Thomas Silva (XDS-Astana) sealed the overall victory at the Arctic Race of Norway on Sunday, marking his closest rival Lennart Van Eetvelt (Lotto-Intermarché) all the way up the final climb to the ski station in Narvik.
Silva rider had claimed the leader’s jersey on stage 3, and now becomes the first Uruguayan to win the ‘race above the Arctic Circle’.
Meanwhile, Cedrik Christophersen (Unibet Rose Rockets) waited until the GC contenders were watching each other to launch a blistering attack inside of one kilometre to go on the steep climb to take his first professional victory on home soil.
The Norwegian overtook Thomas Gachinard (TotalEnergies) who had launched his own solo on the bottom of the 3.2km ascent.
Crossing the line three seconds later, Ludovico Crescioli (Polti VisitMalta) took second on the stage ahead of Silva.
Silva topped the general classification with 14 seconds on Van Eetvelt and 25 seconds on Alessandro Pinarello (NSN).
How it unfolded
The race above the Arctic Circle concluded with a hilly stage 4, running 190.5 kilometres from Sortland to the ski station in Narvik with a decisive final climb of 2.3 kilometers at an average gradient of 8.6%.
The pace was high early on with several riders attempting to break away, but no group managed to gain a significant advantage in the first 60 kilometers until a trio finally managed to pull away.
The escapees – Anders Foldager (Jayco AlUla) and Uno-X Mobility pair Breiner Henrik Pedersen and Adne Holter – pushed the gap up to maximum of 2:20, making Foldager the virtual leader on the road halfway through the stage. The three riders worked well together, with Foldager taking the maximum mountains points on the Balteskaret and Skoddebergvatnet climbs.
The peloton, led by XDS-Astana and with Caja Rural adding riders in the final 15 kilometres, reduced the gap to the lead trio to 1:06 with 10 kilometres to go.
With seconds ticking down, the three riders went all-in, with Pedersen going wide on a corner, having to bunnyhop the curb but staying on his bike as the gap was down to 20 seconds on the approach to the final climb.
As the road started to go uphill, Gachinard attacked and bridged up to the early breakaway with only Pedersen briefly staying with him. With two kilometres to go, Gachinard zipped up his jersey but the peloton was not giving up, slowly crawling closer.
Christophersen powered away with 800 metres remaining, and held on to take the stage win.
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Results
Pos |
Rider |
Time |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Cedrik Bakke Christophersen (Nor) Unibet Rose Rockets |
4:03:06 |
2 |
Ludovico Crescioli (Ita) Polti-VisitMalta |
+0:03 |
3 |
Guillermo Thomas Silva Coussan (Uru) XDS Astana |
+0:03 |
4 |
Lennert van Eetvelt (Bel) Lotto-Intermarché |
+0:03 |
5 |
Alessandro Pinarello (Ita) NSN Cycling Team |
+0:03 |
6 |
Joris Delbove (Fra) Totalenergies |
+0:03 |
7 |
Gotzon Martin Sanz (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi |
+0:03 |
8 |
Thomas Bonnet (Fra) Totalenergies |
+0:03 |
9 |
Johannes Kulset (Nor) Uno-X Mobility |
+0:03 |
10 |
Wouter Poels (Ned) Unibet Rose Rockets |
+0:03 |
11 |
Dario Giuliano (Fra) Polti-VisitMalta |
+0:03 |
12 |
Felix Engelhardt (Ger) Jayco-AlUla |
+0:03 |
13 |
Jon Agirre Egaña (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi |
+0:03 |
14 |
Sebastian Berwick (Aus) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA |
+0:03 |
15 |
Mark Donovan (GBr) Pinarello-Q36.5 |
+0:03 |
16 |
Byron Munton (RSA) Modern Adventure |
+0:11 |
17 |
Nicolas Alustiza Goenaga (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi |
+0:11 |
18 |
Odd Christian Eiking (Nor) Unibet Rose Rockets |
+0:11 |
19 |
Elias Maris (Bel) Team Flanders - Baloise |
+0:14 |
20 |
Kevin Andre Sandli Messel (Nor) Team Ringerike |
+0:14 |
21 |
Louis Sutton (GBr) Euskaltel-Euskadi |
+0:14 |
22 |
Damien Howson (Aus) Pinarello-Q36.5 |
+0:14 |
23 |
Joel Nicolau Beltran (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA |
+0:18 |
24 |
Thomas Gachignard (Fra) Totalenergies |
+0:22 |
25 |
Alexy Faure Prost (Fra) Picnic PostNL |
+0:24 |
26 |
Toralf Rydningen Martinsen (Nor) Team Drali - Repsol |
+0:24 |
27 |
Vilmer Ekman (Swe) Lucky Sport Cycling Team |
+0:27 |
28 |
Xabier Berasategi Garmendia (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi |
+0:27 |
29 |
Andréa Mifsud (Mlt) Polti-VisitMalta |
+0:27 |
30 |
Georg Rydningen Martinsen (Nor) Lillehammer Ck Continental Team |
+0:31 |
31 |
Henrik Teslo Fjellheim (Nor) Lillehammer Ck Continental Team |
+0:37 |
32 |
Robbe Dhondt (Bel) Picnic PostNL |
+0:40 |
33 |
Vincent van Hemelen (Bel) Team Flanders - Baloise |
+0:40 |
34 |
Michiel Lambrecht (Bel) Team Flanders - Baloise |
+0:40 |
35 |
Alex Diaz Alvarez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA |
+0:59 |
36 |
Alessandro Covi (Ita) Jayco-AlUla |
+1:01 |
37 |
Teodor de Luca (Swe) Lucky Sport Cycling Team |
+1:05 |
38 |
Simen Evertsen-Hegreberg (Nor) Lucky Sport Cycling Team |
+1:18 |
39 |
Axel Källberg (Fin) Lucky Sport Cycling Team |
+1:27 |
40 |
Magnus Kulset (Nor) Team Ringerike |
+1:31 |
41 |
Owen Geleijn (Ned) Unibet Rose Rockets |
+1:42 |
42 |
Mirco Maestri (Ita) Polti-VisitMalta |
+1:45 |
43 |
Herman Emil Eriksen (Nor) Lillehammer Ck Continental Team |
+1:57 |
44 |
Sébastien Grignard (Bel) Lotto-Intermarché |
+2:01 |
45 |
Ronan Auge (Fra) Unibet Rose Rockets |
+2:02 |
46 |
Karl Emil Kjeldsand (Nor) Team Drali - Repsol |
+2:09 |
47 |
Marco Schrettl (Aut) XDS Astana |
+2:12 |
48 |
Thomas Eriksen (Nor) Lillehammer Ck Continental Team |
+2:15 |
49 |
Anders Foldager (Den) Jayco-AlUla |
+2:36 |
50 |
Henrik Pedersen (Den) Uno-X Mobility |
+2:36 |
51 |
Ludvik Aspelund Holstad (Nor) Team Ringerike |
+2:42 |
52 |
Ådne Holter (Nor) Uno-X Mobility |
+2:42 |
53 |
Sven Erik Bystrøm (Nor) Uno-X Mobility |
+2:42 |
54 |
Dion Allan Smith (NZl) NSN Cycling Team |
+2:42 |
55 |
Ward Vanhoof (Bel) Team Flanders - Baloise |
+2:54 |
56 |
Halvor Dolven (Nor) Lotto - Groupe Wanty |
+3:01 |
57 |
Hamish Mckenzie (Aus) Jayco-AlUla |
+3:23 |
58 |
Christopher Jensen (Den) Jayco-AlUla |
+3:23 |
59 |
Bert Bolle (Bel) Volkerwessels |
+3:27 |
60 |
Ezra Caudell (USA) Modern Adventure |
+3:27 |
61 |
Sander Granberg (Nor) Team Drali - Repsol |
+3:41 |
62 |
Ethan Vernon (GBr) NSN Cycling Team |
+3:43 |
63 |
Mathieu Kockelmann (Lux) Lotto-Intermarché |
+4:13 |
64 |
Artëm Fofonov (Fra) Xds Astana Development Team |
+4:13 |
65 |
Kiaan Watts (NZl) Nsn Development Team |
+4:16 |
66 |
Emils Liepins (Lat) Pinarello-Q36.5 |
+4:16 |
67 |
Samuel Leroux (Fra) Totalenergies |
+4:20 |
68 |
Victor Vercouillie (Bel) Team Flanders - Baloise |
+4:20 |
69 |
Brody Mcdonald (USA) Modern Adventure |
+4:32 |
70 |
Cole Kessler (USA) Modern Adventure |
+4:32 |
71 |
Andreas Flaatten (Nor) Lillehammer Ck Continental Team |
+4:52 |
72 |
Even Thorvaldsen (Nor) Lillehammer Ck Continental Team |
+4:52 |
73 |
Artuur Torney (Bel) Team Flanders - Baloise |
+5:03 |
74 |
Rotem Tene (Isr) NSN Cycling Team |
+5:03 |
75 |
Jason Tesson (Fra) Totalenergies |
+5:06 |
76 |
Lorrenzo Manzin (Fra) Totalenergies |
+5:06 |
77 |
Karsten Larsen Feldmann (Nor) Unibet Rose Rockets |
+5:16 |
78 |
Eirik Vang Aas (Nor) Team Drali - Repsol |
+5:16 |
79 |
Andrea Pietrobon (Ita) Polti-VisitMalta |
+5:54 |
80 |
Giovanni Lonardi (Ita) Polti-VisitMalta |
+5:54 |
81 |
Hugo Lennartsson (Swe) Lucky Sport Cycling Team |
+5:54 |
82 |
Oscar Amey (GBr) Nsn Development Team |
+5:58 |
83 |
Martin Tjøtta (Nor) Uno-X Mobility |
+6:00 |
84 |
Erlend Blikra (Nor) Uno-X Mobility |
+6:00 |
85 |
Paul Hennequin (Fra) Euskaltel-Euskadi |
+6:02 |
86 |
Darren van Bekkum (Ned) XDS Astana |
+6:19 |
87 |
Casper Cornelis van Uden (Ned) Picnic PostNL |
+6:30 |
88 |
Dillon Corkery (Irl) Picnic PostNL |
+6:30 |
89 |
Riley Pickrell (Can) Modern Adventure |
+6:30 |
90 |
Mark Stewart (GBr) Modern Adventure |
+6:30 |
91 |
Oliver Bleddyn (Aus) Team Brennan |
+6:56 |
92 |
Marc Rubirola Vila (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA |
+8:37 |
93 |
Iker Villar Galdeano (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA |
+8:39 |
94 |
Joseba Lopez Cuesta (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA |
+8:42 |
95 |
Fabio Christen (Swi) Pinarello-Q36.5 |
+8:47 |
96 |
Matteo Badilatti (Swi) Pinarello-Q36.5 |
+8:47 |
97 |
Joe Pidcock (GBr) Pinarello-Q36.5 |
+8:49 |
98 |
Nikiforos Arvanitou (Gre) Team United Shipping |
+8:49 |
99 |
Felix Ørn-Kristoff (Nor) Lotto-Intermarché |
+8:51 |
100 |
Lionel Taminiaux (Bel) Lotto-Intermarché |
+8:57 |
101 |
Aksel Laforce (Nor) Team Ringerike |
+9:08 |
102 |
Henrik E. Farstadvoll (Nor) Lillehammer Ck Continental Team |
+9:08 |
103 |
Anton Kuzmin (Kaz) XDS Astana |
+9:08 |
104 |
Christian Alexander Klund (Nor) Team Ringerike |
+9:18 |
105 |
Peder Wettre Andreassen (Nor) Team Ringerike |
+9:38 |
106 |
Morthen Wang Baksaas (Nor) Lucky Sport Cycling Team |
+9:42 |
107 |
Tobias Risan Nakken (Nor) Team Drali - Repsol |
+9:42 |
Pos |
Rider |
Time |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Guillermo Thomas Silva Coussan (Uru) XDS Astana |
15:34:12 |
2 |
Lennert van Eetvelt (Bel) Lotto-Intermarché |
+0:14 |
3 |
Alessandro Pinarello (Ita) NSN Cycling Team |
+0:25 |
4 |
Felix Engelhardt (Ger) Jayco-AlUla |
+0:35 |
5 |
Sebastian Berwick (Aus) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA |
+0:36 |
6 |
Thomas Bonnet (Fra) Totalenergies |
+0:39 |
7 |
Wouter Poels (Ned) Unibet Rose Rockets |
+0:40 |
8 |
Cedrik Bakke Christophersen (Nor) Unibet Rose Rockets |
+0:42 |
9 |
Joris Delbove (Fra) Totalenergies |
+0:44 |
10 |
Johannes Kulset (Nor) Uno-X Mobility |
+0:55 |
11 |
Robbe Dhondt (Bel) Picnic PostNL |
+1:06 |
12 |
Mark Donovan (GBr) Pinarello-Q36.5 |
+1:13 |
13 |
Ludovico Crescioli (Ita) Polti-VisitMalta |
+1:14 |
14 |
Kevin Andre Sandli Messel (Nor) Team Ringerike |
+1:24 |
15 |
Jon Agirre Egaña (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi |
+1:25 |
16 |
Byron Munton (RSA) Modern Adventure |
+1:28 |
17 |
Gotzon Martin Sanz (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi |
+1:31 |
18 |
Odd Christian Eiking (Nor) Unibet Rose Rockets |
+1:50 |
19 |
Damien Howson (Aus) Pinarello-Q36.5 |
+1:53 |
20 |
Louis Sutton (GBr) Euskaltel-Euskadi |
+2:02 |
21 |
Xabier Berasategi Garmendia (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi |
+2:06 |
22 |
Dario Giuliano (Fra) Polti-VisitMalta |
+2:13 |
23 |
Vincent van Hemelen (Bel) Team Flanders - Baloise |
+2:15 |
24 |
Nicolas Alustiza Goenaga (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi |
+2:23 |
25 |
Joel Nicolau Beltran (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA |
+2:25 |
26 |
Georg Rydningen Martinsen (Nor) Lillehammer Ck Continental Team |
+2:26 |
27 |
Elias Maris (Bel) Team Flanders - Baloise |
+2:29 |
28 |
Vilmer Ekman (Swe) Lucky Sport Cycling Team |
+2:31 |
29 |
Toralf Rydningen Martinsen (Nor) Team Drali - Repsol |
+2:49 |
30 |
Alessandro Covi (Ita) Jayco-AlUla |
+3:08 |
31 |
Michiel Lambrecht (Bel) Team Flanders - Baloise |
+3:13 |
32 |
Marco Schrettl (Aut) XDS Astana |
+3:14 |
33 |
Teodor de Luca (Swe) Lucky Sport Cycling Team |
+3:22 |
34 |
Andréa Mifsud (Mlt) Polti-VisitMalta |
+3:23 |
35 |
Alex Diaz Alvarez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA |
+3:24 |
36 |
Alexy Faure Prost (Fra) Picnic PostNL |
+3:24 |
37 |
Thomas Gachignard (Fra) Totalenergies |
+3:31 |
38 |
Simen Evertsen-Hegreberg (Nor) Lucky Sport Cycling Team |
+3:53 |
39 |
Anders Foldager (Den) Jayco-AlUla |
+4:18 |
40 |
Henrik Teslo Fjellheim (Nor) Lillehammer Ck Continental Team |
+4:25 |
41 |
Magnus Kulset (Nor) Team Ringerike |
+4:27 |
42 |
Owen Geleijn (Ned) Unibet Rose Rockets |
+4:28 |
43 |
Bert Bolle (Bel) Volkerwessels |
+4:34 |
44 |
Sven Erik Bystrøm (Nor) Uno-X Mobility |
+4:35 |
45 |
Karl Emil Kjeldsand (Nor) Team Drali - Repsol |
+5:44 |
46 |
Mirco Maestri (Ita) Polti-VisitMalta |
+5:49 |
47 |
Christopher Jensen (Den) Jayco-AlUla |
+6:26 |
48 |
Halvor Dolven (Nor) Lotto - Groupe Wanty |
+6:31 |
49 |
Ludvik Aspelund Holstad (Nor) Team Ringerike |
+6:48 |
50 |
Sander Granberg (Nor) Team Drali - Repsol |
+6:50 |
51 |
Ward Vanhoof (Bel) Team Flanders - Baloise |
+6:58 |
52 |
Sébastien Grignard (Bel) Lotto-Intermarché |
+7:00 |
53 |
Mathieu Kockelmann (Lux) Lotto-Intermarché |
+7:04 |
54 |
Artëm Fofonov (Fra) Xds Astana Development Team |
+7:14 |
55 |
Ronan Auge (Fra) Unibet Rose Rockets |
+7:21 |
56 |
Samuel Leroux (Fra) Totalenergies |
+7:23 |
57 |
Martin Tjøtta (Nor) Uno-X Mobility |
+7:28 |
58 |
Cole Kessler (USA) Modern Adventure |
+7:35 |
59 |
Axel Källberg (Fin) Lucky Sport Cycling Team |
+8:01 |
60 |
Henrik Pedersen (Den) Uno-X Mobility |
+8:15 |
61 |
Victor Vercouillie (Bel) Team Flanders - Baloise |
+8:47 |
62 |
Hamish Mckenzie (Aus) Jayco-AlUla |
+8:51 |
63 |
Darren van Bekkum (Ned) XDS Astana |
+8:54 |
64 |
Thomas Eriksen (Nor) Lillehammer Ck Continental Team |
+9:09 |
65 |
Karsten Larsen Feldmann (Nor) Unibet Rose Rockets |
+9:24 |
66 |
Fabio Christen (Swi) Pinarello-Q36.5 |
+9:30 |
67 |
Hugo Lennartsson (Swe) Lucky Sport Cycling Team |
+9:37 |
68 |
Herman Emil Eriksen (Nor) Lillehammer Ck Continental Team |
+9:38 |
69 |
Dion Allan Smith (NZl) NSN Cycling Team |
+9:40 |
70 |
Ådne Holter (Nor) Uno-X Mobility |
+9:56 |
71 |
Even Thorvaldsen (Nor) Lillehammer Ck Continental Team |
+10:07 |
72 |
Joseba Lopez Cuesta (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA |
+10:21 |
73 |
Ethan Vernon (GBr) NSN Cycling Team |
+10:35 |
74 |
Andreas Flaatten (Nor) Lillehammer Ck Continental Team |
+11:13 |
75 |
Felix Ørn-Kristoff (Nor) Lotto-Intermarché |
+11:21 |
76 |
Jason Tesson (Fra) Totalenergies |
+11:53 |
77 |
Lorrenzo Manzin (Fra) Totalenergies |
+11:59 |
78 |
Rotem Tene (Isr) NSN Cycling Team |
+12:01 |
79 |
Kiaan Watts (NZl) Nsn Development Team |
+12:31 |
80 |
Emils Liepins (Lat) Pinarello-Q36.5 |
+12:32 |
81 |
Artuur Torney (Bel) Team Flanders - Baloise |
+13:21 |
82 |
Ezra Caudell (USA) Modern Adventure |
+13:34 |
83 |
Dillon Corkery (Irl) Picnic PostNL |
+14:13 |
84 |
Oliver Bleddyn (Aus) Team Brennan |
+14:19 |
85 |
Lionel Taminiaux (Bel) Lotto-Intermarché |
+14:44 |
86 |
Brody Mcdonald (USA) Modern Adventure |
+15:08 |
87 |
Casper Cornelis van Uden (Ned) Picnic PostNL |
+15:20 |
88 |
Iker Villar Galdeano (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA |
+15:23 |
89 |
Eirik Vang Aas (Nor) Team Drali - Repsol |
+15:37 |
90 |
Oscar Amey (GBr) Nsn Development Team |
+15:53 |
91 |
Giovanni Lonardi (Ita) Polti-VisitMalta |
+15:59 |
92 |
Paul Hennequin (Fra) Euskaltel-Euskadi |
+16:54 |
93 |
Christian Alexander Klund (Nor) Team Ringerike |
+16:59 |
94 |
Erlend Blikra (Nor) Uno-X Mobility |
+17:09 |
95 |
Riley Pickrell (Can) Modern Adventure |
+17:30 |
96 |
Tobias Risan Nakken (Nor) Team Drali - Repsol |
+18:39 |
97 |
Andrea Pietrobon (Ita) Polti-VisitMalta |
+18:51 |
98 |
Marc Rubirola Vila (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA |
+18:56 |
99 |
Mark Stewart (GBr) Modern Adventure |
+19:29 |
100 |
Peder Wettre Andreassen (Nor) Team Ringerike |
+19:58 |
101 |
Henrik E. Farstadvoll (Nor) Lillehammer Ck Continental Team |
+20:31 |
102 |
Nikiforos Arvanitou (Gre) Team United Shipping |
+21:02 |
103 |
Matteo Badilatti (Swi) Pinarello-Q36.5 |
+21:50 |
104 |
Aksel Laforce (Nor) Team Ringerike |
+22:35 |
105 |
Anton Kuzmin (Kaz) XDS Astana |
+22:48 |
106 |
Morthen Wang Baksaas (Nor) Lucky Sport Cycling Team |
+22:52 |
107 |
Joe Pidcock (GBr) Pinarello-Q36.5 |
+25:03 |
For unbeatable coverage across road, gravel and tech, subscribe to Cyclingnews. You'll get comprehensive race coverage of La Vuelta a España, subscriber-exclusive analysis from our expert columnists, in-depth features and industry-leading tech insight. Plus, the Cyclingnews app lets you follow the action wherever you go! Join today.
