Andreas Leknessund: “Winning here is very special, as this race is one of the reasons I started cycling”

August 14 ^th 2022 - 19:47 [GMT + 2]

I felt quite bad yesterday, so today the team and I agreed I’d wait for the final laps and see how the legs reacted. But then, once on the road, the attacks kept coming and the team needed to get someone in the break. I went away with three guys and, at first, I honestly thought it was a TV breakaway to just show off the jersey. I didn’t think we would make it to the finish. Once we were back in Trondheim, I went solo with the goal of enjoying the crowds on my own as we are in Norway and there were so many fans, including friends and family of mine who were cheering from the roadside. I went full gas, but I was expecting some guys from the bunch to catch me on the climb, as it was steeper and harder than expected. But then my teammates told me on the radio that everyone was suffering, and that motivated me to keep going.

The Arctic Race of Norway is my home race. I grew up in Tromsø, in the Far North, and this is the race I watched as a small kid. It’s one of the reasons why I started cycling, as I looked up to the guys racing here. Just participating on this race is very special. To win it makes me feel quite emotional.