Southland's Corbin Strong Triumphs In Arctic Race Of Norway

Corbin Strong won the Arctic Race of Norway with stage wins and classification victories.
The Kiwi rider credited teammates for support during a tense and rainy final stage.
Israel – Premier Tech celebrated its 20th victory this season after Strong’s GC success.

Corbin Strong closed out the Arctic Race of Norway with a near-perfect tally — the overall title, one stage victory, two second places, plus both the youth and sprint classifications. The 25-year-old Kiwi’s triumph also marked the 20th win of the season for his Israel – Premier Tech team.

Strong began the hilly eight-lap finale in Tromsø with a slender six-second lead over Tom Pidcock of Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team. His squad immediately took control of the race, setting the pace from the start and managing the day’s breakaway.

“It was an incredibly stressful day actually,” Strong admitted. “I knew we would be under attack from kilometre zero but it exceeded my expectation, especially the few first laps in the rain. It was really stressful and with the wet descents as well, which I know is a strength of Pidcock, so I was really nervous for today and the first laps were even more out of control than I expected.

“My team was just incredible today. We were first, fourth, ninth, and 15th on GC coming into today, so we have an incredibly strong team here. Those boys just put it all on the line today and I owe this win to them because they were incredible and I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Time bonuses played a key role. Riley Sheehan claimed maximum points at the first sprint, while Strong lost a second to Pidcock in the second, narrowing his cushion to five seconds. In the decisive laps, Nick Schultz set a punishing pace, and Sheehan helped shut down attacks before launching Strong for the sprint. The Kiwi finished second to Fredrik Dversnes of Uno-X Mobility, enough to secure the general classification. Sheehan placed fourth overall.

Fresh from his first GC victory at the Ethias Tour de Wallonie less than two weeks earlier, Strong’s form and confidence are at an all-time high. “I knew in Wallonie I felt really good and strong on the climbs so I was quietly confident I could do a decent GC result here,” he said. “But I exceeded my expectations yesterday and to take the GC win here, I’m really proud of myself.”

Sports Director Alex Cataford praised the squad’s commitment. “Our original goals were a stage win and top-three on the GC and Corbin knocked off the first goal on stage one which was amazing,” he said. “With that, we were racing for the win. It was a very challenging last day but we had a really strong team around Corbin… our guys rode superbly around a superb leader.”