Dylan Groenewegen of Team BikeExchange-Jayco wins stage 2(Image credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images)
UNO X Pro Cycling Team passes through the Svenningdal area during stage 2(Image credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Stephen Bassett of Human Powered Health in the Polka Dot Mountain Jersey leads the breakaway(Image credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Aaron Van Poucke of Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise and Liam Johnston of Trinity Racing compete at the front of the breakaway(Image credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images)
The breakaway passing through a Grane-Nordland area (Image credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Dion Smith of Team BikeExchange-Jayco leads the chase in the peloton(Image credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Mathieu Burgaudeau of Total Energies in the Blue Points Jersey and Axel Zingle of Cofidis in the Yellow Leader's Jersey at the start of stage 2 from Mosjøen(Image credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Dylan Groenewegen (Team BikeExchange-Jayco) celebrates stage 2 victory in Brønnøysund(Image credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Fans try to follow the peloton by water at the Arctic Race of Norway(Image credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Axel Zingle of Team Cofidis celebrates at podium with White Best Young Rider Jersey(Image credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Stephen Bassett of Human Powered Health retains the Polka Dot Mountain Jersey(Image credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Amaury Capiot of Arkéa-Samsic on the podium with the Blue Points Jersey(Image credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Axel Zingle of Team Cofidis dons the Yellow Leader's Jersey for a second day(Image credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Dylan Groenewegen of Team BikeExchange-Jayco celebrates at the podium as stage winner(Image credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Dylan Groenewegen (BikeExchange-Jayco) took out a close bunch sprint on stage 2 of the Arctic Race of Norway, hitting out early and holding off Amaury Capiot (Arkéa Samsic) and a late-surging Edvald Boasson Hagen (TotalEnergies) in Brønnøysund.
The soggy stage saw no change to the top of the overall standings, with stage 1 winner Axel Zingle (Cofidis) finishing in the bunch to keep the yellow jersey with five seconds on Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies). With the bonus seconds for second on the stage, Capiot moved into third in the general classification, nudging Astana trainee Gleb Syritsa into fourth.
It was Groenewegen's seventh victory since joining the Australian team and even without his usual train, the BikeExchange-Jayco squad lined out the sprint and delivered the Dutchman to an ideal position to take the win.
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"It's not the normal lead-out train, we are also with general classification riders but they did an amazing job," Groenewegen said. "It looked like a real lead-out train with Schultzy on the end to bring me in position. I started my sprint really early but I think it was enough. It's a nice win for me and for the team. Yesterday was a hard day. We're also good in the classification and now we have a stage win."
It was another rainy day in Norway for the 154km stage from Mosjøen to Brønnøysund.
Stephen Bassett (Human Powered Health), Aaron Van Poucke (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise), Johan Ravnøy (Team COOP), Liam Johnston (Trinity Racing) and Iker Mintegui (Euskaltel Euskadi) made up the early breakaway, with Bassett aiming at adding to his mountains classification lead.
Van Poucke won the intermediate sprint at kilometre 19.5 while Bassett followed the Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise rider over the summit at Laksforsen. Johnston, the only rider from the breakaway to finish in the main chasing group on stage 1, spent some time in the 'virtual yellow' but with a sprint finale on the menu there would be no chance for the Trinity rider to take the lead.
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Van Poucke led over the next climb at Tosen to come one point closer to the mountains lead. The breakaway only gained a few minutes but began to come apart, with Mintegui dropped on a steep uncategorized climb with 59km to go.
The gap to the breakaway came down steadily and, inside 20km to go, it was under a minute. When Bassett looked behind and saw the peloton coming, he sat up and dropped back, while the remaining trio kept forging ahead until the peloton swept past before the second intermediate sprint.
Sven Erik Bystrøm (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) attacked out of the bunch to take the sprint bonus, and although Zingle jumped to try to take second, he was nearly pipped by Burgaudeau.
A flurry of attacks failed to interfere with the bunch sprint, and although Intermarché staged a well-oiled lead out, it was too early and the neon yellow team got washed away as Groenewegen opened up his powerful sprint.
Laura Weislo is a Cyclingnews veteran of 20 years. Having joined in 2006, Laura extensively covered the Operacion Puerto doping scandal, the years-long conflict between the UCI and the Tour de France organisers ASO over the creation of the WorldTour, and the downfall of Lance Armstrong and his lifetime ban for doping. As Managing Editor, Laura coordinates coverage for North American events and global news.
