Stage Three of Arctic Race of Norway concludes with Tom Pidcock outmaneuvering Corbin Strong in an exciting uphill dash for the finish line.
Arctic Race of Norway: Pidcock Wins Stage 3, Strong Holds Lead
After an exhilarating third stage of the Arctic Race of Norway, Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) claimed victory in the uphill finish at Målselv. However, race leader Corbin Strong (Israel–Premier Tech) managed to retain his overall lead, maintaining a slim 11-second advantage.
The 182.4 km race from Husøy to Målselv featured a decisive 3.7 km climb at a 7.8% gradient to the finish. Pidcock launched an attack on the final climb, but Strong's resilience kept him close. In a thrilling sprint finish, Pidcock edged out Strong to take the stage win.
Strong's consistent performance and bonus seconds earned earlier in the race have kept him at the top of the General Classification (GC). He currently stands at 15h 49' 03", with Pidcock trailing closely behind at +11 seconds. Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana Team) is third, 28 seconds behind Strong.
The breakaway quartet, consisting of Storm Ingebrigtsen (Team Coop-Repsol), Georg Rydningen Martinsen (Lillehammer CK Continental Team), Sebastian Veslum (Norway), and Morthen Wang Baksaas (Team Ringerikskraft), opened a lead of 1:30 early in the stage. Despite efforts from Q36.5 to chase, the gap remained substantial throughout the race. Veslum attempted to win intermediate sprints during the stage, but was eventually caught with 9km left after a 173km attack.
Pidcock expressed his happiness about winning the stage, but was disappointed he could not distance Strong in the GC. He stated that the final stage around Tromsø, a 135.3 km loop starting and finishing in Tromsø, will be a tough race, but he has a strong team and is looking forward to seeing what they can do.
The GC battle will reach its climax on August 10, with the fourth stage featuring eight climbs, including a second category 1.2km Prestvannet climb covered eight times. Corbin Strong will wear the Midnight Sun leader's jersey for the final day of the Arctic Race of Norway.
[1] Arctic Race of Norway Official Website
[2] Cycling News
[3] Procyclingstats
[4] Velonews
[5] Road.cc
Despite the thrilling stage win by Tom Pidcock in the Arctic Race of Norway, Corbin Strong maintains his lead in the General Classification, with a slim 11-second advantage. (Original Text Modified Sentence 1)
The exciting and challenging final stage around Tromsø could potentially flip the General Classification results, with Corbin Strong in the Midnight Sun leader's jersey and Pidcock eager to capitalize on his strong team. (Original Text Modified Sentence 2)
