Erlend Blikra: "Racing on home soil gave me extra motivation"

August 14 ^th 2026 - 19:14 [GMT + 2]

Erlend Blikra (Uno-X Mobility) won Stage 2 of the 2026 Arctic Race of Norway, which was also the 50th stage in the race’s history. He becomes the ninth Norwegian to win on home soil, securing Norway’s 18th victory.

“It’s my first time winning a Pro Race in Norway, so it feels amazing. It was a great day. The sprint was really long, and I was waiting for somebody to pass me because I was really tired in the last hundred metres, and I managed to win.”

“I was really motivated for today. Yesterday, I gained some confidence from my fourth place, but I really wanted to improve on that. I think racing on home soil just gave me extra motivation.”

“The plan now is for me to help the climbers, Johannes [Kulset] and Martin [Tjotta]. We hope to get good results with the team.”