 Henok Mulueberhan (Eri) Qhubeka NextHash
73 Torjus Sleen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
74 Rüdiger Selig (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
75 Xabier Mikel Azparren Irurzun (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
76 Nathan Haas (Aus) Cofidis
77 Boy van Poppel (Ned) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
78 Ludvik Aspelund Holstad (Nor) Norwegian National Team
79 Syver Wærsted (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
80 Oliver Naesen (Bel) AG2R Citroën Team
81 Alexis Gougeard (Fra) AG2R Citroën Team
82 Erik Nordsaeter Resell (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
83 Felipe Orts Lloret (Spa) Burgos-BH
84 Torstein Træen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
85 Niki Terpstra (Ned) TotalEnergies
86 Jimmy Janssens (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
87 Eirik Lunder (Nor) Team Coop
88 André Carvalho (Por) Cofidis
89 Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Israel Start-up Nation
90 Dusan Rajovic (Srb) Delko
91 Alexandre Delettre (Fra) Delko
92 Bert De Backer (Bel) B&B Hotels p/b KTM
93 Clément Russo (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
94 Jens Debusschere (Bel) B&B Hotels p/b KTM
95 Baptiste Planckaert (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 00:00:16
96 Peio Goikoetxea Goiogana (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
97 Cedric Beullens (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
98 Fredrik Dversnes (Nor) Team Coop
99 Jonathan Hivert (Fra) B&B Hotels p/b KTM
100 Sebastian Berwick (Aus) Israel Start-up Nation
101 Valentin Ferron (Fra) TotalEnergies 00:00:28
102 Cyril Gautier (Fra) B&B Hotels p/b KTM
103 Ådne Holter (Nor) Norwegian National Team
104 Erik Baska (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:00:53
105 Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:01:08
106 Gleb Brussenskiy (Kaz) Astana-Premier Tech 00:01:39
107 Juraj Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe
108 Ceriel Desal (Bel) Bingoal WB 00:14:31
DNS Julien Morice (Fra) B&B Hotels p/b KTM
DNF Cristian Rodriguez Martin (Spa) TotalEnergies
DNF Karel Vacek (Cze) Qhubeka NextHash

General Classification after Stage 2 :
1 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Norwegian National Team 07:07:33
2 Markus Hoelgaard (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
3 Bryan Coquard (Fra) B&B Hotels p/b KTM 00:00:08
4 Kristian Aasvold (Nor) Team Coop 00:00:09
5 Samuele Battistella (Ita) Astana-Premier Tech 00:00:10
6 Antonio Jesus Soto Guirao (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 00:00:11
7 Laurent Pichon (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
8 Dries Van Gestel (Bel) TotalEnergies 00:00:12
9 Antonio Angulo Sampedro (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
10 Axel Zingle (Fra) Cofidis
11 Eduard Prades Reverter (Spa) Delko
12 Oscar Riesebeek (Ned) Alpecin-Fenix
13 Andreas Leknessund (Nor) Norwegian National Team
14 Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
15 Clement Venturini (Fra) AG2R Citroën Team
16 Fabio Felline (Ita) Astana-Premier Tech
17 Mathieu Burgaudeau (Fra) TotalEnergies
18 Sven Erik Bystrøm (Nor) Norwegian National Team
19 Alessandro Fedeli (Ita) Delko
20 Victor Lafay (Fra) Cofidis
21 Luc Wirtgen (Lux) Bingoal WB
22 Aimé De Gendt (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
23 Jacob Eriksson (Swe) Team Coop
24 Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Qhubeka NextHash
25 Odd Christian Eiking (Nor) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
26 Ben Hermans (Bel) Israel Start-up Nation
27 Stan Dewulf (Bel) AG2R Citroën Team
28 Arjen Livyns (Bel) Bingoal WB
29 Torjus Sleen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:00:25
30 Oliver Naesen (Bel) AG2R Citroën Team 00:00:26
31 Arne Marit (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 00:00:30
32 Lawrence Naesen (Bel) AG2R Citroën Team
33 Marcel Meisen (Ger) Alpecin-Fenix
34 Dimitri Peyskens (Bel) Bingoal WB
35 Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
36 Ward Vanhoof (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
37 Stefan De Bod (RSA) Astana-Premier Tech
38 Petr Vakoc (Cze) Alpecin-Fenix
39 Rüdiger Selig (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
40 Torstein Træen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
41 Alexandre Delettre (Fra) Delko
42 Jimmy Janssens (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
43 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) TotalEnergies 00:00:38
44 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) Cofidis
45 Julien Trarieux (Fra) Delko
46 Benjamin Perry (Can) Astana-Premier Tech
47 Pelayo Sanchez Mayo (Spa) Burgos-BH
48 Remy Mertz (Bel) Bingoal WB
49 Sander De Pestel (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
50 Henok Mulueberhan (Eri) Qhubeka NextHash
51 Nathan Haas (Aus) Cofidis
52 Fredrik Dversnes (Nor) Team Coop 00:00:39
53 Cedric Beullens (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 00:00:44
54 Erik Nordsaeter Resell (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:00:45
55 Valentin Ferron (Fra) TotalEnergies 00:00:58
56 Eduard-Michael Grosu (Rom) Delko 00:01:19
57 Jonathan Hivert (Fra) B&B Hotels p/b KTM 00:01:23
58 Yevgeniy Gidich (Kaz) Astana-Premier Tech 00:01:31
59 Søren Wærenskjold (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:01:33
60 Luca Coati (Ita) Qhubeka NextHash 00:01:37
61 Christophe Noppe (Bel) Team Arkea-Samsic
62 Andre Drege (Nor) Norwegian National Team
63 Syver Wærsted (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
64 Clément Russo (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
65 Tord Gudmestad (Nor) Team Coop 00:02:04
66 Alex Colman (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 00:02:36
67 Danny van Poppel (Ned) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 00:02:38
68 Sean De Bie (Bel) Bingoal WB
69 Manuel Peñalver Aniorte (Spa) Burgos-BH 00:02:39
70 Angel Fuentes Paniego (Spa) Burgos-BH
71 Jens Reynders (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
72 Thomas Champion (Fra) Cofidis
73 Felipe Orts Lloret (Spa) Burgos-BH
74 Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Israel Start-up Nation
75 Bram Welten (Ned) Team Arkea-Samsic 00:02:42
76 Lubomir Petrus (Cze) Alpecin-Fenix
77 Rick Zabel (Ger) Israel Start-up Nation
78 Alan Riou (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
79 Niki Terpstra (Ned) TotalEnergies
80 André Carvalho (Por) Cofidis
81 Eirik Lunder (Nor) Team Coop
82 Baptiste Planckaert (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 00:02:58
83 Sebastian Berwick (Aus) Israel Start-up Nation
84 Boy van Poppel (Ned) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 00:03:04
85 Jesus Ezquerra Muela (Spa) Burgos-BH 00:03:06
86 Alexis Gougeard (Fra) AG2R Citroën Team
87 Dusan Rajovic (Srb) Delko
88 Cyril Gautier (Fra) B&B Hotels p/b KTM 00:03:10
89 Juraj Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:03:16
90 Harry Tanfield (GBr) Qhubeka NextHash 00:03:24
91 Philipp Walsleben (Ger) Alpecin-Fenix
92 Tore Andre Aase Vabø (Nor) Team Coop
93 Ludvik Aspelund Holstad (Nor) Norwegian National Team
94 Jens Debusschere (Bel) B&B Hotels p/b KTM
95 Bert De Backer (Bel) B&B Hotels p/b KTM
96 Peio Goikoetxea Goiogana (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 00:03:40
97 Martin Laas (Est) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:04:07
98 Erik Baska (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:04:17
99 Ådne Holter (Nor) Norwegian National Team 00:04:26
100 Gleb Brussenskiy (Kaz) Astana-Premier Tech 00:05:00
101 Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:05:25
102 Julien Duval (Fra) AG2R Citroën Team 00:06:46
103 Rodrigo Alvarez (Spa) Burgos-BH 00:08:31
104 Xabier Mikel Azparren Irurzun (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
105 Guy Sagiv (Isr) Israel Start-up Nation 00:08:38
106 Tom Devriendt (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 00:09:37
107 Rudy Barbier (Fra) Israel Start-up Nation 00:14:09
108 Ceriel Desal (Bel) Bingoal WB 00:17:12