Ridolfo rides high in the break on stage three in Norway

After a first half of the season beset by challenges with crashes, injury and recovery Italian Filippo Ridolfo rediscovered his breakaway form for Team Novo Nordisk on stage three of the Arctic Race of Norway.

Ridolfo went clear with six other escapees over the early kilometers and dug deep in an attempt to drive the move on as close to the finish as possible, However, the days parcours played into the hands of the chasing peloton and the group were caught on the final climb less than 10km from the finish.

“It has been a tough year for me so far in terms of performance,” said Ridolfo. “I crashed out of Valenciana at the start of the year and never felt like I really got going again or close to where I was last year. So, to be out front and having a positive impact, going deep into a stage again like today is a good feeling.”

“Nathan made the right move on stage one, and it was a goal of mine to get up there too and we talked last night about trying to do it again today. It was a fairly regular pace until the last 50km when we rode more intensely, trying to stay away as long as possible, but it was always in the back of my mind that the uphill finish would go against us. We’re on the penultimate stage and so far, it’s been a positive return to racing for us.”

Photo credit: Sprint Cycling Agency