Saturday, August 9th, 2025
Husoy > Malselv Fjellandsby
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.
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.
Stage 3
- Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) 4h43’16”
- Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech) +00″
- Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana Team) +00’12”
GC
- Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech) 12h40’30”
- Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) +00’06”
- Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana Team) +00’23”
