Hugo Houle Claims Second Place at Arctic Race of Norway
Hugo Houle continued his successful summer with a second-place finish on the General Classification at the Arctic Race of Norway. The Canadian cyclist crossed the line in fifth place on the final stage, capping off an impressive performance by Israel – Premier Tech.
Israel – Premier Tech demonstrated their strength as a team, with three riders finishing in the top-12 overall. Carl Fredrik Hagen secured ninth place on home roads, while Krists Neilands finished in 12th place.
Houle expressed his satisfaction with the team’s effort, saying, “I’m really happy with the way I raced here all week, and the way we raced as a team as well. A big thanks to all of the guys in the team, we had a good group here and without them, this result wouldn’t have been possible. It’s another strong result and I did my best, so I am happy.”
The final stage of the race was filled with action, starting with a battle to form a breakaway. Ultimately, Andreas Leknessund emerged as the stage and race winner after attacking solo from the breakaway. Houle was part of a seven-rider chase group, while Hagen and Neilands covered the yellow jersey group.
Houle described the intense race, saying, “The whole day was really fast. It was really chaotic at the beginning…I managed to get away with six other guys, including three from Alpecin – Deceuninck, so we had quite a good group. At that moment, I knew it was good for me as we still had Carl and Krists behind to play their cards. I did my best on the last lap. Alpecin attacked me on the last climb, and if we had stayed together, I think we could have gone for the win.”
Despite not securing bonus seconds on the finish line, Houle finished 15 seconds ahead of the next group, securing his podium position.
Sports Director Nicki Sørensen praised the team’s performance, stating, “In the end, our guys did a good race. Hugo did a beautiful race and it’s nice to see him having his best season ever by far. Carl Fredrik and Krists did everything they could behind and were able to finish in a good position on the General Classification as well. It was a wild stage in the end, and congrats to the winner Andreas Leknessund, it was a super nice race by him.”
Overall, the Arctic Race of Norway showcased Hugo Houle’s talent and the strength of the Israel – Premier Tech team, setting the stage for future success in the cycling world.
