Arctic Race of Norway 2026 Stage 2 preview, profiles, favourites & predictions - Ethan Vernon eyes redemption as sprinters get clearest chance in Andenes
CyclingThursday, 13 August 2026 at 18:22
The 2026 Arctic Race of Norway will be taking place from the 13th to the 16th of August. It is the northernmost stage-race in the calendar and one that will provide opportunities for the sprinters, as well as some interesting summit finishes. We take a look at its profiles.
The race was first held back in 2013, won by Norway's own Thor Hushovd. The race has always help a strong reputation during a busy period of the season, putting strong climbers and classics specialists to the test and bringing them to the spotlight.
The likes if Gianni Moscon, Dylan Teuns, Alexey Lutsenko and Stephen Williams have all won the overall classification whilst in 2025 it was Corbin Strong who took the GC win over Tom Pidcock.
Stages and route Arctic Race of Norway 2026
| Stage | Date | Start | Finish | Distance (km) | Profile |
| 1 | 13 Aug 2026 | Evenes | Myre | 179 | Flat |
| 2 | 14 Aug 2026 | Bø i Vesterålen | Andenes | 179 | Flat |
| 3 | 15 Aug 2026 | Stokmarknes | Storheia Summit (Melbu) | 145 | Hilly |
| 4 | 16 Aug 2026 | Sortland | Narvik | 190.8 | Hilly |
Preview Arctic Race of Norway 2026 Stage 2
The second stage should be the clearest sprint opportunity of the race. There is very little climbing between Bo i Vesteralen and Andenes, and unless the weather or positioning creates unexpected problems, the fast men should decide the day again.
Giovanni Lonardi starts in the leader's jersey after winning in Myre and has to be among the main favourites again. Ethan Vernon remains the obvious danger despite finishing fifth on Stage 1, where NSN Cycling Team lost him during the lead-out, while Erlend Blikra and Jason Tesson both showed enough speed to stay firmly in contention. Riley Pickrell also has to be respected after sprinting to third on the opening stage in a very similar type of finish.
Casper van Uden should also be better suited to this more straightforward sprint, with Nikiforos Arvanitou, Mathieu Kockelmann and Anders Foldager among the other riders capable of getting involved if the bigger names mistime the finale.
Profile stage 2: Bo i Vesteralen - Andenes
Bo i Vesteralen - Andenes, 179 kilometers
The second stage of the race will be taking place from Bo i Vesteralen and Andenes, a day for the sprinters with little to no climbing meters on the profile. The peloton will be moving through the Fjords and towards terrain where the sprinters will have the first opportunity to take the win.
Profile stage 3: Stokmarknes - Storheia Summit
Stomkmarknes - Storheia Summit, 145.5 kilometers
The queen stage of the race is also the shortest, with a few hilltops and a pan-flat route almost all the way into the final climb. The riders will then be going from sea level to the 471 meters of altitude found at the Storheia Summit.
This climb already unofficially has a few kilometers where it goes up, however it's the final 3.4 kilometers that are the key part.
It averages 10.8%, a very steep ascent but one that is also quite long for such gradients. Whilst the classics specialists can still do well in such an effort, it is a day where those capable of handling the longer efforts will have the advantage.
Profile stage 4: Sortland - Narvik
Sortland - Narvik, 190 kilometers
The final stage of the race begins in Sortland and will be 190 kilometers long. In its majority it will be flat, however a few short and steep climbs will be present in the race late on.
The riders go into Narvik where they will have an urban section packed with corners and up-and-down sections, before beginning the hilltop finish. 2.8 kilometers at 8% will make it a quite explosive effort, through the residential areas of the arctic city.
Previous previews
Preview Arctic Race of Norway 2026 Stage 1
The opening stage should end in a bunch sprint in which there are two big favourites: Ethan Vernon of NSN and Erlend Blikra of Uno-X Mobility. The two sprinters should be the fastest, in a peloton where there aren't too many big leadouts.
Giovanni Lonardi, Lorenzo Manzin, Emils Lipeins, Capser van Uden and Mathieu Kockelmann are some of the other sprinters present that will be trying to take an important win.
Prediction Arctic Race of Norway 2026 stage 1:
*** Ethan Vernon, Erlend Blikra
** Giovanni Lonardi, Lorenzo Manzin
* Emils Liepins, Casper van Uden, Anders Foldager, Mathieu Kockelmann, Jason Tesson, Nikiforos Arvanitou
Pick: Ethan Vernon
Profile stage 1: Evenes - Myre
Evenes - Myre, 179 kilometers
The opening stage of the race takes place between Evenes and Myre. It is a day where the sprinters will be headlining, but with a couple of climbs to be tackled late in the day where a few fast men could struggle.
List of winners of the Arctic Race of Norway
| Year | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| 2025 | Corbin Strong | Tom Pidcock | Christian Scaroni |
| 2024 | Magnus Cort | Clément Champoussin | Kevin Vermaerke |
| 2023 | Stephen Williams | Christian Scaroni | Simon Carr |
| 2022 | Andreas Leknessund | Hugo Houle | Victor Lafay |
| 2021 | Ben Hermans | Odd Christian Eiking | Victor Lafay |
| 2020 | Not held | ||
| 2019 | Alexey Lutsenko | Warren Barguil | Amund Grøndahl Jansen |
| 2018 | Sergei Chernetski | Markus Hoelgaard | Hugo Houle |
| 2017 | Dylan Teuns | August Jensen | Sergei Chernetski |
| 2016 | Gianni Moscon | Stef Clement | Oscar Gatto |
| 2015 | Rein Taaramäe | Silvan Dillier | Ilnur Zakarin |
| 2014 | Steven Kruijswijk | Alexander Kristoff | Lars-Petter Nordhaug |
| 2013 | Thor Hushovd | Kenny van Hummel | Nikias Arndt |
Prediction Arctic Race of Norway 2026 overall classification:
*** Lennert van Eetvelt, Wout Poels, Byron Munton
** Fabio Christen, Bjorn Koerdt, Guillermo Thomas Silva
* Alessandro Pinarello, Damien Howson, Sebastien Berwick, Johannes Kulset, Martin Tjotta, Anders Foldager, Andrea Crescioli
Pick: Lennert van Eetvelt
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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