“I’m really proud of myself” – Corbin Strong reacts to victory over Pidcock in Norway

Corbin Strong secured an important victory for his his career on Sunday, sealing the overall victory at the 2025 Arctic Race of Norway. The New Zealander, riding for Israel – Premier Tech, held off a determined challenge from Tom Pidcock on a tense and rain-soaked final day. The stage itself was won by Uno-X Mobility’s Fredrik Dversnes, but the overall belonged to Strong, who delivered the team’s 20th win of the season.

“It was an incredibly stressful day actually,” Strong admitted in a team press release. “I knew we would be under attack from kilometer zero but it exceeded my expectation, especially the few first laps in the rain. It was really stressful and with the wet descents as well, which I know is a strength of Pidcock, so I was really nervous for today and the first laps were even more out of control than I expected.”

Strong’s Israel – Premier Tech squad started the day in a commanding position, holding first, fourth, ninth, and 15th in the general classification. The Kiwi was quick to credit the depth of his teammates for their role in his victory. “My team was just incredible today. We were first, fourth, ninth, and 15th on GC coming into today, so we have an incredibly strong team here. Those boys just put it all on the line today and I owe this win to them because they were incredible and I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Strong’s Arctic Race success follows a strong showing at the Tour de Wallonie, which gave him quiet confidence heading into Norway. “I knew in Wallonie I felt really good and strong on the climbs so I was quietly confident I could do a decent GC result here,” he explained. “I knew the four kilometre climb at eight percent [the stage 3 finish] would be really difficult against guys like Pidcock and Scaroni but I thought I could do a top-five or maybe a podium if I had a really good ride.”

Stage 3 proved decisive, with Strong producing an outstanding performance on the uphill finish to seize control of the race. “But I exceeded my expectations yesterday and to take the GC win here, I’m really proud of myself. I didn’t expect to win so to be in the yellow jersey and finish it off today with my teammates is a really nice feeling. I’m really lucky to have teammates like I did this week.”