"We want to go for the final victory here with the team again" - Alberto Dainese starts with stage win at the Arctic Race of Norway and is hungry for more

After his team leader Andreas Leknessund was forced into a late withdrawal due to illness, Alberto Dainese stepped up to ensure that Team DSM-Firmenich would have something to celebrate on stage 1 of the Arctic Race of Norway.

"I had a very busy spring, with some very difficult stage races such as the Tirreno-Adriatico, the Tour of the Alps, the Tour de Romandie and of course the Giro d'Italia, in which I also got a bit sick. A little rest and training was therefore nice," the Italian sprinter said post-stage to Wielerflits. "That's why I'm extra happy that it worked right away today."

Dainese was a comfortable winner in the final sprint, showing his class as the premier sprinter in the field. “It was a chaotic run-up to the sprint. I was a bit far behind, but luckily I found a gap just in time that allowed me to move up. Kevin Vermaerke and Matt Dinham did a fantastic job and guided me forward. I'm glad I was able to finish it."

“Tomorrow could still be done. That is a punchy finish, but with the legs of today, there are opportunities there,” he concludes. "We want to go for the final victory here with the team again.”