01:00I'm under no illusion, it's going to be a really big challenge
01:02The Arctic Race of Norway
01:06Started with just a six second margin
01:08In the general classification
01:09As we headed for what felt like a criterium day
01:12Around Tromsø
01:13135.3 kilometres
01:16But significantly
01:17With three bonus sprints along the way
01:19And eight KOM points
01:21Which really would enthrall
01:23The drama of course was there for all to see
01:25Nerves I guess you might say
01:27And a breakaway with those hoping
01:30To get something out of this race
01:32Who were not any longer battling for GC
01:34And a stern breakaway
01:36It was, a lot of teams with something
01:38To fight for
01:39Implanting riders up the road
01:41UNO-X were there
01:43Jayco likewise
01:44Astana were involved
01:46Likewise Team Energies
01:48Flanders-Bell was also
01:49And they were pushing on
01:51Would they make the steal?
01:53Well the gap never allowed really
01:54To go much beyond 90 seconds
01:56The rain came down
01:57But it did not hamper
01:59Anybody's ambitions
02:00It was a strong breakaway
02:02With the likes of Gjelmoorz
02:03With Holter also up there
02:05Ballerini himself
02:07Although misnumbered
02:08And they were folding over
02:09In terms of attacks
02:10To give the day a go
02:12Gjelmoorz was later to be joined
02:14By Dunbar
02:15But this was Andreas Leknesen
02:18Wanting to come and join the fun
02:19Had a quiet race so far
02:21The Norwegian champion
02:22But he was determined
02:23To make something of a statement
02:25At least on the final day
02:26Of this 12th edition of the race
02:28As for Alexander Kristoff
02:30Things weren't going all his way
02:32As far as the GC was concerned
02:34There were bonus seconds
02:35Up for grabs
02:36At the intermediate sprints
02:38And so it was
02:39That we had the spectacle
02:40Of a breakaway up the road
02:42But also
02:43Tom Pidcock
02:44Trying to wind it in
02:45Get those three coveted
02:47Very special points
02:49For himself
02:50He had to go long
02:51And indeed
02:52Was almost three laps out
02:54When he decided to impose himself
02:55Corbin Strong though
02:56Matched him
02:57Pace by pace
02:59And in fact
02:59He came down
03:00To one of the intermediate sprints
03:02Where the two of them
03:02Were going for two and one
03:03Bonus seconds
03:04Possibly three
03:05If they could possibly
03:06Dridge over here
03:07They almost got there
03:09At the line
03:10It appeared that
03:11Corbin Strong
03:12Had beaten Pidcock
03:12Pidcock was given the nod
03:14Two seconds going his way
03:16So the margin cut down
03:17For him overall
03:18Then of course
03:20It was down to the last few laps
03:22And it looked like
03:23The GC battle
03:24May well be set in stone
03:26Because Strong
03:27Was exactly that
03:28Extraordinarily strong
03:30And powerful
03:30Matching Pidcock
03:32Constantly
03:33And the final intermediate sprint
03:35Came to naught
03:36So it was all down
03:37To the run for the line
03:38With Corbin Strong
03:40Hoping to get
03:40Yet another stage win
03:42In this amazing race
03:43Over the top they come
03:45No bonus seconds for them
03:47How would it end?
03:49Dramatically of course
03:50Bellarini wants to make it
03:57Wants to make it home
03:58He's wearing the wrong number
03:59We'll remind you today
04:00And so it is
04:02The Pidcock comes up
04:03Onto the shoulder now
04:04Almost onto the back wheel
04:07But Mark is there
04:08Charging into this one
04:09Goes Holter
04:10Holter's going to try
04:11And lead in
04:12And it will be for Lowland
04:13Lowland is there
04:15Number five
04:16As you can see
04:17Strong has a check
04:18Over his shoulders
04:18Other wants to get into
04:20Into the business
04:21And have a flyer here
04:22Versher hasn't finished his duties
04:23And the pick up goes right now
04:25And it's Kurt that goes
04:27But he's got Strong
04:27On his case
04:28Treble one is Rick Plumas
04:30Plumas almost
04:32Shoulders into the side
04:34Here of Corbin Strong
04:35Who's staying with it
04:36He's got new lead out man
04:37He's going to have to do it
04:38On his own
04:38Strong picks it up right now
04:40Follows in onto the back wheel
04:41Can he possibly get there?
04:43Also here is Fett
04:44The young Fett
04:45Is coming through
04:45Is he going to get fed
04:47And watered at the end of today?
04:48Corbin Strong
04:49He's still staying with it
04:50Can't quite get there
04:51Just for the time being
04:52Strong's going to finish
04:53In second play
04:54Super win for Bern
04:55Oh that was brilliant
04:57I thought I could do
05:04Maybe a top five
05:05Maybe a podium
05:06If
05:06On GC
05:07If I had a really good ride
05:10But I think yesterday
05:11I exceeded my expectations
05:12Yeah
05:14Just to ride my bike here
05:15Was an incredible
05:17Experience
05:17But to win is another label
05:19And so after
05:20Going off like a rocket ship
05:22Frilly de Verne
05:23Doing the job for
05:24Una X Mobility
05:25Getting the congratulations
05:26From everybody
05:27And we heaped them on
05:28Corbin Strong of course
05:29Our champion
05:30What an amazing day
05:32De Verne taking
05:33The day ahead of
05:34Corbin Strong
05:35Valerini was up there
05:36After spending much of the day
05:37In the breakaway
05:38But what a GC battle
05:40We had as well
05:42It still raged on
05:43Strong got so close
05:45To adding to his tally
05:46Overall
05:46Didn't quite work out for him
05:48De Verne
05:49Secure
05:50In that position
05:52So a super way
05:53To end the day
05:54But what a great champion
05:56We have as well
05:57In Corbin Strong
05:58Beating
05:59Tom Pidcock
06:00By an increased margin
06:02Of 11 seconds
06:03Overall
06:04Scaroni
06:05In third place
06:06Rounding out the podium
06:07For Astana
06:09But yes
06:10This race will be remembered
06:11Not only for the drama
06:12Of the scenery
06:13But for the racing itself
06:15Experience on the Arctic race
06:20Of Norway
06:20But how important is it
06:22To win
06:23To win a stage
06:24On this race
06:24It's fantastic
06:26Winner
06:28Winner race
06:28Here in Norway
06:29Incredible
06:30And also
06:31A super tough
06:32Tough day
06:33I can't believe it
06:36To be honest
06:36Because yeah
06:37You struggle
06:38We saw you dropped
06:39Not once
06:40But twice
06:41And you battled it
06:42Through to make it
06:43To the line
06:43Take us through the stage
06:44I was dropped
06:45Several times
06:46And like the first lap
06:48We wanted to get a guy
06:50In a break
06:50And we got Odna
06:51And for me
06:53It was pretty brutal
06:54With those steep hills
06:55And was kind of
06:57Going for a helper role
06:59To help
07:00Help us in the
07:01In the bunch
07:03And to get us
07:04Good positioned
07:04Into the hills
07:07But
07:07Yeah
07:09We came back
07:10Over and over again
07:12And super good help
07:13From Odna
07:14When I got dropped
07:16We helped each other
07:16To get back
07:17And
07:17And I just found
07:19I found an opening
07:20And lost
07:20And started early
07:23And took it
07:25Almost the perfect week
07:27For the team
07:28For UNOX Mobility
07:29With two victories
07:31That's also very important
07:32But yeah
07:32We came here
07:33With a hope
07:34For a better
07:34GC
07:35But
07:36It was a little bit
07:39Too hard
07:40Yesterday
07:40So to get a stage
07:42Today
07:43Instead
07:43Worth it
07:45Thank you very much
07:46Enjoy the podium
07:47Thanks
07:47Thanks
07:48Situations
07:49You have just won
07:50The arctic race
07:51Of Norway
07:52But how stressful
07:53Was today
07:53Oh it was an incredibly
07:55Stressful day
07:56Actually
07:56I knew we were going
07:58To be under attack
07:58From kilometre zero
07:59But it exceeded
08:00My expectations
08:01Especially
08:02The first few laps
08:03In the rain
08:04I was
08:04Really not confident
08:07In being able
08:09To control
08:10Today
08:10Actually
08:10It was really stressful
08:12And then
08:12The wet descents
08:13As well
08:13I know this is
08:14A strength
08:15Of Pidcock
08:15So
08:16Yeah
08:17I
08:17I
08:19Yeah
08:19I was really
08:20Nervous for today
08:20And then
08:21The first few laps
08:21Were even more
08:23Out of control
08:23And harder
08:24Than I expected
08:24But my team
08:25Was just
08:26Incredible today
08:27We were
08:29Fourth
08:29First
08:30Fourth
08:30Ninth
08:31And fifteenth
08:32From GC
08:32Coming into today
08:33So
08:33We have an incredibly
08:35Strong team here
08:36And those boys
08:37Just put it all
08:37On the line
08:38For me today
08:38And yeah
08:40I owe this
08:40Win to them
08:41Because they were
08:42Incredible
08:42And I couldn't have
08:43Done it without them
08:43To do today
08:43And you
08:44Were extremely strong
08:46All along
08:47The week
08:47Basically
08:48Yeah
08:49I knew
08:50In Maloney
08:50I felt really good
08:51Really strong
08:52On the climbs
08:53But yeah
08:54I was quietly
08:55Confident
08:55I could do
08:56An okay
08:57GC here
08:58I knew
08:58The 4k
08:59At 8%
09:00Was going to be
09:00Really difficult
09:01Against guys
09:02Like Scroni
09:02And Pidcock
09:03But yeah
09:05I thought
09:05I could do
09:06Maybe a top
09:07Five
09:07Maybe a podium
09:08On GC
09:10If I had
09:11A really good ride
09:12But I think
09:12Yesterday
09:13Exceeded my
09:14Expectations
09:14And yeah
09:16To take the GC
09:17Here
09:17I'm really proud
09:18Of myself
09:19Really
09:19Really
09:21Yeah
09:22I didn't expect
09:24To win the GC
09:24Here
09:24So to be in the yellow
09:26And finish it off
09:27With my teammates
09:27Today
09:28Is a really nice feeling
09:29It's not just amazing
09:31Landscapes of Norway
09:32There's also
09:32The experience
09:33Of winning it
09:33And that must be
09:34Important for you
09:35Yeah
09:35It's been a really
09:36Enjoyable week
09:37With the guys on
09:39And off the bike
09:40It's been amazing
09:42Actually
09:42Even seeing the scenery
09:44Here in Norway
09:45It's something
09:46I really appreciate
09:47And yeah
09:49Just to ride my bike
09:50Here was an
09:51Incredible
09:51Experience
09:52But to win
09:53Is another level
09:54And yeah
09:55Guys like Tom
09:56Just rode their asses
09:57Off all week
09:59And I'm really
10:00Really lucky
10:01To have teammates
10:02Like I did this week
10:04Enjoy the celebration now
10:05Thank you
10:06Thank you
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