Just like the two first stages, Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux showed its solid collective strength in the queen stage of the Arctic Race of Norway, which ended on top of the Skallstugu climb (3.8km at 6.5%).
Early breakaway specialist Taco van der Hoorn did what he does best from the start of the stage, keeping suspense high until the final kilometers. As part of a group of four riders he went all out with 15 kilometer to go, resisting until the foot of the final climb.
Sven Erik Bystrøm and Quinten Hermans, the protected riders for the general classification, then battled alongside the best climbers on the irregular slopes of this unknown climb. In the end, the Norwegian rider took fourth place just ahead of Hermans who finished sixth.
At the end of this third stage, Bystrøm and Hermans are also fourth and sixth in the provisional classification ten and thirteen seconds behind the leader respectively.
« It was our plan this morning to join the early breakaway, so my teammates in the peloton could fully concentrate on protecting Sven Erik Bystrøm and Quinten Hermans. But things started looking good for us in the lead. My breakaway companions were well positioned in GC, so we kept on working well together. Finally we were caught on the final climb. I feel better and better every day here in the Arctic Race. My competition rhythm is coming back after my first Tour de France. I’ll be ready for the final straight of the season, with a series of nice one day races. »
