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2015 Arctic Tour of Norway: Bennett gets his revenge on Stage 2

Irishman Sam Bennett (Bora-Argon 18) was third in Thursday's first stage of the Arctic Race of Norway, but was well-positioned and perfect in his timing to win the sprint of Friday's Stage 2.

August 14, 2015
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Irishman Sam Bennett (Bora-Argon 18) was third in Thursday’s first stage of the Arctic Race of Norway, but was well-positioned and perfect in his timing to win the sprint of Friday’s Stage 2. The previous day’s stage winner, Alexander Kristoff (Norway/Katusha) keeps the race lead, while Bennett moves up to third.

There was no breakaway established until after the first intermediate sprint of the day, with Thursday’s runner-up Edvald Boasson Hagen (Norway/MTN-Qhubeka) taking the spoils. Finally six riders rolled away and established a 3:30 gap. Krister Hagen of Team Coop-ØsterHus crossed the second intermediate sprint in the lead.

The excitement for the escape came on the final categorized climb of the day, the Lavangseidet Summit, where Jean Marc Bideau (France/Bretagne-Séché) crested first to win 500-kg of salmon. With 40-km to go, only four riders remained up front with a minute’s gap. Hagen was still in the mix and he sopped up the day’s final intermediate sprint with 36-km to go, IAM and Katusha doing the yeoman’s job in the peloton.

Bideau, emboldened by his half-metric ton of salmon, was the final rider to surrender 16-km from the finish line in Setermoen.

When it came time for the sprint finale, Bennett held tight until Brit Dan Mclay (Bretagne-Séché) and Italian runner-up Federico Zurlo (UnitedHealthcare) accelerated from far out and then made his move. Kristoff started too far back in the pack, but placed third. Bideau may have taken the fish, but breakmate August Jensen of Team Coop-ØsterHus nabbed the red climber’s jersey. Bennett retains the white young rider’s kit he pulled on after Thursday.

Saturday’s penultimate stage will go a long way in deciding this season’s GC winner, as it ends on a climb.

2015 Arctic Race of Norway Stage 2
1) Sam Bennett (Ireland/Bora-Argon 18) 3:41:05
2) Federico Zurlo (Italian/UnitedHealthcare) s.t.
3) Alexander Kristoff (Norway/Katusha) s.t.

2015 Arctic Race of Norway GC
1) Alexander Kristoff (Norway/Katusha) 8:39:26
2) Sam Bennett (Ireland/Bora-Argon 18) +0:01
3) Edvald Boasson Hagen (Norway/MTN-Qhubeka) +0:06