After going all out in service of Quinten Hermans the day before, young Madis Mihkels this time benefited of the support of his teammates in the second stage of the Arctic Race of Norway, which ended in a bunch sprint in the streets of Brønnøysund.
The 19 year old Estonian rider, who’s participating in his first race with Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert, was launched by Taco van der Hoorn, Sven Erik Bystrøm and Adrien Petit in the final kilometer. He crossed the line of his first sprint in his new colors in thirteenth place.
Bystrøm, the winner of the last intermediate sprint, climbs in the top ten of the classification and is provisionally eighth. The Norwegian rider attacked before the top of Torghatten, 13 kilometer before the finish, winning three bonus seconds.
« It’s nice to continue my season after the Tour de France with good legs here on home soil. After the Tour it was raining quite a lot at home in Stavanger, some 1000 kilometer south of the Arctic Race, so I’m already used to these wet circumstances. The rain was one of the factors causing a chaotic final yesterday. Unfortunately Quinten Hermans and I didn’t manage to follow the fantastic lead out of our trainees Dries De Pooter and Madis Mihkels. Today we did stay united until the final hectometers, bringing Madis in an excellent position to start the sprint. A moment of doubt cost him a top result. Tomorrow is a new chance to achieve the result we’re working for and this time the legs will decide. The final climb of this queen stage will play a decisive role in GC. There are several steep parts at the end of the unknown 5 kilometer climb. According to my information, only one local rider knows this climb. Quinten Hermans and I are ambitious for the general classification, so just like the previous days our team will take responsibility in the peloton. Thanks to the three bonus seconds I won today, I can start this fight with a small advantage. »
