Arctic Race of Norway, Erlend Blikra Wins Second Stage in Andenes

Erlend Blikra (Uno-X Mobility) won the second stage of the Arctic Race of Norway 2026, taking the sprint victory at the finish in Andenes in a time of 3:56:49. The Norwegian edged out Ethan Vernon (NSN Cycling Team) and Giovanni Lonardi (Team Polti VisitMalta) at the line, both classified with the same time.The stage, a relatively flat 180-kilometre route from Bø i Vesterålen to Andenes, was raced under light rain. The day's breakaway, made up of four riders, was kept under control by the peloton and neutralised before the bunch sprint finish."This is the first time I've won a professional race in Norway, it's a fantastic feeling," said Blikra. "The sprint was very long and I was just waiting for someone to come past me, because I was really tired in the last 100 metres."Stage result: 1. Erlend Blikra (Uno-X Mobility) 3:56:49; 2. Ethan Vernon (NSN Cycling Team) s.t.; 3. Giovanni Lonardi (Team Polti VisitMalta) s.t.; 4. Riley Pickrell (Modern Adventure Pro Cycling) s.t.; 5. Anders Foldager (Team Jayco AlUla) s.t.In the general classification, Giovanni Lonardi (Team Polti VisitMalta) holds the leader's jersey with 8:01:58, followed by Erlend Blikra at 4 seconds and Teodor De Luca (Lucky Sport Cycling Team) at 6 seconds.The race continues tomorrow with a new stage, with the sprinters having made the most of their last favourable opportunity before the final stages.