Results Arctic Race of Norway 2026 Stage 2 - Erlend Blikra powers past Ethan Vernon to win in Andenes as Giovanni Lonardi keeps yellow
CyclingFriday, 14 August 2026 at 17:53
Erlend Blikra won Stage 2 of the 2026 Arctic Race of Norway after Uno-X Mobility delivered the Norwegian into prime position for the bunch sprint in Andenes.
Ethan Vernon bounced back from his disappointing opening day to take second for NSN Cycling Team, while Stage 1 winner Giovanni Lonardi finished third and retained the overall race lead. Riley Pickrell continued his strong start to the race in fourth, with Anders Foldager completing the top five.
The decisive move came after a technical run through four corners inside the final three kilometres had begun to disrupt the sprint trains.
Lotto Intermarché initially took control, NSN then moved Vernon forward with two teammates, while Henrik Pedersen remained well placed alongside Blikra for Uno-X.
Uno-X time the finale for Blikra
Vernon appeared in a much stronger position than he had been in Myre, but NSN again lost some of their organisation as the final kilometre began. Modern Adventure Pro Cycling moved forward for Pickrell before Mirco Maestri brought Lonardi into contention, although the race leader was left largely isolated for the sprint itself.
Pedersen then took over at the front for Uno-X and provided Blikra with the platform to launch. The Norwegian finished the job, beating Vernon to the line as Lonardi secured third place behind them.
The bunch finish had taken shape only after the day's five-man breakaway was finally caught with around eight kilometres remaining. Joseba Lopez, Victor Vercouillie, Herman Emil Eriksen, Ludvik Holstad and Simen Evertsen-Hegreberg had spent much of the 179.1km stage ahead after an aggressive opening phase, with Polti and TotalEnergies initially controlling the chase for Lonardi and Jason Tesson.
Uno-X and Team Picnic PostNL later joined the work behind, while Jayco AlUla briefly tried to increase the pressure on exposed roads. The wind was not strong enough to create a selection, however, and the break was gradually brought back as the peloton approached the first passage of the finish line.
Before the catch, the stage had also featured the final early battles for the mountains points. Darren van Bekkum took the opening KOM at Ryggedals, while Evertsen-Hegreberg won at Storvatnet after Eriksen had bridged across to the escape.
Once the five leaders were reeled in, the focus shifted entirely to positioning for Andenes. Guillermo Thomas Silva collected the intermediate bonus seconds on the first passage of the finish before the sprint teams reorganised for the final circuit.
Blikra then made the most of Uno-X's positioning to take his first victory of the race, while Lonardi's third place ensured he remained in the leader's jersey ahead of the much tougher Stage 3 summit finish at Storheia.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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