# 2018 Arctic Race of Norway

The 2018 Arctic Race of Norway was a four-stage cycling stage race that took place in Norway between 16 and 19 August. It was the sixth edition of the Arctic Race of Norway and is rated as a 2.HC event as part of the UCI Europe Tour.

## Race schedule

List of stages :
| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Winner |
| 1 | 16 August | Vadsø to Kirkenes | 184 km (114 mi) | Hilly stage | Mathieu van der Poel (NED) |
| 2 | 17 August | Tana to Kjøllefjord | 195 km (121 mi) | Hilly stage | Colin Joyce (USA) |
| 3 | 18 August | Honningsvåg to Hammerfest | 194 km (121 mi) | Flat stage | Adam Ťoupalík (CZE) |
| 4 | 19 August | Kvalsund to Alta | 145.5 km (90 mi) | Hilly stage | Mathieu van der Poel (NED) |

## Teams

19 teams were invited to take part in the race. Five of these were UCI WorldTeams; 12 were UCI Professional Continental teams; four were UCI Continental teams. Each team was allowed to enter six riders, three teams only entered five, therefore the peloton at the start of the race was made up of 123 riders.
UCI WorldTeams
* Astana
* BMC Racing Team
* Team Dimension Data
* Team Katusha–Alpecin
UCI Professional Continental teams
* Cofidis
* Corendon–Circus
* Delko–Marseille Provence KTM
* Direct Énergie
* Fortuneo–Samsic
* Holowesko Citadel p/b Arapahoe Resources
* Israel Cycling Academy
* Rally Cycling
* Sport Vlaanderen–Baloise
* Vital Concept
* Wanty–Groupe Gobert
* WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic
UCI Continental teams
* Joker Icopal
* Team Coop
* Uno-X Norwegian Development Team

## Stages
### Stage 1

16 August 2018 – Vadsø to Kirkenes, 184 km (114 mi)
Result of stage 1 :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Mathieu van der Poel (NED) | Corendon–Circus | 3h 50' 19" |
| 2 | Sergey Chernetskiy (RUS) | Astana | s.t. |
| 3 | Benjamin Declercq (BEL) | Sport Vlaanderen–Baloise | s.t. |
| 4 | Markus Hoelgaard (NOR) | Joker Icopal | s.t. |
| 5 | Quentin Pacher (FRA) | Vital Concept | s.t. |
| 6 | Alberto Bettiol (ITA) | BMC Racing Team | s.t. |
| 7 | Guillaume Martin (FRA) | Wanty–Groupe Gobert | s.t. |
| 8 | Kenneth Vanbilsen (BEL) | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 9 | Krister Hagen (NOR) | Team Coop | + 5" |
| 10 | Colin Joyce (USA) | Rally Cycling | + 5" |
| Source: ProCyclingStats ||||
General classification after stage 1 :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Mathieu van der Poel (NED) | Corendon–Circus | 3h 50' 19" |
| 2 | Sergey Chernetskiy (RUS) | Astana | + 4" |
| 3 | Benjamin Declercq (BEL) | Sport Vlaanderen–Baloise | + 6" |
| 4 | Alberto Bettiol (ITA) | BMC Racing Team | + 9" |
| 5 | Markus Hoelgaard (NOR) | Joker Icopal | + 10" |
| 6 | Quentin Pacher (FRA) | Vital Concept | + 10" |
| 7 | Guillaume Martin (FRA) | Wanty–Groupe Gobert | + 10" |
| 8 | Kenneth Vanbilsen (BEL) | Cofidis | + 10" |
| 9 | Krister Hagen (NOR) | Team Coop | + 15" |
| 10 | Colin Joyce (USA) | Rally Cycling | + 15" |
| Source: ProCyclingStats ||||

### Stage 2

17 August 2018 – Tana to Kjøllefjord, 195 km (121 mi)
Stage 2 result :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Colin Joyce (USA) | Rally Cycling | 4h 20' 24" |
| 2 | Dennis van Winden (NED) | Israel Cycling Academy | s.t. |
| 3 | Markus Hoelgaard (NOR) | Joker Icopal | s.t. |
| 4 | Danilo Wyss (SUI) | BMC Racing Team | s.t. |
| 5 | Sergey Chernetskiy (RUS) | Astana | s.t. |
| 6 | Laurent Pichon (FRA) | Fortuneo–Samsic | s.t. |
| 7 | Carl Fredrik Hagen (NOR) | Joker Icopal | s.t. |
| 8 | Steff Cras (BEL) | Team Katusha–Alpecin | s.t. |
| 9 | Jakob Fuglsang (DEN) | Astana | s.t. |
| 10 | Nicolas Roche (IRL) | BMC Racing Team | s.t. |
| Source: ProCyclingStats ||||
General classification after Stage 2 :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Sergey Chernetskiy (RUS) | Astana | 8h 10' 34" |
| 2 | Colin Joyce (USA) | Rally Cycling | + 4" |
| 3 | Markus Hoelgaard (NOR) | Joker Icopal | + 5" |
| 4 | Danilo Wyss (SUI) | BMC Racing Team | + 19" |
| 5 | Alberto Bettiol (ITA) | BMC Racing Team | + 23" |
| 6 | Carl Fredrik Hagen (NOR) | Joker Icopal | + 32" |
| 7 | Dennis van Winden (NED) | Israel Cycling Academy | + 32" |
| 8 | Nicolas Roche (IRL) | BMC Racing Team | + 33" |
| 9 | Laurent Pichon (FRA) | Fortuneo–Samsic | + 34" |
| 10 | Jakob Fuglsang (DEN) | Astana | + 34" |
| Source: ProCyclingStats ||||

### Stage 3

18 August 2018 – Honningsvåg to Hammerfest, 194 km (121 mi)
Stage 3 result :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Adam Ťoupalík (CZE) | Corendon–Circus | 4h 24' 08" |
| 2 | Mathieu van der Poel (NED) | Corendon–Circus | + 2" |
| 3 | Sergey Chernetskiy (RUS) | Astana | + 2" |
| 4 | Quentin Pacher (FRA) | Vital Concept | + 2" |
| 5 | Odd Christian Eiking (NOR) | Wanty–Groupe Gobert | + 2" |
| 6 | Markus Hoelgaard (NOR) | Joker Icopal | + 2" |
| 7 | Colin Joyce (USA) | Rally Cycling | + 2" |
| 8 | Benjamin Declercq (BEL) | Sport Vlaanderen–Baloise | + 2" |
| 9 | Kevin Deltombe (BEL) | Sport Vlaanderen–Baloise | + 2" |
| 10 | Nicolai Brøchner (DEN) | Holowesko Citadel p/b Arapahoe Resources | + 2" |
| Source: ProCyclingStats ||||
General classification after Stage 3 :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Sergey Chernetskiy (RUS) | Astana | 12h 34' 40" |
| 2 | Markus Hoelgaard (NOR) | Joker Icopal | + 7" |
| 3 | Colin Joyce (USA) | Rally Cycling | + 8" |
| 4 | Danilo Wyss (SUI) | BMC Racing Team | + 23" |
| 5 | Nicolas Roche (IRL) | BMC Racing Team | + 37" |
| 6 | Laurent Pichon (FRA) | Fortuneo–Samsic | + 38" |
| 7 | Carl Fredrik Hagen (NOR) | Joker Icopal | + 38" |
| 8 | Steff Cras (BEL) | Team Katusha–Alpecin | + 38" |
| 9 | Dennis van Winden (NED) | Israel Cycling Academy | + 52" |
| 10 | Michael Schär (SUI) | BMC Racing Team | + 53" |
| Source: ProCyclingStats ||||

### Stage 4

19 August 2018 – Kvalsund to Alta, 145.5 km (90.4 mi)
Result of stage 4 :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Mathieu van der Poel (NED) | Corendon–Circus | 3h 21' 02" |
| 2 | Sondre Holst Enger (NOR) | Israel Cycling Academy | s.t. |
| 3 | Quentin Pacher (FRA) | Vital Concept | s.t. |
| 4 | Loïc Chetout (FRA) | Cofidis | s.t. |
| 5 | Benjamin Declercq (BEL) | Sport Vlaanderen–Baloise | s.t. |
| 6 | Laurent Pichon (FRA) | Fortuneo–Samsic | s.t. |
| 7 | Odd Christian Eiking (NOR) | Wanty–Groupe Gobert | s.t. |
| 8 | Sergey Chernetskiy (RUS) | Astana | s.t. |
| 9 | Nicolai Brøchner (DEN) | Holowesko Citadel p/b Arapahoe Resources | s.t. |
| 10 | Nicolas Roche (IRL) | BMC Racing Team | s.t. |
| Source: ProCyclingStats ||||
Final general classification :
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Sergey Chernetskiy (RUS) | Astana | 15h 55' 42" |
| 2 | Markus Hoelgaard (NOR) | Joker Icopal | + 11" |
| 3 | Colin Joyce (USA) | Rally Cycling | + 12" |
| 4 | Danilo Wyss (SUI) | BMC Racing Team | + 27" |
| 5 | Nicolas Roche (IRL) | BMC Racing Team | + 37" |
| 6 | Laurent Pichon (FRA) | Fortuneo–Samsic | + 38" |
| 7 | Steff Cras (BEL) | Team Katusha–Alpecin | + 42" |
| 8 | Carl Fredrik Hagen (NOR) | Joker Icopal | + 42" |
| 9 | Dmitriy Strakhov (RUS) | Team Katusha–Alpecin | + 56" |
| 10 | Dennis van Winden (NED) | Israel Cycling Academy | + 56" |
| Source: ProCyclingStats ||||

## Classifications

The race included four main classifications: the general classification, the points classification, the mountains classification and the youth classification. There was also an award for the most aggressive rider on each stage and a team classification.
| Stage | Winner | General classification | Points classification | Mountains classification | Youth classification | Team classification | Combativity award |
| 1 | Mathieu van der Poel | Mathieu van der Poel | Mathieu van der Poel | Anders Skaarseth | Mathieu van der Poel | BMC Racing Team | Bert De Backer |
| 2 | Colin Joyce | Sergey Chernetskiy | Sergey Chernetskiy | Sindre Skjøstad Lunke | Colin Joyce | BMC Racing Team | Jakob Fuglsang |
| 3 | Adam Ťoupalík | Sergey Chernetskiy | Sergey Chernetskiy | Sindre Skjøstad Lunke | Markus Hoelgaard | BMC Racing Team | Adam Ťoupalík |
| 4 | Mathieu van der Poel | Sergey Chernetskiy | Mathieu van der Poel | Sindre Skjøstad Lunke | Markus Hoelgaard | BMC Racing Team | Kristoffer Skjerping |
| Final | Final | Sergey Chernetskiy | Mathieu van der Poel | Sindre Skjøstad Lunke | Markus Hoelgaard | BMC Racing Team | not awarded |