Taaramae Wins Arctic Race Of Norway

Last updated : 16 August 2015 By Covsupport News Service

Astana's Rein Taaramae has won the Arctic Race Of Norway with a dramatic last stage third place.

This final stage of a race entirely north of the Arctic Circle finished with a 165km stage which started and finished in Narvik.

BMC's Ben Hermans had taken over the lead of the race with victory on the third stage which saw Kristen Hagan the first to attack and the first sprint of the day going to Alexander Kristoff.

Seven riders in Romain SInkledam, Reidar Borgers, Maxime Cam, Filip Eidsheim, Elmiger, Förster and Jõeäär managed to get fifteen seconds clear before there was a big crash in the peloton.

With a hundred kilometres left of the race, the gap had gone out to 3.05 before Elmiger took the Dalvatnet climb.

Forster and Sinkledam were dropped by the peloton and only Elmiger, Cam and Borgers were left as the race leader suffered a mechanical.

Into Narvik for a forty kilometre closing lap and the gap was back down to 1.19 but on the Skistua climb, the escapers were caught and August Jensen took the points on offer.

Irishman Sam Bennett of Bora Argon 18 tried to get something going and got into a group of ten riders formed which included Rein Taaramae of Astana, Tanel Kangert, Silvan Dillier and Ivan Theuns.

With the race leader Ben Hermans dropping back and back, Taaramae was now the virtual leader on the road and with just over ten kilometres to go, the Estonian, made a break for it along with Dillier and IInur Zakarin.

This was a break which was to succeed and and it was Silvan Diller of BMC who took the victory in 3.35.18 with Zakarin second and Taaramae in third place.

Ben Hemmans came in a minute and 33 seconds behind Taaramae and the Astana rider had taken the overal victory of the race, with an eight second advantage over Dillier and 31 seconds over Zakarin.

Katusha's Alexander Kristoff won the Green Jersey, with August Jensen winning the Salmon Jersey and Silvan Dillier, the best young rider.